Sony Exec Yoshida Recalls Xbox, Nintendo Terrors

Shuhei Yoshida, former head of Sony Interactive Entertainment's Worldwide Studios, recently shared two particularly daunting moments from his extensive PlayStation career, both orchestrated by competitors Nintendo and Xbox.

In an interview with MinnMax, Yoshida recounted the anxiety surrounding the Xbox 360's launch a year ahead of the PlayStation 3. The early release put PlayStation at a significant disadvantage, potentially leaving those anticipating Sony's console far behind in experiencing next-gen gaming.

However, Yoshida highlighted an even more impactful surprise: Nintendo's announcement that Monster Hunter 4 would be a 3DS exclusive. This came as a major shock, given the immense success of the Monster Hunter franchise on the PlayStation Portable, which boasted two exclusive titles. The revelation was compounded by Nintendo's simultaneous $100 price drop on the 3DS, undercutting the PlayStation Vita.

Yoshida described the situation: "After launch, both Nintendo 3DS and Vita were $250, but they dropped $100. I was like, 'Oh my god.' And [then they] announced the biggest game... The biggest game on PSP was Monster Hunter. And that game is going to come out on Nintendo 3DS exclusively. I was like, 'Oh no.' That was the biggest shock."

Yoshida's retirement in January, after over three decades with Sony, has allowed him to offer previously undisclosed perspectives on his time at the company, including his thoughts on Sony's live service strategy and the lack of a Bloodborne remake or sequel.