Shuhei Yoshida evaluation thread

I'm not going to pretend to know exactly how well he is doing his job, but some of his tweets and antics crack me up, so he's cool in that respect.
 
I think he's doing a good job.

I like that he tweets and responds to people.

I don't like that his tweets are usually "yes" or "no" or an emoticon and rarely ever actually answer anyone's questions.
 
I love Shuhei, but, Bloodborne looks like the only game his studios will have put out that's actually been worth a shit on PS4.

He's the most likeable bigwig in the business, but, if we didn't follow him on Twitter, I wonder if we'd be calling for some fresh blood.
 
If anything, Denny would be a deputy as he reports to Yoshida (if I understand correctly). Denny heads EU WWS, while Scott Rhode is the head of US WWS (don't know who heads up WWS in Japan, though). So he would likely report to Yoshida (again, if I understand it correctly).
You are right.

I thought Scott Rohde and Michael Denny were responsible for America and Europe respectively, but there are so many conflicting articles (Sony's vice president Michael Denny) and me misinterpreting vice-presidency to mean something else.

I updated the OP.

Really now..

I've never seen any such comment.
Do you want me to cross-post posts? This thread was created because I read such posts 10 minutes ago.

Oh fuck it, I have nothing else to do, let me a thread about shu and his over site.
If you don't want to participate you don't need to participate.
 
Yeah, post apocalypse zombie stories are really risky ventures these days.

For real though. Was something causing problems? All I ever heard about was some minor quibbling about including Ellie on the box.

On topic: no complaints here.

It's more about letting your top studio develop a "rated M" game that promotes stealth instead of shooting. Add to that the fact that they green lit the project after a series like Uncharted which is the complete opposite and got quite popular.
 
I love Shuhei, but, Bloodborne looks like the only game his studios will have put out that's actually been worth a shit on PS4.

He's the most likeable bigwig in the business, but, if we didn't follow him on Twitter, I wonder if we'd be calling for some fresh blood.
Poor Uncharted 4 ;_; Aside from lack of announced WWS games I'm optimistic their output will satisfy me throughout the gen once they get the games out as they have in past gens.
 
Small introduction:

Shuhei Yoshida is the president of Sony Computer Entertainment World Wide Studios.

This in effect makes him the boss over PlayStation's internal software devision when it comes to internally (and first party independently contracted) game projects.

He reports to Andrew House, the overall boss of PlayStation.
Co-President of SCE WWS is Michael Denny.


For months I've been reading how Shuhei has failed in his position but it's usually in random threads where pursuing this discussion would be mostly off-topic.

That's why I would like to discuss what people like or dislike about his efforts in a dedicated thread.

Hes been doing well. Gives the company a face and his job performance has been good. In his tenure at the position since 2008 (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/yoshida-san-i-have-big-plans-for-worldwide-studios), I'd say the decisions and games that have come out since then have been excellent with some exceptions, but it's an issue of not knowing how the a game will really do.

also this just seems like a thread for orochi to come in and spout his hate and then says hes going to make a petition to remove him
 
He's abandoned the Vita. I'm bitter about that. I also don't think WWS output has been that great in quality lately. But any higher up who actively responds to the community (on some things) has to get some points.
 
Yeah, post apocalypse zombie stories are really risky ventures these days.

Eh, no. I meant taking risks with the main character, which was Ellie. Not the zombie thing. EDIT: Not to mention let the studio make the game when they had no experience in mature (as in not campy story or character) games.
 
If he moved all of their 2013 PS3 exclusives to the PS4 I don't think people would be asking for him to be removed.
---

I think he's pretty good for giving Tearaway and Gravity Rush (we know it's coming) another chance on PS4, hiring more devs to create new IPs for them (The Tomorrow Children, Bloodborne, Rime, etc), and allowing most of their 1st party studios to create new AAA IPs (Bend, GG, MM, London Studios, SSM until it was canceled, etc).

On the negative side, Killzone should be dead by now and if Cambridge is working on the next one I'm doing to be pissed. They're a good studio that should get a chance to create a new IP. Driveclub should've been delayed again to sort out the online issues and to add weather/the other big content that's coming. I heard inFamous needed more content and was a step down from the previous game in many ways. When Driveclub & inFamous clearly needed more time, I don't understand why they put out so many 2013 PS3 games.
 
Eh, no. I meant taking risks with the main character, which was Ellie. Not the zombie thing.

How is that risky if she's barely even a playable character? If she's the main character as you say then I don't see the risk if you're playing as Joel for most of the game.
 
He's okay, but it seems like he can't build a good lineup every year.

PS3 had an awful 2012 but an awesome 2013.

Vita launch was good(UC:G, W2048, GR) but the rest of the year was dreadful, while the second year was a better (SS, KZ:M, Tearaway). Then he flat out abandoned the system (still bitter about that)

PS4 first year was awful IMO but the second year is shaping up to be one of the greatest (Bloodborne, The Order, Uncharted 4, Rime...)

It's seems as if he can only managed one system at a time.

Overall I would give him a C

Edit: Totally forgot that he killed Liverpool, Zipper and that London haven't made a real game since forever ago.
 
he's doing okay, just needs to be more open to his fans like phil spencer is. I want him doing more interviews

This is a joke post right?

The guy has been on GiantBomb drinking beers with Adam Boyes.
Answers questions on Twitter feeds, and on Q&A on Playstation Blogs.

The guy has been really the face of Playstation right now. The same would be said about Phil Spencer and Miayamoto.

He might not be perfect when giving news about upcoming games. But he seems to be enthusiastic about games on his platform and others.
 
The first party lineup so far has been predictable and dull as anything. We really didn't need more Infamous and we really didn't need more Killzone. First parties really should be concentrating on creating experiences that third parties aren't/won't. I really hope some fresher stuff gets announced in 2015. I still miss PS2-era Sony first party.
 
I cannot forgive him for killing Wipeout. Wipeout HD could have been introduced to a large audience based on the ps4's popularity. Such a shame and ruined opportunity.

He should also find someone new to handle psn because whoever is in charge is not doing their job.
 
Phil Harrison left at 2008. We can assume that projects up till early 2010 was still part of Harrison's portfolio, so we can approximately assess and evaluate Shu from 2010 onwards:

My personal evaluation :

By year:
2010 : B+
2011 : A
2012 : C
2013 : A
2014 : B-
2015 : Unknown

Overall:
2010-2014 : B+

What I like:
Largely appears to give a lot of creative leeway to their first-party teams. Collaboration efforts with independent devs have helped to elevate many devs's portfolios. Seems to favor new IPs.

Criticism:
The Sony Cycle. Lacks consistency in product schedule planning, thus leading to what I feel are 'high -> low -> high -> lows' in their product output. I feel like Sony could be better served to work on building stronger consistency in their annual output.

That's about it, personally.
 
I do like Shu and he's pretty accessible. However a few complaints. First, the inability to reign in on The Last Guardian. Whips should have been cracked for wasting time. Getting the equivalent of Nintendo EAD in Japan for Sony. There are quality resources in Japan, it seems they are all going to Nintendo R&D. First party throughout and quality is all on him. It's been ok, not outstanding. Which title has been a system must have for Sony?
 
And Sony's biggest IP.

Gran Turismo will never recover from his ineptness.

He killed nothing
I think it was Santa monicas fault
they overestimate himself, like what happened in Driveclub
Their dreams were too big for this age, technology wasnt advanced
We should be proud of him
I think he was the guy who gave ND the order to develop TLOU

And GT6 was a mistake, they shouldnt release it for PS3, they had to wait.
PS3 was already dead after TLOU and GTA V
But I'm sure GT7 will be a big step into next gen racing
 
I'm glad to see this thread created, because I, and I think many other people who think about the bigger picture, see this is a topic worth discussing. Sony has so many internal studios, but it feels to me like they just aren't outputting that much, and when they do it's often not to the quality level it should be. Standards change overtime, and sometimes it feels like their studios aren't keeping up.

It's very hard to pin the Sony studios situation on Shuhei alone, as we really have no idea exactly how much support he has, how big the team surrounding him is, etc. but there is no doubt their worldwide studios just aren't outputting games at the quality level you'd expect.

Knack
Killzone: Shadow Fall
Infamous: Second Son
Driveclub

Those are the big PS4 exclusives we've had so far, and quite honestly, I feel like all of them came off as very flawed products. I'd like to directly contrast them to competing products, but I have a feeling I'd be attacked for doing so. Needless to say, I feel like there are competing projects out there that set more ambitious goals, and often execute on a higher level of quality. It's truly disappointing, as I feel like a little help here and there could really turn things around, so I hope they shake things up soon.
 
As a PS4 fan, I think he's doing a great job.

As a Vita fan...ehhh.

He loves his Vita but that hasn't translated into quality output (first party) for the Vita. Big misses in getting a quality Call of Duty for Vita. It wasn't a first party title but we all know Sony paid for the darn thing to be created and used a fourth rate developer to make it. Iron Galaxy should have gotten whatever resources to get Borderlands Vita rock solid 30 FPS. Again, not first party but Sony pushed for it. God of War Collection was an absolute abortion.
 
I'm glad to see this thread created, because I, and I think many other people who think about the bigger picture, see this is a topic worth discussing. Sony has so many internal studios, but it feels to me like they just aren't outputting that much, and when they do it's often not to a quality level it should be.

It's very hard to pin the Sony studios situation on Shuhei alone, as we really have no idea exactly how much support he has, how big the team surrounding him is, etc. but there is no doubt their worldwide studios just aren't outputting games at the quality level you'd expect.

Knack
Killzone: Shadow Fall
Infamous: Second Son
Driveclub

Those are the big PS4 exclusives we've had so far, and quite honestly, I feel like all of them came off as very flawed products. I'd like to directly contrast them to competing products, but I have a feeling I'd be attacked for doing so. Needless to say, I feel like there are competing projects out there that offer more ambitious goals, and often execute on a higher level of quality. It's truly disappointing, as I feel like a little help here and there could really turn things around, so I hope they shake things up soon.



Well, don't pull the "I would compare to something else, but I would get attacked" card, because at this point you already did it.

Either make your point clearly or don't bother. This wishy-washy approach is 10 times worse.
 
He killed nothing
I think it was Santa monicas fault
they overestimate himself, like what happened in Driveclub
Their dreams were too big for this age, technology wasnt advanced
We should be proud of him
I think he was the guy who gave ND the order to develop TLOU

And GT6 was a mistake, they shouldnt release it for PS3, they had to wait.
PS3 was already dead after TLOU and GTA V
But I'm sure GT7 will be a big step into next gen racing

What did I just read?

OT: I'm gonna hold my judgement on him until after 2015. The biggest franchises will be releasing games on the PS4 in the coming years and I want to see how they handle them.
 
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*success
 
I'm glad to see this thread created, because I, and I think many other people who think about the bigger picture, see this is a topic worth discussing. Sony has so many internal studios, but it feels to me like they just aren't outputting that much, and when they do it's often not to the quality level it should be. Standards change overtime, and sometimes it feels like their studios aren't keeping up.

It's very hard to pin the Sony studios situation on Shuhei alone, as we really have no idea exactly how much support he has, how big the team surrounding him is, etc. but there is no doubt their worldwide studios just aren't outputting games at the quality level you'd expect.

Knack
Killzone: Shadow Fall
Infamous: Second Son
Driveclub

Those are the big PS4 exclusives we've had so far, and quite honestly, I feel like all of them came off as very flawed products. I'd like to directly contrast them to competing products, but I have a feeling I'd be attacked for doing so. Needless to say, I feel like there are competing projects out there that set more ambitious goals, and often execute on a higher level of quality. It's truly disappointing, as I feel like a little help here and there could really turn things around, so I hope they shake things up soon.
This is just the beginning, think what happens when The Order 1886, LBP3, UC4, No mans Sky, Bloodborne and wild coming.
It's just the beginning
 
I like Shu a lot. I have a lot of issues with Sony and PS4 this year, particularly with 1st party studios, but I don't know whether they're his fault or not. I seriously doubt it though.

Still, we could use some Vita support. At least talk about it.
 
I'm glad to see this thread created, because I, and I think many other people who think about the bigger picture, see this is a topic worth discussing. Sony has so many internal studios, but it feels to me like they just aren't outputting that much, and when they do it's often not to a quality level it should be.

It's very hard to pin the Sony studios situation on Shuhei alone, as we really have no idea exactly how much support he has, how big the team surrounding him is, etc. but there is no doubt their worldwide studios just aren't outputting games at the quality level you'd expect.

Knack
Killzone: Shadow Fall
Infamous: Second Son
Driveclub

Those are the big PS4 exclusives we've had so far, and quite honestly, I feel like all of them came off as very flawed products. I'd like to directly contrast them to competing products, but I have a feeling I'd be attacked for doing so. Needless to say, I feel like there are competing projects out there that offer more ambitious goals, and often execute on a higher level of quality. It's truly disappointing, as I feel like a little help here and there could really turn things around, so I hope they shake things up soon.

Seriously?

Those were all Launch Window games. Come next year, and 2016 you won't be so negative on Sony. Let's see how Wild. Rime. No man's Sky, Abzu, The Tomorrow Children(looks banana's after seeing stream last week) turn out before shitting on a company that has had to dig it's way out the whole last generation dug them.

And to your argument about quality, MS games right now might have a higher Metacritic score, but they don't own the IP's nor most of the studios that are putting the games out.
 
He's very likeable and managed to turn around Sony's videogame business in the last few years and I respect that. On the other hand, Sony's software output has been pretty poor lately and that's a pretty huge problem, although it doesn't seem to affect sales. A console's first year is always barren though, so I'll withhold judgement, I'm sure there will be plenty of games eventually. He doesn't give a fuck about Vita though.
 
Let's see how Wild. Rime. No man's Sky, Abzu, The Tomorrow Children(looks banana's after seeing stream last week) turn out before shitting on a company that has had to dig it's way out the whole last generation dug them.
No Man's Sky and Abzu are not WWS games and thus not under Yoshida. That credit goes to the third party relations team.
 
He did a great job. To me, WWS is now the real value of PlayStation.
Back in 2007, PS3 looked like a huge disaster. Games were going also on 360 and they were even better, performance wise. Now with PC the situation is similar.
Today, WWS is really the most precious thing they have and they should invest even more in them.
 
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