Shuhei Yoshida, the former president of Worldwide Studios for Sony Interactive Entertainment, recently shared some of the most harrowing moments of his extensive career at PlayStation during an interview with MinnMax. One of these terrifying experiences was the launch of the Xbox 360 a year before the PlayStation 3. Yoshida described this event as "very, very scary," noting that it left those who were waiting for Sony's console significantly behind in experiencing the next generation of video games.
However, the moment that truly shocked Yoshida came from Nintendo. He revealed that the announcement of Monster Hunter 4 as a 3DS exclusive was "the biggest shock I had from an announcement from the competition." This was especially impactful because Monster Hunter had been a monumental success on the PlayStation Portable, boasting two exclusive titles. Yoshida was blindsided by Nintendo securing this new game for their console, and the situation was exacerbated when Nintendo slashed the 3DS price by $100, positioning it well below the PlayStation Vita's price point. "After launch, both Nintendo 3DS and Vita were $250 but they dropped $100," Yoshida recounted. "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 retired in January after over three decades with Sony, where he became a beloved figurehead of the PlayStation brand. His departure has allowed him to share previously untold stories and insights. In addition to these revelations, Yoshida has expressed his reservations about Sony's push towards live service games and shared his thoughts on why a remake or sequel to the cult classic Bloodborne might not be in the works.
