Shuhei Yoshida, the former president of Worldwide Studios for Sony Interactive Entertainment, recently shared insights into some of the most daunting moments he faced during his extensive career at PlayStation. In a candid discussion with MinnMax, Yoshida revealed that two significant competitive moves by Nintendo and Xbox left lasting impressions on him.
The first terrifying moment came with the launch of the Xbox 360, which hit the market a year before the PlayStation 3. Yoshida described this as "very, very scary," noting that gamers eager to dive into the next generation of video games would have to wait if they chose to stick with Sony, putting them at a significant disadvantage.
However, the most shocking moment for Yoshida came when Nintendo announced that Monster Hunter 4 would be exclusive to the Nintendo 3DS. This move was particularly jarring because Monster Hunter had been a massive success on the PlayStation Portable, boasting two exclusive titles. Yoshida was blindsided by Nintendo's coup, especially when compounded by their decision to slash the price of the 3DS by $100, making it much more affordable than the PlayStation Vita. At the time, both the 3DS and Vita were priced at $250, but the price cut put the 3DS significantly below its competitor.
Reflecting on the impact, Yoshida exclaimed, "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."
Monster Hunter 4 launched exclusively on the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, with Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate following a year later.
Yoshida retired from Sony in January after over three decades with the company, where he became a beloved figure and a recognizable face of the PlayStation brand. His retirement has allowed him to share previously untold stories and insights, including his thoughts on Sony's focus on live service games and why there won't be a remake or sequel to the cult classic Bloodborne.
