Xbox and Nintendo Spurred the Two Scariest Moments of Former PlayStation Exec Shuhei Yoshida's Career

Shuhei Yoshida, former president 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.

Speaking with MinnMax, Yoshida described the Xbox 360's one-year head start on the PlayStation 3 as "very, very scary." This early release left PlayStation facing the challenge of persuading consumers to wait, potentially missing out on a year of next-generation gaming.

However, Yoshida pinpointed Nintendo's announcement of Monster Hunter 4 as a 3DS exclusive as the "biggest shock" he experienced. This was particularly jarring considering the immense success of the Monster Hunter franchise on the PlayStation Portable, which even boasted two exclusive titles. The revelation that Nintendo had secured the next installment completely blindsided Yoshida. To compound the situation, Nintendo simultaneously slashed the 3DS price by $100, undercutting the PlayStation Vita.

"After launch, both Nintendo 3DS and Vita were $250 but they dropped $100," Yoshida recalled. "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. These insights include his views on Sony's live service strategy and his thoughts on the lack of a Bloodborne remake or sequel.