Ken Kutaragi, former President and CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc, has been named as the recipient of the 'coveted' 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award, bestowed by the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences. From the press release:
Recognized internationally as the "Father of PlayStation," Kutaragi will be honored for revolutionizing the global in-home entertainment market with the creation and monstrous success of the PlayStation computer entertainment systems. The launch of the original PlayStation which was launched in 1994 and the PlayStation 2 which launched in 2000 went on to become the most popular gaming system of the era, resulting in combined shipments of more than 230 million units worldwide.
It's best if, for now, you try to forget the disaster-strewn gestation of PS3 (the writers of this press release obviously have - the machine is mentioned just once). Remember instead that Kutaragi was a guiding force on PlayStation way back when it was being touted as a CD ROM drive for the SNES. He took part in Sony's meetings with developers during the early nineties, when the company was humble enough to seek the guidance and approval of the development community. Such a long time ago.
The award will be presented during the 11th annual Interactive Achievement Awards held on February 7 next year in Las Vegas as part of the 2008 D.I.C.E. Summit.
