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

Shuhei Yoshida, former president of Worldwide Studios at Sony Interactive Entertainment, 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 launch a year ahead of the PlayStation 3 as "very, very scary." The prospect of potential PlayStation 3 buyers opting for the earlier Xbox 360, thereby gaining a significant head start in experiencing next-gen gaming, presented a considerable challenge.

However, Yoshida identified an even more impactful shock: Nintendo's announcement that Monster Hunter 4 would be a 3DS exclusive. This came as a complete surprise, especially considering the immense success of the Monster Hunter franchise on the PlayStation Portable, which boasted two exclusive titles. The situation worsened when 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 share these previously undisclosed insights. His tenure saw him become a prominent figurehead for PlayStation, earning widespread fan affection. Since leaving Sony, Yoshida has also offered opinions on Sony's live service strategy and explained his perspective on the lack of a Bloodborne remake or sequel.