Ken Kutaragi is the former Chairman and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment (SCEI), the video game division of Sony Corporation, and current president and CEO of Cyber AI Entertainment. He is known as "The Father of the PlayStation", and its successors and spinoffs, including the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and the PlayStation 3.
As an engineer at Sony, Kutaragi created the SPC700 sound chip for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Following the chip's success, Kutaragi began working with Sony to create its own video game console and helped to launch the first PlayStation in 1994 as its lead engineer. His contribution to the growth of SEC landed Kutaragi the deputy executive president position and eventually he became CEO, during which time he oversaw the launch of the PlayStation 3. After being replaced by Kaz Hirai in November 2006, Kutaragi took the title of Honorary Chairman in 2007. Currently, he serves as president and CEO of internet services company Cyber AI Entertainment Inc.
"The PlayStation has become a household name, representing some of the biggest and best gaming experiences of all time," said general manager of GDC events Meggan Scavio. "Its success and longevity is a reflection of the insight, craft, technical prowess and hard work of the team led by Kutaragi-san, the father of the PlayStation. We're honored to have Kutaragi-san present at the event, and heartened to recognize a true visionary that helped bring about an unparalleled era of growth in the industry."
The 14th Annual GDC Awards will be open to all GDC pass holders and streamed online through GameSpot for those not in attendance. The ceremony will be hosted by Respawn Entertainment community manager Abbie Heppe, while the preceding Independent Games Festival Awards will be hosted by Capybara Games' Nathan Vella.
Ken Kutaragi, known as the "Father of the PlayStation," will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2014 Game Developers Conference this March, event organizers announced today.
Kutaragi will be awarded for his contributions to the games industry at the 14th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards, to be held on March 19 at 9:30 p.m. ET at San Francisco's Moscone Center. The award will be presented to Kutaragi by Mark Cerny, lead architect on the PlayStation 4 console.
