Sony Computer Entertainment

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation that was established on November 16, 1993 in Tokyo, Japan. SCEI handles the research and development, production, and sales of hardware and software for their high-selling PlayStation line of handheld game console and video game consoles. SCEI is also a video game developer and video game publisher of video games for their systems.

The president and chief executive officer of SCEI is Ken Kutaragi, who is widely acknowledged as the creator of the PlayStation. SCEI is comprised of several subsidiaries covering the company s biggest markets: America, Europe, Japan, and the rest of Asia.

=Consoles=

==PlayStation==

Sony s first foray into the video game market, the PlayStation (formerly PSX, currently called PS one), was initially set to be an add-on for Nintendo s Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Super Famicom video game consoles as an answer to Sega s Sega CD. When the prospect of releasing the system as an add-on dissolved, Sony transformed it into the PlayStation video game console. The PlayStation was released in Japan on December 3, 1994 and later in North America on September 9, 1995. The system was widely popular and quickly became the #1 selling video game console worldwide.

==PlayStation 2==

Sony s second generation console, the PlayStation 2 or PS2 was released in Japan on March 4, 2000 and later in North America on October 26, 2000. The PS2 is powered by a proprietary Central processing unit, called the Emotion Engine and is the first video game console to have DVD playback functionality. Another feature of the PS2 was its ability to be stood up vertically in addition to sitting horizontally like previous systems. Given the design of the hardware, game developers complained that the PlayStation 2 was too hard to develop for. Many also claim that the PS2 is not as durable, or as powerful, as its competitors. Despite these flaws, the PlayStation 2 has sold more systems and more video games than its rivals, the Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft s Xbox.

==PSX==

In December 2003 Sony upgraded the PlayStation 2 adding DVD burning and a hard drive with PVR functionality. The upgraded system was renamed the PSX (the former name of the PlayStation). This system was released only in Japan with a high price (approximately US$ 700).

==PlayStation 3==

The PlayStation 3 is Sony s next-generation video game console with a release date set in the spring season of 2006. The system was unveiled on May 16, 2005 at a press conference prior to the 2005 E³ event. The PS3 is powered by a CPU developed by IBM, Toshiba, and Sony themselves, called the Cell (microprocessor). The PlayStation 3 is backward compatabile with both the PlayStation 2 and the original PlayStation.

=Handhelds=

==PlayStation Portable==

After a successful run in the console market with both the PlayStation and the PlayStation 2, Sony moved into the handheld market. On May 11, 2004 Sony officially unveiled the PlayStation Portable or PSP during a press conference at E³. The PlayStation Portable is intended as an entertainment platform and is currently positioned to play videogames, video content, and digital audio, as well as displaying digital photos. Instead of using traditional cartridge (electronics), the PSP uses a proprietary disc medium called the Universal Media Disc or UMD. The system also uses Sony s memory stick for game saves and for the transfer of content to and from the PSP. The PlayStation Portable was released in Japan on December 14, 2004, released in the United States on March 24, 2005, and on all of the U.K/Continential Europe/Australia regions on September 1, 2005. As of October 3, 2005, the PSP can also completely surf the web with a web browser built-in.

=Game franchises=

=Structure=

In September 2005 Ken Kutaragi announces that all Sony Computer Entertainment studios will be globally integrated in unique one, supervisored by Phil Harrison. The new integrated studio is called SCE Worldwide Studios. From September 2005, the division names related below finishes to start the new global SCE studio.

==Old structure==

*Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. (SCEI) *Sony Computer Entertainment Japan (SCEJ) *Sony Computer Entertainmet Korea (SCEK) *Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) **SCE Studios Santa Monica **989 Studios Foster City *Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) **Studio Cambridge — (formerly Millennium Interactive), Cambridge **Studio Liverpool — (formerly Psygnosis), , Liverpool **Studio London, London

=External links=

*[http://www.scei.co.jp/global/index_e.html Official SCEI global website] **[http://www.us.playstation.com/ North America] - SCEA - Sony Computer Entertainment America **[http://www.scee.com/ Europe] - SCEE - Sony Computer Entertainment Europe **see global link for other areas