Stringer To Officially Head Sony Game Business Group

Sony's new CEO, Howard Stringer, who was recently appointed to the top job at the Japanese electronics giant, is to be officially appointed as Officer in charge of Game Business Group, according to a Sony Global press release. However, this does not affect Ken Kuturagi's position as head of Sony Computer Entertainment, though it does mean that Kuturagi will directly report to Stringer in Sony's game division, likely as part of Sony's convergence agenda in the area of games, music, and other electronics, as evidenced by the multi-purpose PSP. Recently dismissing rumors that the SCE boss might be dismayed by his demotion from Sony's board of directors, Stringer commented of Kuturagi: "Every company needs the sort of brilliance in residence that he represents ... people whose mind leaps in imaginative vaults, to arrive at different conclusions. So I've gone out of my way to say he's very important. We've both discussed coming back to PlayStation and helping to bring Sony Entertainment into different parts of the electronics company." Stringer, who has succeeded Nobuyuki Idei as the first non-Japanese chairman of he company, also continues as Officer in charge of the Entertainment Business Group and Sony Group Americas Representative.