Kodera is a Long-Serving, Highly Qualified Sony Executive
John Kodera has been with Sony since 1992, during a time in which Sony’s principal industry was focused on electronics such as televisions and optical discs. Of course, the era marked an important period of transition for Sony, as president Norio Ohga worked closely with legendary engineer Ken Kutaragi to convince the board of directors that Sony should compete for business in the up-and-coming video game sector. But Kodera himself began his own career working on Sony’s portable audio devices, specifically, in Business Planning, based in Tokyo for six years before coming to the U.S.
Following his tenure in the portable audio sector, Kodera served as Vice President, Business & Product Strategy, VAIO of America, with Sony Electronics (SEL) in the US. He joined SEL in 1998 and held a variety of positions managing portable, mobile and network products, and overseeing functions including Business Planning & Strategy and Product Planning & Marketing.
Most recently, and most relevant to Sony PlayStation, Kodera joined Sony Network Entertainment International (SNEI) as senior vice president, and was later promoted to president in April 2013. Working on networking services related to the PS3, PS Vita, and PS4, he instituted his vision, strategy, and execution. His principal goal was to offer consumers convenient access to premium games via a cloud system, as well as digital music and videos throughout a wide array of Sony and third-party devices.
His responsibilities as President of SNEI included strategic planning and business development, the operation of the company’s digital service businesses and infrastructure, alignment of Sony-wide network service activities, and delivery of network service to all relevant device platforms.
Kodera is a Big Proponent of Cloud-Based Gaming
As mentioned earlier, Kodera’s time at SNEI has seen him responsible for the launch of some of Sony’s most integral network services. Most notably with respect to the PlayStation brand, this includes services such as the PlayStation Store and the PlayStation Now cloud gaming service, and for the company’s tie-up with music-streamer Spotify.
His recent work has clearly impressed other Sony Executives, and his experience in the field of network services perhaps an indicator of how important Sony considers it to be to the company’s future. President Hirai spoke of the “significance of network services increasing across the entire Sony Group”, and Kodera himself suggested his interest in putting a precedent on “enhancing the PlayStation brand and expanding the game and network services business”. He mentioned striving “to further strengthen the unique value proposition we are able to offer via the PlayStation platform.
The big question now is what the future holds for Sony’s successor console to the PS4 as it heads toward the end of its lifecycle. Will Kodera push for cloud-based streaming to be a more intricate part of the console’s design?
Kodera’s Attitude Toward Mobile Gaming is Unknown
Last week, Andrew House spoke with Bloomberg to quell any hopes that PlayStation might be inspired to launch another foray into mobile gaming following the success of the Nintendo Switch. House, who has worked closely with Kodera on networking services such as PSN, suggested that the company did not foresee a viable gaming eco-system on portable, which has become increasingly dominated by smartphone gaming.
While it’s unlikely that Kodera shares a different view on the notion of a dedicated handheld system, his emphasis on portable gaming, in general, might well be different. After all, Kodera has had a history of working on portable electronic devices, such as audio walkmans and Sony’s ill-fated Mylo media device. Not to mention, his work on both the PS Vue and PSN demonstrate an interest in streamlining media devices for convenient, accessible use.
Might we yet see Sony attempt to make a greater push for PlayStation products on mobile phone devices, or companion Apps for future hardware linked via cloud functionality? Certainly, Sony already intended to make inroads into this market long before Kodera’s appointment, but in that in itself might well be telling. Sony is perhaps keen for an individual with a track record in the sector to lead the charge into an area of the market that it wants to breach.
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