Sony to Name PlayStation Guru New President, Stringer Still CEO [REPORT]

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Nikkei business daily reports that Hirai could take over for Stringer as early as April. Stringer will remain CEO and chairman of the board.

Hirai is Sony's executive deputy president and head of the company's Consumer Products & Services Group, a position he's held since April 2011. Previous to that he served in various leadership roles at Sony Computer Entertainment, which runs the PlayStation product line, and he's been with the company since 1984. He's been widely credited with turning Sony's PlayStation platform into a success, particularly in the U.S. market.

At Sony Computer Entertainment, Hirai led the company to begin marketing the console to a mainstream audience, specifically targeting sporting events. The strategy worked, and the division's profits soared while the PlayStation 2 became the top gaming platform in the U.S. And after a slow start, the PlayStation 3 has become one of the top current consoles, along with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii.

There is so far no official word from Sony.