Kotaku

Once upon a time, Sony ruled Japan. Those days are over. Don't believe me? Just look at how the Japanese media keeps turning the Tokyo-based electronics maker into a punching bag.

This sort of thing isn't unique to Sony; the Japanese media was dishing the same punches to Nintendo last year. Sure, sometimes jabs are warranted—especially if a company seems to be on the slide or underperforming. Call it "tough love."

This past weekend, Japanese news show Mr. Sunday had on Kaz Hirai to give his pitch about "One Sony" (a more united, stream-lined Sony) and how he's going to be Mr. Fix-It.

The show had a list of comments—not so nice comments—and then read them to Kaz Hirai's face. Look at the other guy, and look at him smile. Awkward!

The comments as well as the commenters' ages and professions were:

• "Previously, it (Sony) was great, but now the sun is setting somewhat." (36 year-old company employee)
• "The hardware features are good, but they sometimes break." (23 year-old female sales clerk)
• "The prices seem high." (23 year-old part-timer)
• "Sony, what is it?" (19 year-old college student)
• "An incompetent electronics maker." (23 year-old part-timer)
• "None of its new products grab me. There's no excitement." (22 year-old job hunter)

Late last week, another Japanese news show ran footage of Japanese people being totally different—cold, even—to Sony. Tough love, tough love.

ソニーのイメージ・・・「値段が高そう」「ソニーってなんだっけ？」　フジ『Mr.サンデー』で[aatyu]

lol really

in other news Americans think Obama is a muslim

I have to agree,sony really is'nt what it used 2 be.

Was Kaz supposed to answer that and that 19 year old college studen was just trolling.

Oh nooooo Japanese hipsters are trolling, Sony is finished.

This is the public view of Sony now, it seems. A company that has many unreliable, overpriced products ("The hardware features are good, but they sometimes break."; "The prices seem high."), and has an image of having fallen far from grace ("Previously, it (Sony) was great, but now the sun is setting somewhat."; "An incompetent electronics maker."). I imagine it goes beyond Japan, as well.

It's due to a variety of factors, surely. Perhaps the quality of some of their products or their sheer quantity have contributed to this. Their... rather poor marketing is possibly a factor, as well ("None of its new products grab me. There's no excitement.") It's scratching the surface of the issues the company is going through at this time. Whether or not Kaz will be a true "Mr. Fix-It" remains to be seen.

That whole news show thing is more than a little harsh, though. "Awkward", indeed.

media can be cruel sometimes