In video games, success is always fleeting. Master one level, and you get a new, more difficult round. The real-life world of Sony computer-entertainment president Ken Kutaragi--the mastermind behind PlayStation--is a lot like this. He created one of the most successful computer products in history (98 million units sold and counting)--and followed it up with the even more dominant PlayStation 2. But Kutaragi, 53, faces his biggest challenge yet: returning ailing Sony not just to its former glory but beyond. "My role," he says, "is to help lead the company into the future."
Educated as an electrical engineer, Kutaragi joined Sony...