ESA To Honor Ken Kutaragi At Children's Charity Fundraiser

The Entertainment Software Association has announced that SCE honorary chairman and Sony senior tech advisor Ken Kutaragi will be the 2008 Champion Honoree at the “Nite to Unite for Kids” on Wednesday, October 17 at San Francisco's Westin St. Francis Hotel. The NTU industry fundraising event benefits children's charities across America, and is now honoring "father of the PlayStation" Kutaragi for his contributions to the industry. Presented by the ESA and hosted by the ESA Foundation, this year’s event will include a black-tie optional dinner and a live and silent auction. in San Francisco. Previously, the event has raised over $7.8 million for children’s charities since its inception in 1999. Co-chairs for this year are: Robbie Bach, president, Entertainment & Devices Division at Microsoft; Nintendo president and COO Reggie Fils-Aime, and SCEA president and CEO Jack Tretton. Past award recipients include George Lucas, GameStop's Dan Matteo, and Electronic Arts' Bing Gordon. “Ken’s contributions to our community and the entertainment lives of ordinary consumers are extraordinary,” said Michael D. Gallagher, president of the ESA, which represents U.S. computer and video game publishers. “His insight and vision revolutionized in-home entertainment, enabling advancements in creativity, technology, and innovation.” Mr. Kutaragi had been directly responsible for the creation of the PlayStation platform business since SCE was established in 1993. During its 13 years in operation, SCE significantly changed the gaming landscape, elevating the business to mainstream levels and forging new frontiers in consumer-based computer entertainment.