Shuhei Yoshida, former head of Sony Interactive Entertainment's Worldwide Studios, recounts two career-defining moments of fear, both courtesy of Nintendo and Xbox.

In a MinnMax interview, Yoshida described the Xbox 360's one-year head start on the PlayStation 3 as "very, very scary," fearing that potential PS3 buyers would be significantly behind in experiencing next-gen gaming.

However, Yoshida pinpointed Nintendo's announcement of Monster Hunter 4 as a 3DS exclusive as the most shocking competitive move. This was particularly jarring given the series' immense success on the PlayStation Portable, where it boasted two exclusive titles. The surprise was compounded by Nintendo's simultaneous $100 price drop on the 3DS, undercutting the PlayStation Vita.

Yoshida's reaction was one of disbelief: "After launch, both Nintendo 3DS and Vita were $250 but they dropped $100," he recalled. "I was like, 'Oh my god'. And [then they] announced the biggest game... The biggest game on PSP was Monster Hunter. And that game is going to come out on Nintendo 3DS exclusively. I was like, 'Oh no.' That was the biggest shock."

Yoshida's recent retirement after over three decades at Sony allows for the sharing of such previously undisclosed insights. He's also voiced his reservations about Sony's live service strategy and offered opinions on the lack of a Bloodborne remake or sequel.