Kevin Butler, the fake Sony executive portrayed so ably by comic actor Jerry Lambert, has become something of a phenomenon in the world of video games. Introduced as part of Sony’s “It Only Does Everything” campaign, the many-titled Vice President was an instant hit, and has helped Sony’s marketing of the PS3 turn a corner and move in a positive direction. Perhaps even stealing momentum away from Microsoft in their battle for HD console market share.

Like the court jester of old, he is also able to say things that Sony execs would probably like to say, but can’t, including poking fun at Kinect with the hilarious “pretending our fingers are guns? What are we, in second grade?” line that no one else on stage at E3 would have dared. Not because it wasn’t true, but because that’s not normal executive-speak.

And that’s the huge and ironic downside to Kevin Butler, and nowhere was that more evident than at Sony’s keynote press conference at E3: the stronger he is as a character, the worse he makes everyone around him look by comparison. In a sad twist of a fate, the success of Kevin Butler has only emphasized one of the great failings of not only Sony, but the gaming industry as a whole: most corporate types make lousy spokespeople.

With his inspiring and comical salute to gaming and his appearances in some of Sony’s many montages, Kevin Butler was the obvious standout in the two hour presentation. He was funny, his comic timing was near-perfect (the Coke sponsorship gag seemed the product of poor writing more than poor performance), and his message extolling the love of gaming was over-the-top, but expressed a sentiment that is too often glossed over in these kinds of presentations: passion and love for gaming. In contrast, the usual messages, which were abundant at E3, had all the passion and thrill of being corporately rehearsed, practiced, focus grouped, and rewritten to target key messages and talking points. In other words, dry, dull, and largely uninspiring.

In fact, there was a palpable sense of disappointment in the air when Sony President Jack Tretton announced that Kevin was unable to attend E3 (though I doubt anyone in the audience really believed that to be true). The public had fallen in love with Sony’s unlikely new icon, and they would not be denied.

Now, no one expects every executive to be out-there like Richard Branson, or coolly commanding like Steve Jobs, but when you create such an enjoyable comedic pitchman, then put him on stage with your far less charismatic real executives, it only serves to make them seem more wooden, more forced, and more comically inept as a result.

Sony’s President and CEO Jack Tretton is certainly a highly skilled executive and can probably command the boardroom, but in a public venue like E3, where you are talking to investors, media, buyers, and fans around the world at the same time, the same skills that succeed in the boardrooms don’t have the same chance of winning over a live audience of thousands, and a potential televised and internet streamed audience of millions. As E3′s media stature has grown, the presentations have become as much about performance as product. And while your average game company exec exceeds on selling the steak, the sizzle is too often left behind.

Kaz Hirai, who will likely always be remembered for “Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiidge Racer”, was no better, and the other Sony execs who followed, including the one who shared the stage with Kevin Butler, were equally overshadowed. Ok, really, I just wanted the excuse to share this video:

But this is not a problem solely for Sony. This is a problem for Microsoft, and to a lesser extent, Nintendo as well: real executives tend to come across as executives, and not effective pitchmen. The endless parade of open-collared suits that Microsoft rolled out, led by Don Mattrick, were uniformly mediocre, and easily eclipsed in stage presence by a young girl playing with a virtual tiger. The only exception was Kudo Tsunoda, who at least looked different than the rest, but the whole “I’m so hip I wear sunglasses inside” look takes it in the exact opposite direction, with the end result still feeling like someone trying too hard and failing.

Even the developers who are brought out, who tend to have little in the way of charisma, get attention more for what they are saying, rather than how they are saying it. But at least they, with the ideal example of Cliff Bleszinski, project a real and honest passion for what they do.

And let’s not even trot out the famed Japanese developers, whose design skills are far superior to their grasp of the English language. Unfortunately, these segments tend to grind to a screeching halt, as the audience is often left to try and decipher the message, rather than the meaning.

An odd exception is Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Amie, who gives the impression of being a linebacker selling you a furry kitten. Maybe it’s because he has a gentler sell, with more accessibly fun games, or maybe he just has a bizarre charisma that works in the context of Nintendo presentations, but while he’s still very much a suit, he seems to have been able to make it work for him.

Eventually, like the Taco Bell chihuahua and the Where’s the Beef lady, Kevin Butler will be shipped off to mascot heaven, and when that happens, it will be a sad day for us all. But you can perhaps imagine a happier response from the less charismatic real-life video game executives, who won’t have to look quite so wooden by comparison.