PlayStation

Sony “Pleased With the Strong Performance” of Game and Network Services, Thanks to PlayStation

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 5, 2016 | 0 comments

We all know by now that PlayStation is one of the key pillars of Sony going forward. Luckily for them, it’s a division that shows no signs of slowing down. Here is Chief Financial Officer Kenichiro Yoshida talking about PlayStation which was once again a highlight of Sony during their Q3 FY15 earnings report.

This business has great momentum and it’s different from our branded products and devices business, because it is increasing its service-related revenue. The installed base of PS4 hardware is expanding faster than any of our previous consoles. Sales of the product during the holiday season were extremely strong, and network revenues for the third quarter increased approximately 50% year-on-year.

The PlayStation is steadily growing into a global network entertainment platform due to the power of the PlayStation 4 hardware console, and the ability of our team to bring content creators to the platform.

In addition to a strong install base, Sony must also learn to offer compelling services in order to further monetize each console sold. As a comparison, Apple’s services, which consist of things like Apple Pay, Apple Music, iCloud, and iTunes now bring in more revenue than the company’s legendary iPod ever did. This is crucial as there is an eventual and theoretical sales limit for each device from a hardware standpoint. However, once we dive into software and services, a company can break through that barrier and make further returns on each unit sold.

After talking further about why they’re bringing PlayStation to the US, Sony touched upon on their ever growing Network & Services business and its

strong performance

Those details after the jump.

Sony Talks Further on Why PlayStation is Coming to the US

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 5, 2016 | 0 comments

If you haven’t already, I’d recommending reading ‘Why the Future of PlayStation is in the US and not Japan‘ as that article will put comments made by Chief Financial Officer Kenichiro Yoshida into context. In short, as I’d argued, the future of PlayStation is software and services – not hardware which is what PlayStation was primarily built on during the PS1-PS3 era. The age of the PS4 marked the first time when the US part of Sony and their first party developers had any say on the console’s future. Going forward with additional services like PS Now and eventually PS5, the majority of the decision-making will come from the US with software setting the tone and Japan creating hardware that can accommodate. As Yoshida stated

major shifts in the digital content landscape are happening fast in the U.S.

His full statement after the jump on why PlayStation is coming to the US.

Destiny Update 2.1.1 Will Change Special Ammo Economy in Crucible

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 4, 2016 | 0 comments

Bungie is bringing some changes on how it reports Destiny and general company updates.

“Whoa, wait!” you say. “Is this the Bungie Weekly Update?”

It was, for many years. Today, we’re giving it a new name so it would no longer be confused with Patch Notes. Bungie has long enjoyed taking a moment out of each week to share something from our studio with the players of our games. We may have outgrown the name in the complex era of Destiny, but we have not outgrown the weekly ritual of friendship.

But beyond a title change, Bungie is talking Destiny Update 2.1.1 which could change how you play Crucible for the better, I think. Details after the jump.

14 Sony & PlayStation Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 4, 2016 | 2 comments

When you’re a techie, you tend to find an excuse to give tech gifts whenever you can. This includes Valentine’s Day where you might normally be tempted to give your significant other a box of chocolate and red roses. While I can’t argue with the chocolate part, especially if its dark German chocolate, you can do a lot better than just roses. Tech gifts can not only last longer than those roses that were jacked up in price for the week, but can also be far more personable.

Lucky for you, with the big day just 10 days away, we have 14 Sony & PlayStation Valentine’s Day gift ideas for you that are sure to win you some extra xoxo. Meet us after the jump.

Limited Edition ‘Uncharted 4’ PS4 Bundle Announced

by Allegra Osati | Feb 4, 2016 | 2 comments

A limited edition Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End PS4 bundle was announced today for North America and Europe, with release dates pegged as April 26th in North America, April 27th in Europe, and April 29th in the UK.

Join us after the jump to talk price, see some more photos, and watch the teaser.

‘Final Fantasy XV Uncovered’ Event Announced for March 30th

by Allegra Osati | Feb 3, 2016 | 2 comments

Big news for Final Fantasy fans! Square Enix announced that a ‘Final Fantasy XV Uncovered‘ event will be held at 7 pm on March 30th at the Shrine Auditorium in Hollywood.

More details after the jump.

Sony Ships 8.4 Million PS4 Units in Q3 FY15

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 1, 2016 | 2 comments

Just last week, Sony reported their Q3 FY15 earnings report to some good results. While Mobile continues to struggle (which you can read a more in depth take here), the over all health of the company continues to improve (you can again get a more in depth view of the entire company here). The one division of Sony that continues to post gangbuster numbers is PlayStation, thanks to the ever continuing momentum of the PS4.

In Q3 alone, which spans between October 1st and December 31st, Sony shipped a staggering 8.4 million PS4 units. This brings PS4 lifetime sales to nearly 36 million. At this pace, Sony should have no problem clearing 50 million units sold by year’s end. For context, Xbox One has not hit 20 million units sold yet.

More after the jump.

Putting the Sony Q3 FY15 Earnings Results in Context

by Sohrab Osati | Feb 1, 2016 | 1 comment

Sony Q3 FY15 Sales Chart

To better get a sense of the Sony Q3 FY15 earnings results, I’ve put together a few charts alongside official information to give you a better sense of how the company is doing. In short, things are much better compared to a few years ago and even last year when the company posted their first profit in nearly a decade. Sony Mobile, despite pumping out the fantastic Xperia Z5 family, continues to struggle. You can read more in depth about Sony Mobile and their results here.

A quick heads up. All charts can be clicked on to viewed in much more detail.

So, let’s start from the beginning again. For its Q3 2015 financial results, Sony posted a net income of 120.1 billion JPY ($1 billion) on total revenue of 2,580.8 billion JPY ($21.5 billion). That’s up 33.5% and 0.5% year-on-year. Operating income came in at 202.1 billion JPY ($1.7 billion), an 11% rise on the previous year. In short, Sony achieved $1 billion of net profits for the three months to end in December.

As you can see from the chart above, Game & Network Services (read: PlayStation), Sony Pictures, Sony Music, and the company’s Financial Services have been on the rise. Mobile is obviously hurting and in doing so, dragging down their ever-so-profitable Devices division where image sensor sales are accounted for. Here’s how the different divisions within Sony add up.

Sony_Q3_FY15_Sales_Segment_Chart

More info and charts pertaining to the Sony Q3 FY15 earnings results after the jump.

Sony Q3 2015 Results – PlayStation Up, Mobile & Image Sensors Down – But Profits Up

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 29, 2016 | 10 comments

Sony has just posted its Q3 2015 results and, as a whole, the company is doing much better. According to Sam Byford from The Verge:

third-quarter earnings up on those from a year ago, making ¥202.1 billion ($1.69 billion) in operating profit off ¥2.58 trillion ($21.5 billion) in revenue. Net profit between October and December was ¥120.1 billion ($1 billion), 33 percent higher than the same quarter last year.

A big reason for the income increase compared to last year is due largely to all the cuts Sony has been making across the company. This includes personal cuts as well as reducing product lineup (i.e. les televisions, phones, and cameras). Restructuring costs were also down 50% this year to $61 million.

Beyond the obvious nature of PlayStation doing great business with sales up 10.5%, reaching $4.9 billion, Sony Pictures did great business as well

with movies like Spectre and Hotel Transylvania 2 performing well at the box office to help the division make ¥262.1 billion ($2.18 billion) in revenue — 26.9 percent up on last year.

It’s no surprise that Mobile continues to be a sore spot for Sony but image sensors were curiously down as the two are linked. More Sony Q3 2015 results after the jump.

Free Games for February 2016 on PlayStation Plus

by Allegra Osati | Jan 28, 2016 | 0 comments

Are you a PlayStation Plus member? Boot up your system on February 1st to download these free games! This month, PS Plus membership includes free access to six games that you’ll want to get your hands on. Check out the lineup after the jump.

Why the Future of PlayStation is in the US and Not Japan

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 26, 2016 | 4 comments

As you might have heard by now, Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment are being fused together under a new company called Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC. This is important because until now, Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) has been in control of all PlayStation-related hardware and software (games) while Sony Network Entertainment (SNE) has lead services like PlayStation Vue and PlayStation Store. Now under SIE, Sony will be combining the two divisions and bringing them under one headquarters in San Mateo, California.

Under the new company, there will be some leadership changes as well with Andrew House leading things as CEO and President. According to House:

“By integrating the strengths of PlayStation’s hardware, software, content and network operations, SIE will become an even stronger entity, with a clear objective to further accelerate the growth of the PlayStation® business. Along with our business partners, SIE will develop pioneering services and products that will continue to inspire consumers’ imaginations and lead the market. We will work hard to maximize corporate value by coordinating global business operations across San Mateo, Tokyo, and London by leveraging local expertise.”

While there will be offices in Tokyo and London, the majority of R&D, as well as decision making, will be done out of California. The two remote offices will lead localization efforts which are ever so important, for instance, in Europe, a region that consists of several different countries, languages, and policies. But that aside, the real story here is that after two decades, PlayStation is leaving its country of birth and coming to North America. Nostalgia aside, this is actually a good thing for Sony, the future of PlayStation, and gamers. A lot more after the jump.

Insomniac Games Teases ‘What’s Next’ With a Video

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 26, 2016 | 0 comments

Insomniac Games, one of my all-time favorite developers and once PlayStation-exclusive, are teasing something new with a ‘what’s next’ video. Not a lot is revealed other than the game seems to employ the same visual nature that their long-time-running Ratchet & Clank utilizes. It’s also a safe bet that it will have some sort of underwater element to it.

It seems like we’ll learn a lot more come January 28, 2016 @ 8:30 am CT. That video can be found after the jump.

Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC Formed to “Power the Next 20 Years of PlayStation”

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 25, 2016 | 3 comments

Well here is some late night news for you. Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony Network Entertainment are being fused together under a new company called Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC that will

power the next 20 years of PlayStation innovation

according to Shawn Layden, President and CEO, SCEA. More after the jump.

PS4 Sales Dwarf Xbox One in Germany & France by 400%

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 22, 2016 | 3 comments

Another day and another set of data that shows how dominant the PS4 is when compared to the Xbox One. This is something that’s truly breathtaking as Sony was able to barely inch out as the winner when the PS3 and Xbox 360 were duking it out. In fact, there were many months where the two consoles would trade spots as the NDP winner of the month. To see this level of disparity between rival consoles, we’d have to go back to the PS2 and Xbox era where once again Sony was able to dominate its rival to see such a huge difference in sales figures.

The latest set of data comes out of Europe with the PS4 sales coming out the clear winner in Germany and France. I often like to give you a bit of back story instead of listing just numbers but in this case, I’m going to let the numbers do all the talking.

PS3 Update 4.78 & PS Vita Update 3.57 Remove Facebook Functionality

by Sohrab Osati | Jan 21, 2016 | 0 comments

PS3 update 4.78 and PS Vita update 3.57 are now live and ready for your downloading pleasure. Neither update is required to continue gaming though some select titles might be affected by it. Seeing how both updates are fairly small (PS3 – 206MB & PS Vita 137MB), I’d recommend just getting them out of the way to ensure you don’t have any problems going forward.

However unlike other updates that are either vague like ‘bug fixes and system improvements’ or specific where they bring on a host of new features, both updates here are designed to remove functionality from the PS3 and PS Vita. More after the jump.