Posted Fri Feb 20, 2015 at 08:26 AM PST by Brian Hoss
Is the PS4 the last great Sony product?
While there may be a console war being fought by fans of the PS4 and the Xbox One, the truth is that both consoles have done much better than naysayering analysts had predicted for the last half decade. While each system's install base may seem like a critical number, the truth is that both console makers would prefer to have customers that not only own their latest console but also subscribe to the online gaming service (PS Plus/Xbox Live Gold), and buy games. In this respect, Sony has made major strides since the introduction of PlayStation Plus in the middle of the PS3's life.
As detailed by Sam Byford at The Verge, the rise of the internet has made most of Sony's business outside of PlayStation a money loser. This isn't just the past decade, it's the most recent financial quarter that shows that Sony is only doing well in a few areas. From the highs of consumer electronics to the point where the company is abandoning entire sectors, Sony's current successful endeavors could be described as the PlayStation brand & PS4, cameras like the Alpha, image sensors for other companies, and financial and insurance solutions in the home islands.
The plan put forth at The Verge would have Sony forget about anything else but these successful areas, and publically would have the company become even more PlayStation centric. At CES, Sony was talking a new Walkman and Hi-Res Audio. Likewise, the company continues to try to push its Android powered Xperia smart phones without much impact in the West. This PlayStation focus would do away with all of that, and in turn do things like officially open up Remote Play to all potential iOS and Android devices. With other big Japanese consumer electronics companies making tough moves (like Toshiba and TVs), Sony has one high-profile hit product, the PS4. Should the company accept it as the sole winning product, and hope that the next 'Minecraft' pops up on the PS4?
Source: The Verge
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