[NeoGohan]

Plus they are unlikely to bring much new to the table, given the way they handle their mobile business...good phones, little innovation Sony should just keep their camera and gaming divisions and get rid of everything else...these are the two areas they most excel in for me

Just like Sony :o

[balladofwindfishes]

Considering the disasters both natural and made made affecting their business over the last year (Earthquake, Tsunami, Thai floods, PSN hack, and most of all the state of the Yen) that their bottom-line was adversely affected should come as no surprise to anyone. Personally, all I really care about is the gaming/multimedia side. So Sony's performance in that area is what I'm most interested in; Because if that business remains viable its likely to survive in the long-term, regardless of its parent companies state. I couldn't give a toss if their insurance arm prints money or that they are selling off their chemical business subsidiaries, it is irrelevant to my interests. This is gaming forum and I'm interested in gaming. Period.

but the divisions you love are part of the reason their stocks are so bad. You should care if their insurance company does well, because quite frankly it's the only reason Sony is still able to keep making video games.

[UncleSporky]

[NemesisPrime]

I wonder if Sony could be a target of a takeover with such low shares?

[Yo Gotti]

I wonder if Sony could be a target of a takeover with such low shares?

Who would want to take over a dying brand selling aged technology that's losing money on all fronts?

Sony has pretty much no chance to catch back up. Outside of the Playstation brand, their entire MO is overpriced "high end" electronics marketed by shitty, unrealistic advertising. It worked in the 80's and 90's, but today people want reasonable, economic solutions and unfortunately for Sony they've marketed themselves entirely out of that segment. Not to mention even on the high end they can't compete quality wise with the more focused and well-rounded companies like Toshiba and Samsung.

Sony will never be an electronics powerhouse again, they'd be better off cutting out everything except the Playstation brand, putting their best people and resources to work there, and then expanding outward. If they don't buckle down on the PS brand, Microsoft will take their market share here too.

[ViperVisor]

IBM comparison

Personal Computer market skyrocketed in the 90s.

Like others have asked What is Sony's foot in the door? Seems like most every thing they do is just a finger in the door and it is getting a painful pinch.

[Porthos]

Now is the time to lock Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft in a room for a long time so that they can hammer out a doc defining a next gen console standard similar to DVD or Bluray. Invite Apple and Samsung and whoever else needs to be there.

Forgot about the WiiU and PS4... One Console Future! ;)

[Degen]

SNE headed under $14 per share right now? daaayum

Now would be the time to buy if there was a chance they'd come back any time soon, but they could end up just as bad a year from now...

[iNvid02]

This. sucked ass/ I have 2 Samsung tv's and one monitor.

so do i actually, switched from a dell to 120hz samsung.

the last sony monitor i used, or even saw looked like some 15-17"
lcd that was covered in dust, right next to it were a 24" dell and
samsung combo, it was quite sad actually

[Metroid Hunter]

Now is the time to lock Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft in a room for a long time so that they can hammer out a doc defining a next gen console standard similar to DVD or Bluray. Invite Apple and Samsung and whoever else needs to be there. Forgot about the WiiU and PS4... One Console Future! ;)

No. They would just take over the entire project, make it in their favour, and just have everyone else as their 3rd parties.

[Dreams-Visions]

Sony, Panasonic Fall to 30-Year Lows as TV Losses Mount

Gonna guess that Apple isn't going to jump into the TV market. If Panny isn't making a profit, who the hell is?

No. They would just take over the entire project, make it in their favour, and just have everyone else as their 3rd parties.

Lol, active imaginations.

[gogogow]

Sony has pretty much no chance to catch back up. Outside of the Playstation brand, their entire MO is overpriced "high end" electronics marketed by shitty, unrealistic advertising. It worked in the 80's and 90's, but today people want reasonable, economic solutions and unfortunately for Sony they've marketed themselves entirely out of that segment. Not to mention even on the high end they can't compete quality wise with the more focused and well-rounded companies like Toshiba and Samsung.

Toshiba posted a $136 million loss.

"the Japanese electronics giant still lost $136 million during the fiscal third quarter of 2011. Practically every segment of the company saw sales decrease, including appliances, TVs and electronic devices, contributing to the poor performance. Toshiba has also revised its forecast for Q4, cutting projected earnings in half, but not going as far as to predict a loss."

Gonna guess that Apple isn't going to jump into the TV market. If Panny isn't making a profit, who the hell is?

Samsung's and LG's TV divisions.

[iamshadowlark]

This is an unfair statement. The size of the gaming industry has exploded since the days of the Dreamcast, so of course the sales will be more than the DC. It's not right to compare raw numbers, you have to compare changes in profit.

Why would you compare profit? This isn't 2000. Money has changed value.

Compare market-share, which is where Sony smokes where Sega was. I don't know if the people calling for them to go third party are joking or not but it would be one of the dumbest decisions ever.

Sony's gaming business really isn't its problem. Thats even considering mediocre Vita sales.

[EuropeOG]

Hope they can turn it around.

[GungHo]

It's time for One Sony (Kaz was teasing us that it's the new strategy for Sony, but it's also an actual product!) TV + PS4 + Blu Ray all in one. Best in class TV, PS4 obviously comes with new PSN that takes notes from Live/Vita's PSN, box comes with access to PS Suite which now plays all Android games and others, SEN portal brings you Music + Video Unlimited and takes care of all other streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, HBO Go etc) Thank me later, Sony.

You're right. A $2k~3k TV with a bunch of things that can break, rendering the entire thing into a big piece of shit is a great idea. That's never backfired on anyone. Maybe they should add in a DLP projector, too. And a refrigerator.

Playstation 4 is built into televisions. Retails for 800-1500 dollars. DO IT SONY

They pride themselves on being price leaders. Their TVs are consistently $200~300 higher than their competitors. Past PS products have debuted at $500. How are they going to get an integrated product out of the door for less than $2k?

I would think that a strategically sound and forward thinking electronics company like Samsung would not want to enter the video game console market right now.

Does Samsung Electronics even have any gaming divisions? They have chips and consumer electronics, but they're out of the HDD business. Where would they even start?

Or Sony could look at Nissan. Reduce the bloat of the company and focus on high-margin products that actually do well.

Nissan had to be forced there by Renault.

[Metroid Hunter]

This is an unfair statement. The size of the gaming industry has exploded since the days of the Dreamcast, so of course the sales will be more than the DC. It's not right to compare raw numbers, you have to compare changes in profit.

Microsoft isn't THAT far from Sony in systems sold worldwide. I guess they should go 3rd party as well?

[Mr. Serious Business]

Gonna guess that Apple isn't going to jump into the TV market. If Panny isn't making a profit, who the hell is? Lol, active imaginations.

Korean companies.

Another sad reality is that the traditional Japanese electronics giants are simply being outmaneuvered by South Korean corporations. Samsung is worth more than 10x as much as Sony. There's no point in Sony trying to compete as an all-around electronics company.

[chaosblade]

Does Samsung Electronics even have any gaming divisions? They have chips and consumer electronics, but they're out of the HDD business. Where would they even start?

The fact Samsung got out of the HDD business is really sad. Maybe Seagate will somehow become awesome again but I have serious doubts. Here's to an SSD future coming sooner rather than later.

Yeah, I really only expect one more cycle (2013) before Panny pulls the plug on plasma.

My TV better last until OLED is ready for prime time and fairly affordable. :(

[gogogow]

Microsoft isn't THAT far from Sony in systems sold worldwide. I guess they should go 3rd party as well?

Difference is, Sony went from 1st place to 3rd place. It went from a 150+ million installed base to 63.9 million. MS went from 24 million to 67.2 million with the 360.

[impact]

Microsoft isn't THAT far from Sony in systems sold worldwide. I guess they should go 3rd party as well?

And imagine if they didn't have a year headstart. It would probably be dead even at least.

[Clear]

Difference is, Sony went from 1st place to 3rd place. It went from a 150+ million installed base to 63.9 million. MS went from 24 million to 67.2 million with the 360.

Untrue. 50 million of those PS2 Sales were made post 360 launch.

This article referencing NPD install estimates from Dec 2006 makes interesting reading as to how exactly the market in the US has changed over the last generation.

Its actually quite an eye-opener.

[Misterhbk]

Oh joy, another doom and gloom thread in which the armchair analysts come out in force with their grand statements about what a gigantic company should and shouldn't do. Sigh. At this point, I want Sony to recover just for the sake of shutting everybody up. And yes, before anybody quotes me and points it out, I probably shouldn't have entered this thread in the first place.

So this.

At this point though I really don't give a flaming crap about Sony TVs, computers, or any other doodads they have. If they dropped everything and just became PlayStation I'd be more than satisfied. The gaming division is doing fine, so as long as I'm getting my games, why should I care?

[TheSeks]

Hopefully now that they ended their retarded Sony Ericsson collaboration perhaps they will come to their senses and make a Vita phone (with non proprietary storage). It could actually be a compelling product.

No it wouldn't. I'm all for non-proprietary PSP2's, but attaching a phone to it would be the worst thing Sony could do.

Kaz has only been CEO for... a few months(?). He needs at least a year before any progress or change can be noted, right?

[Nemo]

Sony should go out on a bang, make all kind of expensive future niche products that are awesome as hell to nerds and the like

Either that or go after the hipster market

[professor_t]

I like that the solution a lot of people are proposing for Sony's woes are things like this:

"Make a TV that includes the PS4 and a refrigerator, and also acts as a teleportation device. And sell it for $500."

[EagleEyes]

And imagine if they didn't have a year headstart. It would probably be dead even at least.

The big difference is one company is making money the other is not. Microsoft is making so much money on software, xbox live and accessories that being only few million ahead is meaningless. Hardware sales is only one part of the equation.

[Dreams-Visions]

Samsung's and LG's TV divisions.

Korean companies. Another sad reality is that the traditional Japanese electronics giants are simply being outmaneuvered by South Korean corporations. Samsung is worth more than 10x as much as Sony. There's no point in Sony trying to compete as an all-around electronics company.

Hmm. I see.

What are their margins looking like?

[Misterhbk]

The big difference is one company is making money the other is not. Microsoft is making so much money on software, xbox live and accessories that being only few million ahead is meaningless.

We're talking marketshare not profits. Sony still has enough marketshare in gaming that they'll be around for some time. In fact the gaming audience is so fickle they could be back to number one next gen.

[gogogow]

Untrue. 50 million of those PS2 Sales were made post 360 launch.

Why would that matter?

Sony shipped 101.37m PS2's from 2000-2005, in 5 years time. And 115.36m at the end of 2006.

After 5½ years, in about the same time-frame, and actually in favour of the PS3 + ½ year, Sony shipped 63.9m PS3's. That's about half of what the PS2 did. The PS3 won't even catch the dying Wii, let alone the PS2.

[H_Prestige]

Good news for the gaming division.

Why would that matter? Sony shipped 101.37m PS2's from 2000-2005, in 5 years time. And 115.36m at the end of 2006. After 5½ years, in about the same time-frame, and actually in favour of the PS3 + ½ year, Sony shipped 63.9m PS3's. That's about half of what the PS2 did. The PS3 won't even catch the dying Wii, let alone the PS2.

So they sold about the same amount of consoles from 2006 as they did from 2000-2006? A lot more if you include the PSP. Just pointing out there are several ways to spin the numbers to suit an agenda.

[iamshadowlark]

Why would that matter? Sony shipped 101.37m PS2's from 2000-2005, in 5 years time. And 115.36m at the end of 2006. After 5½ years, in about the same time-frame, and actually in favour of the PS3 + ½ year, Sony shipped 63.9m PS3's. That's about half of what the PS2 did. The PS3 won't even catch the dying Wii, let alone the PS2.

Because its a Sony console being sold in the console market, therefor adding to sony's share in the console market?

Really not that hard.

[Para bailar La Bomba]

Who would want to take over a dying brand selling aged technology that's losing money on all fronts?.

Look at Sony Financial Holdings and Sony Pictures profitability and come back here with an answer.

Difference is, Sony went from 1st place to 3rd place. It went from a 150+ million installed base to 63.9 million. MS went from 24 million to 67.2 million with the 360.

Tell me what the overall profitability of the MS Gaming Division is, specifically their Xbox venture.

[DopeyFish]

Tell me what the overall profitability of the MS Gaming Division is.

It's quite profitable, actually.

Microsoft uses Xbox to hide their failures because of how profitable it is.

[Agent Unknown]

Sony's situation is getting scary, they need to humble themselves and make some frantic changes.

Hopefully now that they ended their retarded Sony Ericsson collaboration perhaps they will come to their senses and make a Vita phone (with non proprietary storage). It could actually be a compelling product.

3G Vita should have been a phone from the get go, waaaaay too late for this now.

[Xun]

Hopefully they can bounce back.

[Captain Tuttle]

I don't think Kaz is the guy to turn this around. He's an insider and a safe pick from the Board. The Board needs to be shaken up and an experienced, customer focused outside CEO needs to be brought in. Hard decisions and ruthless cuts have to be made. Otherwise I think that Sony will just continue to bounce along the bottom, stagnating. I don't think they'll go away any time soon but they'll become even more irrelevant in the CE space.

[Averon]

Panasonic will leave the TV biz by year's end, I bet. Unless Kaz pulls some magic out of his hat or CLED takes off, Sony will leaves the TV biz, too, by March 2013.

[east of eastside]

Nintendo stock is being sympathetic and taking a dump at the same time...

In any case... even as a PS3 only owner I relish the thought of a one standard console future.

It's been nice, Sony.

bye.

[H_Prestige]

I don't think Kaz is the guy to turn this around. He's an insider and a safe pick from the Board. The Board needs to be shaken up and an experienced, customer focused outside CEO needs to be brought in. Hard decisions and ruthless cuts have to be made. Otherwise I think that Sony will just continue to bounce along the bottom, stagnating. I don't think they'll go away any time soon but they'll become even more irrelevant in the CE space.

That's exactly what he says he will do.

Nintendo stock is being sympathetic and taking a dump at the same time... In any case... even as a PS3 only owner I relish the thought of a one standard console future. It's been nice, Sony. bye.

Hilarious

[OldJadedGamer]

I blame Sony music for Sony missing the MP3 player train. Sony has too many cooks in the kitchen.

[Xun]

Sony really needs to pull an Apple when Jobs returned and cut back on a lot of products.

[gcubed]

I blame Sony music for Sony missing the MP3 player train. Sony has too many cooks in the kitchen.

Agreed. The fact that one part of Sony can't instantly get permission to rights from another part of Sony should have been the first clue that shit needed to be blown up

[Agent Unknown]

Nintendo stock is being sympathetic and taking a dump at the same time... In any case... even as a PS3 only owner I relish the thought of a one standard console future. It's been nice, Sony. bye.

Yes, let's have a one console monopoly, brilliant.

[Mario007]

imagine if next year you buy Xperia S II and you get the Amazing Spiderman, Adele 21 and PSP Gran Turismo on it. Now how much of a steal would that be? That should be the goal of the One Sony Strategy.

[fluffydelusions]

Sony really needs to pull an Apple when Jobs returned and cut back on a lot of products.

Does Sony even have a Jobs type person? Don't think so.

[FinKL]

. They were the first with an OLED on the market why didn't they invest more into this?

I saw my first OLED by Sony at Frys. I marveled at the small 7 inch screen, until I realize there was a $2500 price tag. 7 Inches... why
I'm sure the price is down now.

[east of eastside]

That's exactly what he says he will do. Hilarious

Yes, let's have a one console monopoly, brilliant.

Haven't noticed yet how the consensus opinion here on the future direction of the game industry is always wrong?

Hope that helps.

[criesofthepast]

Does Sony even have a Jobs type person? Don't think so.

There is only one man who can save this company...

[gogogow]

I blame Sony music for Sony missing the MP3 player train. Sony has too many cooks in the kitchen.

Yep.

Derek Kerton writes "In an unusual, yet surprisingly refreshing move, Ken Kutaragi, President of Sony Computer Entertainment, admitted that Sony made strategic misjudgments when it let its Media division's DRM zealousness reduce innovation and product flexibility in its consumer electronics divisions. Sony owns Sony Pictures and Entertainment, which contains the former Columbia media house. In this case, Kutaragi was referring to Sony's use of a proprietary music format with strong DRM called Atrac, which is the only format their mobile players can read, eschewing the wildly popular but less secure MP3 format. Kutaragi said that the spirit of innovation had been "diluted" by the other divisions in the company. Now that's refreshing. Give the consumer what they want instead of what your sister division wants.

[Ashes1396]

Apparently the hmz is doing well.