My God. I forgot how pure amazing that start up was. Takes me back.
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NY Times: Sony is in "the fight for its life"
- Thread starter shinobi602
- Start date
My God. I forgot how pure amazing that start up was. Takes me back.
I agree with this.
RukusProvider
Banned
I would never simply "want" a company around. A company should earn it's keep. Either Sony will or they won't. If they do go under, by default, a new competitor will rise up with better offerings and execution. Happens all the time.
CadetMahoney
Member
Most ppl accept this, they just don't want Apple to be the Sony-successor for some reason. In all likelihood they're at the top of the candidate list.
Microsoft started small helping Sega with the Dreamcast OS I recall. . . then went for a shoe-in with Xbox 1 and xbox Live then took a chunk of the market from the rear with the 360.
Apple and all those Ios games and stuff. It all begins.
Clear
CliffyB's Cock Holster
Ravage said:
Indeed, a lot of the issues we're talking about are problems of perception more than anything else.
Take for instance the lunatic assertion of "Playstation" as a dying brand; when you add together sales of PS3, PSP, and PS2 hardware over the last 5 years you are looking at a very large number indeed.
The reality is that you don't need to be #1 everywhere to make solid bank and keep your brand viable and visible.
HocusPocus
Member
People aren't sheep when it comes to electronics. There is no perception problem. They just didn't make products people wanted as much. Plain and simple. Too many excuses for their products by people. The reason they are in trouble is because they overdesign / spend in areas they didn't have to. There was no reason they had to make a Cell processor for the PS3, and loose as much money on their debacle. There's a prime example. Looks like they are going back to x86 with the PS4. They are also obviously not a lean organization and are bloated with too many people / infrastructure.
Captain Tuttle
Member
Who says it's good news? Just because they dropped a couple of billion doesn't mean it was a good business move. Seems ill-timed to me but I don't know the details obviously. With the way Sony has been managed in the past 6 or 7 years I look on that acquisition skeptically.
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy
it's 4th of July in my asshole
So Sony got their 2 billion dollar takeover of EMI granted with a few other partners.
Infamous Chris
Banned
Everyone always goes for sensationalism for hits but this does have truth to it.
StealthGoblin
Banned
How long does the actual process take for final acquisition? Aren't we still waiting on a phase 2 investigation for Universal trying to buy them?
Very insightful article. I have always viewed Japan as a strong contender in the electronics business but I guess times change. One point which caught my attention was how the Japanese people tend to go work for the bigger companies. Now, I can't say I know a lot about Japanese startups but it seems to me that it's more common/accepted in the western countries to start up companies based on original ideas. These companies eventually get acquired by the bigger companies if successful.
My prediction is that Sony will merge with another giant Japanese company to stay afloat. It probably won't happen anytime soon but at this point I really can't see it turning around on its own.
My prediction is that Sony will merge with another giant Japanese company to stay afloat. It probably won't happen anytime soon but at this point I really can't see it turning around on its own.
Throwaway123456789
Member
No it doesn't? None of the slides there claims the Vita business is currently profitable.
gaming_noob
Member
Best startup ever. Not even close. WOW.
test_account
XP-39C²
It says "PS3/PS Vita and peripheral businesses genereating steady profit".
EDIT: I could also be understood that they talk about the whole package combined, but who knows.
Everyone knew what phone he was talking about since it's the last thing they've produced but again, it's not even the best android phone both in hardware and software (it still have gingerbread) and the best android phones are arguably better than the iphone, seems like you want to defend your purchase.
CadetMahoney
Member
I wouldn't mind if Apple entered as a direct competitor to Nintendo going straight for that huge casual poontang. Both are white based consoles with Apple having a huge mindshare at the moment.
They just need a wii-type motion control parlour trick to get ppl interested.
SmokedMeat
Gamer™
Amazing how much Sony has fallen. When I was younger they were one of the top quality brands period. I still believe they make quality products, but they're no longer leading the charge with new ideas.
Such a shame, as companies like Samsung and Panasonic make cheaper, inferior products in my opinion, but that's what everyone wants anymore. Cheap, throw away electronics.
Such a shame, as companies like Samsung and Panasonic make cheaper, inferior products in my opinion, but that's what everyone wants anymore. Cheap, throw away electronics.
SkylineRKR
Member
I'd give that to the Neo Geo but this one is up there.
It brings back memories. Also, the Galaga right after it in Tekken 1. My first Ps1 game.
Consumer electronics are commoditized products easily replicated by low cost producers. TVs etc are becoming like RAM chips in the 80s, simple tech products that can be more easily made in low-wage countries.
The real value is in software, providing the best user experience. It's a mistake to assume mere brand awareness or form factor are the reason for iOS devices to do well, simply they offer the best software suite for the majority of users that leverages the device capability into value creating action.
What's the point? Gaming consoles aren't truly valuable anymore and will function as the living room spoke of integrated content and social networks. In that context not only will Apple involve itself here soon but as well will MS continue to and some form of Google platform or software for other manufacturers inevitably compete. But games themselves will become less the focus and far more platform agnostic as the key competition features will be in overall network design.
The real value is in software, providing the best user experience. It's a mistake to assume mere brand awareness or form factor are the reason for iOS devices to do well, simply they offer the best software suite for the majority of users that leverages the device capability into value creating action.
What's the point? Gaming consoles aren't truly valuable anymore and will function as the living room spoke of integrated content and social networks. In that context not only will Apple involve itself here soon but as well will MS continue to and some form of Google platform or software for other manufacturers inevitably compete. But games themselves will become less the focus and far more platform agnostic as the key competition features will be in overall network design.
Throwaway123456789
Member
The slides talk about what the future focus points of Sony should be. Gaming that generate steady profit is one of the three steps they look to maintain.
The slides doesn't point out that the Vita is profitable, just that they hope to have a profitable gaming section with the new strategy. Mobile phones is also one of the three core businesses they're focusing on, and that one is heavily in the red.
Samsung in particular KILLS Sony in any objective reliability tests of hardware quality.
Most electronics manufacturers do a better job than Sony nowadays, at any price. Go check out a new Sony standalone Blu Ray player, it's reminiscent of the old Goldstar crap.
test_account
XP-39C²
That makes sense. It is unlikely that the Vita is profitable at this point, as in that they made enough money to pay of the R&D costs. I do think that the hardware and accessories are being sold with some profit however.
Throwaway123456789
Member
Yes, that's more likely. And probably why they won't slash the price just yet.
This is just crazy and it just sucks that they are in this situation but they can pretty much blame themselves for this.
Like the article points out they have not really made a hit product that has taken off, and being a sony fanboy for years even I have to admit that this does not look good at all.
The VITA has not exactly been a success hell people are trading them in I seen loads of them on the second hand market.
Sony is being kept on life-support by the playstation brand now but soon not even the playstation will not keep them alive unless they change their strategy on their other products.
The next console launch by sony is gonna be incredibly important they really need to get that right the next generation is approaching faster and faster by every day.
Like the article points out they have not really made a hit product that has taken off, and being a sony fanboy for years even I have to admit that this does not look good at all.
The VITA has not exactly been a success hell people are trading them in I seen loads of them on the second hand market.
Sony is being kept on life-support by the playstation brand now but soon not even the playstation will not keep them alive unless they change their strategy on their other products.
The next console launch by sony is gonna be incredibly important they really need to get that right the next generation is approaching faster and faster by every day.
A very interesting read and it´s basically Japan in a nutshell they have always done their own thing and have stuck to their guns and I have admired them for that.
But when you are so obviously on the wrong course and it´s threatening the industry as a whole then they really should have swallowed their pride and accepted that maybe their idea was not the best after all.
Captain Tuttle
Member
Really a great article, thanks for posting it. "Japan Inc"on the CE side is going to keep getting beaten by Western companies (Apple, even MS) and the Chinese and Koreans unless they adapt. Combine the ideas in the article with a aging population and a dramatically falling birth rate and I get pessimistic.
benny lava
Neo Member
Could not agree more. I'm a big Playstation fan, which makes their decline even more depressing to watch. I think the PS4 will be their last console, or perhaps the last console they produce on their own. If they continue on their current path, they will be gobbled up by a western company, which might not be so bad. An Apple-Sony joint console might be pretty cool.
Oh please, I wouldn't trade my Panasonic Plasma for any POS LCD Sony makes.
OldJadedGamer
Banned
The last time they were desperate we got the original Playstation. My favorite game system from then so there is hope.
GraveRobberX
Platinum Trophy: Learned to Shit While Upright Again.
ScreenSplitter
Member
If Nintendo has shown anything, it's that companies are likely to do good things when in a very desperate position.
Except Nintendo has basically never been in a very desperate position?
H_Prestige
Banned
That's not the impression I get from reading AVS.
H_Prestige
Banned
Not in terms of hardware quality. Just compare the construction of a Samsung plasma to a Panasonic.
Clear
CliffyB's Cock Holster
Jayayess1190 said:
What a truly horrible article.
Honest to God I'm starting to gag at the relentless hagiography of Apple when Google are kicking their arse in global marketshare with a strategy that is even more software-based.
What offends me more is the notion that every CE manufacturer in Japan is facing decline because of their "hubris" and "lack of vision", when ockham's razor suggests a far more obvious culprit in a weakened national economic climate as a result of years of recession.
None of the major manufacturers get high marks in the quality control department. Sony is certainly not leading anything though. Their sets are as routinely defective as any (both in terms of build quality and performance defects). To sit there and get into arguments over who is the best: Samsung, Sony, Panasonic is pretty much missing the point. They're all less than stellar and they're all fighting for who's the worst. That's the only real contest at this point in consumer electronics.
Sho_Nuff82
Member
Except last year when they lost money for the first time in forever, drastically cut the 3DS' price, and publicly apologized to fans and stockholders? I think that reflects a company pulling out all the stops to ensure their product is a success. Sony hasn't hit that point yet, even having lost billions more.
H_Prestige
Banned
Uh, what? Sony would love to switch financial positions with Nintendo. The ps3 launch was a much, much bigger disaster than the 3DS.
Pathetic Basement Virgin
Banned
^ People mistake common sense for being desperate. They had to drop the price because it was too expensive. The games that boosted sales were coming out when they did anyway.
The "best Nintendo is panic nintendo" thing never made any sense.
The "best Nintendo is panic nintendo" thing never made any sense.
Infamous Chris
Banned
You can't be serious.
H_Prestige
Banned
It does make sense. A lot of people seem to be in love with Nintendo's games this gen, and they were definitely desperate coming into this gen after a decade of failure. They were on the verge of becoming a niche brand.
Yeah I think the only panic nintendo was the Virtual Boy
ScreenSplitter
Member
Well whatever Nintendo were, panicked, desperate, or having common sense, they made the right decisions, and we certainly humbled by the whole affair.
I wasn't aware of how badly Sony was doing, but yeah sounds like they're in the financial shitter. At least Nintendo has the benefit of being games only.
I wasn't aware of how badly Sony was doing, but yeah sounds like they're in the financial shitter. At least Nintendo has the benefit of being games only.