RTL News in the Netherlands recently interviewed Jim Ryan from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe.
http://www.rtlnieuws.nl/economie/home/hoge-vraag-naar-playstation-4 (interview is in English with Dutch subtitles).
Some interesting stuff:
On the question whether or not the PS4 has sold out yet...
Interviewer asking about webshops saying that they won't be able to deliver PS4s at launch (unless you pre-ordered, like, before August).
Also interesting, Jim Ryan mentions that PS4 pre-orders went up when Microsoft announced that the Xbox One wouldn't launch in the Netherlands this year. (As most of you, hopefully, know, Xbox One does only launch in a few European countries).
Interviewer asks whether or not the PS4 is profitable at a pricepoint of €400. Jim Ryan seems to be suggesting that the PS4, at least in Europe, is profitable from the start.
Interviewer asking why it is so thrilling to launch the PS4 at a €399-price point.
Interviewer: "Why do you think the PS4 is better than the Xbox? And not the releasedate and not the price *laughs*"
Interviewer says that, unlike smartphones and tablets, consoles are heavy and not portable. He's wondering why that is and if Sony shouldn't focus on a smaller, more portable console.
Interviewer asks, since you can play PS4 games on PS Vita, whether or not it is possible that we will also see this happen on tablets, smartphones, PCs, etc.
Will you only stream PlayStation games to Sony tablets/smartphones/TVs/etc.?
Interviewer asking about the importance of the Dutch market.
Also noteworthy:
- PS3 online functionality at launch was basic, nowadays it's 'good'
- PS4 online functionality should go from 'good' to 'exceptional', at launch
- The way people communicate has changed, Sony recognizes this and that's one of the reasons it's got a share button.
- Euro economic crisis influenced PS4 price (bad economic times, high unemployement rate) > high push from SCE to go for a low price)
- Smartphone & Tablet games not seen as a threat, rather offers people a 'basic gaming experience'. Opportunity to show people games on PlayStation are better than on smartphone/tablet.
http://www.rtlnieuws.nl/economie/home/hoge-vraag-naar-playstation-4 (interview is in English with Dutch subtitles).
Some interesting stuff:
On the question whether or not the PS4 has sold out yet...
The level of pre-orders is real high. There will be some stock which is not set aside for pre-orders, but you'll have to get up really early or stay up really late, depending on what your habits are, demand is very considerable.
Interviewer asking about webshops saying that they won't be able to deliver PS4s at launch (unless you pre-ordered, like, before August).
Also interesting, Jim Ryan mentions that PS4 pre-orders went up when Microsoft announced that the Xbox One wouldn't launch in the Netherlands this year. (As most of you, hopefully, know, Xbox One does only launch in a few European countries).
Well, like I said, demand is extremely strong. And our plans were made a little bit more complicated when our principal competitor decided that they weren't going to launch [in the Netherlands] before Christmas, so that obviously meant demand for PlayStation 4 increased.
We're doing everything we can to step up, but everytime we try to increase production, the demand goes up.
Interviewer asks whether or not the PS4 is profitable at a pricepoint of €400. Jim Ryan seems to be suggesting that the PS4, at least in Europe, is profitable from the start.
*smiling* That's, uh, top-top-top-secret information, uhm, but what I'd say is that Sony is, uhm, Sony is in difficult times at the moment and PlayStation is one of the pillar businesses that Sony's leader, Kazuo Hirai, has identified as pivotal to sustaining Sony's business, while he regenerates it and restructures.
And therefor it's really important that across our ecosystem that we generate cash and profitability.
The €399 price point, which I'm really thrilled about, allows us to to do that.
Interviewer asking why it is so thrilling to launch the PS4 at a €399-price point.
I launched the PS3 seven years ago at 599 euros. I decided I never want to do that again.
So, to be able to come to market seven years later, 200 euros cheaper, is great. And also to be 100 euros cheaper than our competitor, whenever they come to the Netherlands, that's also great.
Interviewer: "Why do you think the PS4 is better than the Xbox? And not the releasedate and not the price *laughs*"
Well, the releasedate and the price are definitely factors, because we will be in the market before Christmas and they will not. We have a 100 euro price advantage, compared to them. So these are, I think in the content of the Netherlands, the Dutch market and the Dutch gamer, these are important factors, but if you want me to talk about other things, I will, but I'd very much like to focus on the games.
We will have published on the PS4, between November 29 and Christmas, there will be 34 games published. Of which more than half will be available on PS4, but will not appear on Xbox One.
This gaming line-up provides a very strong point of difference.
Interviewer says that, unlike smartphones and tablets, consoles are heavy and not portable. He's wondering why that is and if Sony shouldn't focus on a smaller, more portable console.
It is changing. What we are doing with PS4 is providing something that we call remote play which allows all of the PS4 games to be played remotely on the PS Vita.
[Also,] I wouldn't say the PS4 is big and heavy, I'd say it's light and beautiful, but it's sitting there under the television. So let's say that I start to play a shooting game using output through the television and, let's say, my father comes in and wants to watch Ajax playing football on the television, I can just go into my bedroom and carry on playing that game on my PS Vita.
That's, I think, a really good example of a trend that's starting and will accelerate to take these old, closed, kind of silo types, platforms to make them broader and more open. We think it's a great thing for gamers.
Interviewer asks, since you can play PS4 games on PS Vita, whether or not it is possible that we will also see this happen on tablets, smartphones, PCs, etc.
It's not possible: it's certain. We acquired a company called Gaikai a couple of years ago, which provides a cloud streaming service. Starting next year in North-America and soon to follow in Europe, we will start streaming PlayStation gaming experiences to PlayStation devices, but also to non-PlayStation devices: smartphones, tablets, laptop computers, televisions, blu-ray players.
Will you only stream PlayStation games to Sony tablets/smartphones/TVs/etc.?
No. We will stream to, obviously Sony products, but also the possibility to stream to non-Sony products is definitely on the horizon.
Interviewer asking about the importance of the Dutch market.
One of our most important development studios is located in Holland, Guerilla Games. They have a game, probably the most important game at launch of the PS4: Killzone: Shadow Fall. They're great guys, we know them very well.
That game [Killzone: Shadow Fall], is going to sit right at the heart of the launch of the PS4.
The other thing I'd say, we pride ourselves at PlayStation is taking the time and the trouble to really get to know each individual European market... to understand their culture and to really build a relationship with the [in this case the Dutch] customer. We've done that for 20 years, we think we were the first people to do it, we think the [Dutch] gamer respects that and appreciates that.
We have had a strong, close relationship for many years and that's going to continue in the future.
Also noteworthy:
- PS3 online functionality at launch was basic, nowadays it's 'good'
- PS4 online functionality should go from 'good' to 'exceptional', at launch
- The way people communicate has changed, Sony recognizes this and that's one of the reasons it's got a share button.
- Euro economic crisis influenced PS4 price (bad economic times, high unemployement rate) > high push from SCE to go for a low price)
- Smartphone & Tablet games not seen as a threat, rather offers people a 'basic gaming experience'. Opportunity to show people games on PlayStation are better than on smartphone/tablet.