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[obonicus]

Additionally, it seems like a big claim to say that quality brings success. Even within the limited scope of blockbuster movies it's easy to find a very notable counterexample; Transformers films are universally panned but also extremely successful.

The OP's analysis are often solid, but he should hold off on predicting success (or the causes of success), because no one's good at that.

 

[Exploratory]

Oh, hell no. I shudder just thinking about what such a thing would cost. The PS4 is sold at a (rather small) loss, like most new consoles. Think Apple would ever do something like that? Hahaha, no. If they had been the ones making the PS4 it would probably cost like $800.

That's not really how it works. Apple sells "expensive" products because the market is there. There is no market for a game console that costs 800 dollars. While I'm interested in what an Apple game console would like they'd never get into the business because frankly the gaming industry doesn't make enough money for them.

 

[HyperionX]

That's not really how it works. Apple sells "expensive" products because the market is there. There is no market for a game console that costs 800 dollars. While I'm interested in what an Apple game console would like they'd never get into the business because frankly the gaming industry doesn't make enough money for them.

You already know the answer. Apple will just take a mobile chip and overclock it and put it in a box. It will cost them less than $100 to make but they'll sell it for $200-400.

 

[Pristine_Condition]

Mac computers and Apple TV's beg to differ. Apple has yet to crack the home market. All their success has been mainly mobile and portable .

WTF are you talking about?

Apple sold 6m Apple TVs in 2012, taking over 50% of the marketshare for streaming devices:

The general, conservative estimate of 2013 is more than 8M units sold. All Apple has confirmed is that the total business was more than $1B last year.

And that's with Apple calling the business a "hobby." And without Apple's usual marketing muscle even being flexed on the product.

Not that I'm saying the Playstation business would be one Apple would be interested in. No one can say one way or the other. No one would have predicted the Beats acquisition. Just saying, "cracking the home market" has already been done the last two or three years by Apple TV, easily.

 

[Joe_Incognito]

Sell it to Apple.

I'd buy an Apple Playstation.

Apple, or any other company, would want to create their own brand.

Besides, Apple is already working on their own gaming console. It's called the next Apple TV.

 

[FrunkQ]

Netflix grows just fine. Where does Sony go with PS hardware after the PS4? Slightly prettier graphics, a bit better framerate, bundling VR? These are not additions or upgrades that will get people to part with $399 all over again. If PlayStation is going to make it to 2020 intact then it must transition into an on demand service, and PS Now is the basis for that transition.

But you are basing all your thinking from the perspective of an investor with a well-connected 1st world persepctive.

Bundling VR or basing PS5 around VR may make a lot of sense... we don't know, yet. But over the lifetime of the PS4 we should get a good indication.

PS Now is a powerful tool and is sure to be the core moving forward, but even more than Netflix, which you keep referring to - it is entirely dependent upon a network infrastructure that barely exists in most of the US - never mind the rest of the world.

By abandoning hardware you are abandoning much of the US, much of Europe and every emerging market. As an investor are you happy to kiss goodbye to all that to limit your offering to the top 1-2% of the worlds population.

There are good reasons to probably have one more generation of hardware before moving to a services only model. I agree it is the way forward, but it is WAY too early!
This is the type of "quick buck", short term thinking from an investors perspective that blights the modern world.

 

[MaulerX]

WTF are you talking about?

Apple sold 6m Apple TVs in 2012, taking over 50% of the marketshare for streaming devices:



The general, conservative estimate of 2013 is more than 8M units sold. All Apple has confirmed is that the total business was more than $1B last year.

And that's with Apple calling the business a "hobby." And without Apple's usual marketing muscle even being flexed on the product.

Not that I'm saying the Playstation business would be one Apple would be interested in. No one can say one way or the other. No one would have predicted the Beats acquisition. Just saying, "cracking the home market" has already been done the last two or three years by Apple TV, easily.

Sorry. IMO selling 6 million Apple TV's in one year is not cracking the home market. It's more than they ever sold but that is not cracking the home market. If you were to add Playstation and Xbox into that pie picture the percentages would be much different for streaming devices.

 

[hodayathink]

Sorry. IMO selling 6 million Apple TV's in one year is not cracking the home market. It's more than they ever sold but that is not cracking the home market. If you were to add Playstation and Xbox into that pie picture the percentages would be much different for streaming devices.

Yup. Even in last year's declining year, Sony still sold more than 7 million PS3s. Add in Microsoft selling a decent amount more Xbox 360s than that (I don't really feel like going to look it up), and the X1/PS4 sales, and Apple doesn't even have 20% of the market.

 

[Captain Tuttle]

Sacrificing entire markets, including the vast majority of North America, because the infrastructure isn't there is not likely to result in superior ROI. Steaming might be the future, but we aren't even close right now.

Not to mention the way the law is going in favor of ISPs, that is only going to further hinder Internet-based services.

Vast majority of North America is exaggerating.

Anyway, it's working for Netflix streaming. Like I said earlier, streaming companies who want better service will just have to pay up like Netflix does.

Spoiler

Hopefully the gov't will step in and end the practice, ISP's should be regulated like Utilities imo

 

[Game Guru]

Yup. Even in last year's declining year, Sony still sold more than 7 million PS3s. Add in Microsoft selling a decent amount more Xbox 360s than that (I don't really feel like going to look it up), and the X1/PS4 sales, and Apple doesn't even have 20% of the market.

Isn't PS3 the largest platform for Netflix viewing as well? Shouldn't we also include every SmartTV and Wifi enabled Blu-Ray Players with streaming services as well to account for every device that streams media. Once one gets into stuff like that, one sees that Apple is only the king of the $100 Streaming Box.

 

[coldfoot]

Yup. Even in last year's declining year, Sony still sold more than 7 million PS3s. Add in Microsoft selling a decent amount more Xbox 360s than that (I don't really feel like going to look it up)

Xbox360/PS3 sales were neck and neck last year, if anything PS3 sold more. You're confusing NPD with worldwide sales.