@Lou

Quote:

I wonder if Sony will release a BR drive-less PS3 hardware and dub it something like Sony Media Station to allow PSN only games to be downloaded and played.

Might be an interesting play to 'fixup' the PS2 to do this. PS2 games are smaller, so would download faster, and very well known, read less money to throw into marketing. Also the hardware is dirt cheap to make compared to the PS3. Sony could possibly do a $50 PS2online and keep the high priced PS3 around.

Rumors of the PSP2 are no UMD and memory stick only to the store. So likely that's one avenue they will pursue.


On a related note, online usage, I came across an article concerning Microsoft online sales. A Microsoft document was leaked in 2008. It said worldwide gold is a bit more than 1/2 their susbscribers. In the US gold was over 60% of their subscribers. I wish Microsoft would leak something like that again.

Last edited by BrianK on 12-May-2009 at 12:37 PM.

@BrianK

I'm just thinking they could leave out the BR drive and dub it something else (Sony Network Station) and sell it as a $250 HD console with download-only games and VoD service.

@Lou

With all the work Sony did with BR, IMO, this would be cutting off their nose to spite their face. Rumors are they are cutting out the failed UMD from the next PSP.

@BrianK

Between betamax, mini-disc, UMD and now BluRay, I think even they are realizing hard media is not the future, but streaming services on demand are...

Change or die...

@Lou

Quote:

Between betamax, mini-disc, UMD and now BluRay, I think even they are realizing hard media is not the future, but streaming services on demand are... Change or die...

One would like to think so. But, Sony's latest media cornering attempt is Blu-spec CD. A blue laser used for sound only. Sounds like it might be a good option. Except the current format is the same fidelity as a CD, 16bit and 44KHz. Come on even if Sony didn't want to create the 1bit/2.8Mhz SACD they could have put DVD (24bit/96KHz) on Blu-Spec CD.

@BrianK

Seems like it's doomed to fail. Artists rarely put more than 10 songs on a CD as it is despite the room for 17-18... The only advantage to it would be in "boxed set" compilations. Even then, how many people are going to buy new players for such scarce items...

SDHC or USB flash is the medium to beat right now. Many after market car stereos already supporting such sources for music and mp3 and other formats...

@BrianK

Quote:

BrianK wrote: @Lou One would like to think so. But, Sony's latest media cornering attempt is Blu-spec CD. A blue laser used for sound only. Sounds like it might be a good option. Except the current format is the same fidelity as a CD, 16bit and 44KHz. Come on even if Sony didn't want to create the 1bit/2.8Mhz SACD they could have put DVD (24bit/96KHz) on Blu-Spec CD.

Well one saving grace for Blu-spec CD is:

Quote:

A Blu-spec CD can be played on all CD players and does not require a blue laser to be read.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu-spec_CD

But I can't remember the last audio CD I bought. I don't see Blu-spec pulling me away from Itunes either.

Last edited by fairlanefastback on 14-May-2009 at 12:25 AM.

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@fairlanefastback

So we have a Blu-Spec CD that plays on a red laser and has the same sound quality as a CD? This is a win for who? Corporate pockets if anything.

Sony missed the MP3 game. Sony is hoping for market demand and cornering. Nothing less. Thank you MicroSony.

@MikeB

http://translate.google.com/translate?prev=hp&hl=fi&js=n&u=http%3A%2F%2Fgamecolumn.blog17.fc2.com%2Fblog-entry-3136.html&sl=ja&tl=en

Slim/cut cost PS3 pics???

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@all

Speaking of physical media formats. I get emails from Sony Pictures now and again. It just seems odd to me that when they advertise their films sometimes they don't even mention Blu-ray at all (or have it available even in the format):

http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thegrudge3/?hs308=email

Of this trilogy (all Sony Pictures films) I can only get the oldest one on Blu-ray?? And Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA)! Whats up with that???

Last edited by fairlanefastback on 14-May-2009 at 06:27 PM.
Last edited by fairlanefastback on 14-May-2009 at 06:27 PM.

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@Hammer

Looks credible, someone is claimed to have leaked photos from MainTeK Computer.

@MikeB

Interesting either way. Sony has reacted to these photos supposedly:

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=214986

Sony knows nothing about those slim PS3 pics
Thursday 14-May-2009 2:19 PM
"We don't know anything about the system in the photos," Sony tells CVG

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@fairlanefastback

Sony is a big company, I am quite certain most Sony personel wouldn't know.

It looks too genuine to be fake, the connector holes perfectly match those of the current PS3. I can't find any signs of the box being fake neither, but apparently they seem to be going for a PS2 Slimline inspired logo. The pictures are of very low quality though (probably a cellphone, great for leaking stuff).

The "slimline" PS3 seems to be much thinner, a bit smaller in the other two dimensions and is said to be about 1/3 lighter.

Last edited by MikeB on 15-May-2009 at 12:32 AM.

@MikeB

Quote:

MikeB wrote: @fairlanefastback Sony is a big company, I am quite certain most Sony personel wouldn't know. It looks too genuine to be fake, the connector holes perfectly match those of the current PS3. I can't find any signs of the box being fake neither, but apparently they seem to be going for a PS2 Slimline inspired logo. The pictures are of very low quality though (probably a cellphone, great for leaking stuff). The "slimline" PS3 seems to be much thinner, a bit smaller in the other two dimensions and is said to be about 1/3 lighter.

People who don't know should not say they are sure either way then, especially to the media. Large companies like that usually have a certain set of specific people who are authorized to answer questions from the media and thats it. This news site did not say "a source at Sony". They said "Sony tells CVG". A news site can only legitimately say that when they believe the person quoted is a valid rep allowed to speak for the firm.

I am leaning more towards the guess that its not a fake as well and that instead Sony is currently lying to the press. I'm not sure if I would blame them too much. They might have been looking to announce this at E3.

Last edited by fairlanefastback on 15-May-2009 at 12:43 AM.

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@all

Sony eyes frail recovery

Quote:

The back-to-back annual losses will be Sony's first since its listing in 1958, underscoring deepening troubles for a company that has fallen behind Apple Inc's iPod in portable music, Nintendo Co in videogames, and is losing money on flat TVs.

link

Last edited by fairlanefastback on 15-May-2009 at 12:47 AM.

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@fairlanefastback

Quote:

fairlanefastback wrote: People who don't know should not say they are sure either way then, especially to the media. Large companies like that usually have a certain set of specific people who are authorized to answer questions from the media and thats it. This news site did not say "a source at Sony". They said "Sony tells CVG". A news site can only legitimately say that when they believe the person quoted is a valid rep allowed to speak for the firm. I am leaning more towards the guess that its not a fake as well and that instead Sony is currently lying to the press. I'm not sure if I would blame them too much. They might have been looking to announce this at E3.

I agree this announcement was planned for E3. My guess is that it comes with a price reduction as well.
They need one badly ...

... especially since PS2's are breaking at such a rate that the PS2 outsolde the PS3 last month in the US
Quote:

- DS: 1.04M +477K (+85%) - Wii: 340K -261K (-43%) - Xbox 360: 175K -155K (-47%) - PS2: 172K +60K (+87%) - PS3: 127K -91K (-42%) - PSP: 116K -52K (-31%) See the software charts after the break. Warning! The list will feature some very old games. Top 10 Games of April 2009 1.Wii Fit - Wii - Nintendo - 471K 2.Pokemon Platinum - DS - Nintendo - 433K 3.Mario Kart Wii - Wii - Nintendo - 210K 4.Wii Play - Wii - Nintendo - 170K 5.The Godfather II - 360 - EA - 155K 6.Resident Evil 5 - 360 - Capcom - 122K 7.New Super Mario Bros. - DS - Nintendo - 119K 8.Mario Kart DS - DS - Nintendo - 112K 9.Guitar Hero Aerosmith - 360 - Activision - 110K 10.The Godfather II - PS3 - EA - 91K

Last edited by Lou on 15-May-2009 at 01:48 PM.
Last edited by Lou on 15-May-2009 at 01:47 PM.

@Lou

Games were claimed to be economic proof. It appears in April the economy caught up with this industry.

Edit: Sony's loss Sony aims for a 30% boost in PS3 sales. Assuming Microsoft sees minimal boost Sony could pull ahead. Sony expects gaming divison to be a loss in 2009/2010. The loss may be as great as $1B for gaming this year. OUCH!

Last edited by BrianK on 16-May-2009 at 07:41 PM.

@BrianK

Note that's not a gaming division loss, but rather for the company in general. Of course it is said the current PS3 is still being sold 10% cheaper than it costs to manufacture.

BTW to put Sony's anual loss of 1 Billion USD in perspective (company as a whole), which is the company's first annual loss in 14 years, here the results from some other major Japanese consumer electronics companies suffering from the low value dollar (and high value Yen) and economic slowdown:

Hitachi lost 8.1 Billion USD last year, Toshiba lost 4 Billion USD last year, NEC lost 3 Billion USD last year, Panasonic lost 4 Billion USD last year, etc.

All the Japanese consumer electronics companies were in the red for last year (and apart from Sony they don't sell PS3s ) companies like Sony, Sharp and Pioneer despite their losses performed relatively well compared to their rivals.

Last edited by MikeB on 17-May-2009 at 12:14 PM.
Last edited by MikeB on 17-May-2009 at 12:11 PM.
Last edited by MikeB on 17-May-2009 at 11:55 AM.

@MikeB

Quote:

Note that's not a gaming division loss, but rather for the company in general

Ahh yes thank you. Sony lost $2.9B in 09 and predicts to be 1/3 of this at $1B for 2010. One must wonder how positive they thare hoping the worldwide economies to be in the coming year. Early signs aren't good.

For example you included some other electronic makers. Panasonic is predicting 2010 to be worse than 2009 in the worldwide economy. It's planning their business changes under that scenario.


Quote:

All the Japanese consumer electronics companies were in the red for last year (and apart from Sony they don't sell PS3s

Which is why I didn't talk about them in a thread about consoles. Sony 2009 gaming is down and predicts 2010 gaming will continue to be down.

Nintendo, if memory serves, announced record profits in 2009 for their gaming division not losses. Nintendo predicts sales for Wii to be flat and DS to drop a bit in 2010.

Microsoft console gaming is a bit harder to talk about as they combine it in their 'Entertainment' division. That includes games for PCs. Also, the Zune. While the 2nd best selling player on the market, the iPod burns up the charts. In 2009 there was early talk about the next Xbox with various developers, so some foundations are being set. Also, the mysterious 'Project-Y' theories. If you hadn't seen those the console is X and music is Z. People are predicting the extra spending in Entertainment is signs of some sort of handheld multifunction device "Y" to come to the market.

@BrianK

Quote:

Sony lost $2.9B in 09 and predicts to be 1/3 of this at $1B for 2010.

Fiscal year 2009 net loss was 1 Billion USD, they expect a 1.15 USD net loss for FY 2010. This may be lower if the dollar adds in value and/or the Yen drop in value.

All better than anticipated, thus stock price went up following this announcement.

Quote:

Sony 2009 gaming is down and predicts 2010 gaming will continue to be down.

PS3 software sales more than doubled in FY 2009, for FY 2010 Sony expects PS3 hardware sales to be up by 30%. They FY 2009 hardware sales prediction was spot on, a honorable 10 million PS3s sold last year. That's billions USD of PS3 hardware revenue, keeping lots of people employed.

Quote:

Nintendo, if memory serves, announced record profits in 2009 for their gaming division not losses

Why are you surprised, they always generated profits ever since the NES. The profitable Wii sold well as well as profitable software sales.