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Sony will "rigorously pursue" PS4 sales to push its network business
With Sony as a whole continuing to struggle, the company plans to push the PlayStation 4 hard in an attempt to drive users to its network business, according to CEO Kaz Hirai.
With its hardware business performing poorly against the likes of Apple and Samsung, Sony has been in the red and doesn't immediately expect that to change. Earlier this month, it announced a $1.26 billion loss for the fiscal year ended March 31 and said it expects another loss in the coming year. Last year's loss came despite an increase in sales--and while it's made profitability a priority over sales numbers, the exception would seem to be the PS4.
"We have to rigorously pursue install-base numbers," Hirai said of the console yesterday, Reuters reports. "The biggest driver for our network business will be the PlayStation 4."
The network business Hirai refers to would include the PlayStation Network as well as other services Sony offers, like music streaming and video downloads. Its offerings will expand further this year with the launch of game-streaming service PlayStation Now.
Sony's network services have 52 million active users, "most of whom" are PlayStation owners, according to the Reuters report. Network business sales saw a big jump during this past fiscal year; they were up 70 percent year-over-year to 200 billion yen (about $1.96 billion).
With PlayStation 4 systems providing access to so many of Sony's network services, it's easy to see why it's interested in selling more of them as the network business becomes increasingly important for Sony. Of course, PlayStation systems aren't the only ones that provide access to these services; Sony's Bravia TVs and Xperia phones will also be leveraged to expand the services' user base.
Attempting to sell PlayStation 4s for the sake of the network won't cost Sony--while Sony (and Microsoft) consoles traditionally are sold at a loss for an extended period of time following launch, Hirai recently announced that the PS4 is "already contributing profit." The system has already sold more than 7 million units worldwide, outpacing sales of the Xbox One, which Microsoft has yet to provide an update on since it announced 3 million had been sold in 2013.
With Sony as a whole continuing to struggle, the company plans to push the PlayStation 4 hard in an attempt to drive users to its network business, according to CEO Kaz Hirai.
With its hardware business performing poorly against the likes of Apple and Samsung, Sony has been in the red and doesn't immediately expect that to change. Earlier this month, it announced a $1.26 billion loss for the fiscal year ended March 31 and said it expects another loss in the coming year. Last year's loss came despite an increase in sales--and while it's made profitability a priority over sales numbers, the exception would seem to be the PS4.
"We have to rigorously pursue install-base numbers," Hirai said of the console yesterday, Reuters reports. "The biggest driver for our network business will be the PlayStation 4."
The network business Hirai refers to would include the PlayStation Network as well as other services Sony offers, like music streaming and video downloads. Its offerings will expand further this year with the launch of game-streaming service PlayStation Now.
Sony's network services have 52 million active users, "most of whom" are PlayStation owners, according to the Reuters report. Network business sales saw a big jump during this past fiscal year; they were up 70 percent year-over-year to 200 billion yen (about $1.96 billion).
With PlayStation 4 systems providing access to so many of Sony's network services, it's easy to see why it's interested in selling more of them as the network business becomes increasingly important for Sony. Of course, PlayStation systems aren't the only ones that provide access to these services; Sony's Bravia TVs and Xperia phones will also be leveraged to expand the services' user base.
Attempting to sell PlayStation 4s for the sake of the network won't cost Sony--while Sony (and Microsoft) consoles traditionally are sold at a loss for an extended period of time following launch, Hirai recently announced that the PS4 is "already contributing profit." The system has already sold more than 7 million units worldwide, outpacing sales of the Xbox One, which Microsoft has yet to provide an update on since it announced 3 million had been sold in 2013.