PlayStation co-CEO Hideaki Nishino says consoles will remain the core of their business

[Puff]

More and more people are playing games on PC. Please tell us the value of home consoles.

"I think that many mobile games have ads, and PCs are difficult to set up. With PS, you can play the content you purchased as soon as you turn it on. The products are clearly displayed in the stores where you buy software, so it's an intuitive experience."

"We are trying to increase the overall game market by expanding content to PCs. There is no doubt that home consoles will be the core of our business, but by offering titles for devices other than home consoles, we will reach a wider range of customers."

PS5値上げ「得た収益を再投資」　ソニーグループのゲームCEO - 日本経済新聞

ソニーグループは家庭用ゲーム機「プレイステーション（PS）5」の上位機種を11月に発売する。9月にはPS5を値上げし、収益向上に乗り出した。パソコンでゲームを遊ぶ人が増えるなか、ハードの戦略をどう描くのか。ゲーム子会社のソニー・インタラクティブエンタテインメント（SIE）でPS事業を担当する最高経営責任者（CEO）の西野秀明氏に聞いた。――PS5の上位機種のPS5Pro（プロ）を発売します。

www.nikkei.com

 

[hellbreaker31402]

Then this guy is in delusion, steam is as convenient as console nowadays.

 

[arvfab]

Phil, is that you?

 

[Gediminas]

PS5値上げ「得た収益を再投資」　ソニーグループのゲームCEO - 日本経済新聞

ソニーグループは家庭用ゲーム機「プレイステーション（PS）5」の上位機種を11月に発売する。9月にはPS5を値上げし、収益向上に乗り出した。パソコンでゲームを遊ぶ人が増えるなか、ハードの戦略をどう描くのか。ゲーム子会社のソニー・インタラクティブエンタテインメント（SIE）でPS事業を担当する最高経営責任者（CEO）の西野秀明氏に聞いた。――PS5の上位機種のPS5Pro（プロ）を発売します。

www.nikkei.com

PS board clearly is compromised with the Phil's ball rot.

 

[Systemshock2023]

It's an interview for the Japanese. A market not that familiar with PC gaming, hence the question. If they want to get into people's homes in Japan they should go portable. These days PC gaming is more portable than playstation or Xbox.

But not sure how that would bode with the international audience as PS was always graphics above all else.

 

[Umar]

Doesn't sound too convincing tbh. Now would be a good time to announce some new games and show us just how much consoles is still the core of their business

 

[Neversummer]

Then this guy is in delusion, steam is as convenient as console nowadays.

Yes, it’s like he wants to ignore Valve/Steam own consoles the Steamdeck which is as simple & pickup like consoles but not only that Steamdeck is price similar to console around $400 to $500 depending where & when you buy it.

 

[arvfab]

Doesn't sound too convincing tbh. Now would be a good time to announce some new games and show us just how much consoles is still the core of their business

Who needs new games if you can replay the few old ones again when the Pro launches?

You are also supposed to continue playing Helldivers 2 in the meantime, but make sure that you - core console gamer - buy the game on Steam and leave a review there if you want to be heard by the devs!

 

[Neversummer]

PS is at its core of its business yet it wants to release its ten pole singleplayer exclusive to platforms that are directly competing w PS console this being PC in general but more directly Valve/Steam/Steamdeck.

PS console isn’t at its core of its business if it was it wouldn’t release more PC port & more PC games then actual PS consoles from first party. Unlike PS Nintendo & consoles to Nintendo console is at its core & seems other methods to grow & expand into new audiences such ass cross media, merchandise/toys, parks, mobile/GAAS etc.


This reads like a Phil Spencer quote. PS is dead Nintendo is doubling down after there success in the Switch & has everything w the Switch 2 & Switch 3 to absolutely slaughter & cut a massive chunk in market share globally. If that Switch 2 is more powerful then PS4 expect all 3rd party + exclusivity deals PS used to do to be completely gone by the tail end of Switch 2 & really gone when the Switch 3 releases.

PS doing all this diminishing & harm to its platform & storefront to just sell 5% on PC while bolstering PC & Valve position in gaming & splitting 30% to valve (who isn’t going anything) it’s like valve & Nintendo understand if it does no harm to its platform & just doubles down & let other competitors it can essentially make free money of 3rd party by solely existing & PS doing the hardest to destroy what they built.

It’s pretty clear if your a PS console fan start making that transition to PC, Steamdeck 2 & Nintendo Switch 2 because I don’t see a future of PS console existing when Switch 3 is out & will be at the power of PS5 completely closing the gap w PS consoles & Steamdeck 2-3 having also all PS games + the benefits of PC

 

[mibu no ookami]

It's not difficult to see Sony's strategy and their roadmap. Console isn't growing. Even defeating Microsoft, won't change that all that much. Many of those Xbox consumers will move to PC or Microsoft's hybrid PC.

They're a platform holder. They aren't just making PC games to pay Valve 20% in perpetuity. By the end of the decade they'll have a PC launcher and storefront. And no this launcher doesn't need to "defeat" Steam. As quickly as Sony reaches a threshold where their sales are as high as they would have been minus the 20 percent royalty, they're already in a net positive position. You add 3rd party sales to the equation and it's a no brainer.

This is particularly important for GaaS.

By the end of the decade they'll be back in the portable space too. Another no brainer. Games are scalable now that you don't need to support the handheld with unique games and the technology is there to have games from consoles play on handheld, and people are okay with larger portable devices. Creating another portable will get them significantly more market share in Japan, and bring many of these games back to PlayStation.

Sony's strategy is obvious. Be everywhere in gaming.

This extends to mobile, but mobile is the must difficult market to really get into, even more so than GaaS. It's high risk high reward at this point, which is why Sony has really been slow to roll out their mobile plans.

You'll note they haven't really done anything on mobile between 2022 and now. FY25 starts in April, but the general plan was for there to be no PS4 games in FY25.

 

[Neversummer]

Seems likes he thinks people will continue buying PS consoles because the convenient when PC & Valve/Steam Steamdeck is & are just as convenient/pick up & play nowadays & will only get better. He thinks people will continue buying PS with no exclusive games & i mean true permanent exclusive lol it PS downfall will be slow like Xbox but it will be glories seeing Valve/Steam kill both Xbox & PS due to there short sighted & radical strategy that underestimated PC & Valve on gaming. In the case of Nintendo they’ll be fine as long as they don’t change they will always see profit & growth because they don’t make radical moves & seek other opportunities that don’t harm, diminish or damages the Nintendo platform, Nintendo hardware & Nintendo storefront.

 

[Neversummer]

Creating another portable will get them significantly more market share in Japan, and bring many of these games back to PlayStation.

I do think a portable handheld would be a no brainer for PlayStation especially to see growth in Japan/asia.

But many of those gamers won’t comeback to PS if PS don’t have exclusive & if there exclusive games are either day n date on PC on the PS PC launcher (even worse if it’s day n date on Steam since it just further bolster the Steamdeck as a better hardware then a PS console to play PS games & 3rd party games, same issue Xbox & MS is having w windows)

Many gamers will just migrate to PC/Steamdeck or stick w Nintendo since PS games will make there way over there anyways the only thing that will happen is PS market continuing to see decline in both hardware, software & mtx/3rd party/subscription as 3rd party focus on Steam & Nintendo platform. Essentially what 3rd party been doing w Xbox but for PS

 

[Entropi]

Deja vu

 

[mibu no ookami]

I do think a portable handheld would be a no brainer for PlayStation especially to see growth in Japan/asia.

But many of those gamers won’t comeback to PS if PS don’t have exclusive & if there exclusive games are either day n date on PC on the PS PC launcher (even worse if it’s day n date on Steam since it just further bolster the Steamdeck as a better hardware then a PS console to play PS games & 3rd party games, same issue Xbox & MS is having w windows)

Many gamers will just migrate to PC/Steamdeck or stick w Nintendo since PS games will make there way over there anyways the only thing that will happen is PS market continuing to see decline in both hardware, software & mtx/3rd party/subscription as 3rd party focus on Steam & Nintendo platform. Essentially what 3rd party been doing w Xbox but for PS

I think you have a picture in your mind that isn't backed by facts.

Even with a PC Launcher, I don't know if these games will all be day and date. Especially if Microsoft's hybrid console PC runs Sony's PC launcher. I think you're still going to have big AAA games come out first on console.

I think you also overrate the appetite for the general consumer to get into PC. It's significantly more expensive and more complex than console.

How many Steam Decks have sold? No one knows.

I don't see Sony putting many games on Steam if any after they have a PC launcher just like I dont' see them putting many games if any on Switch when they have their own handheld.

One of Sony's biggest goals will be to expand PS+ to other devices. It's extremely high margin. You see decline where there isn't any evidence of it.

Sony is going to end up with probably around 130-150 million TAM on console, especially with Microsoft's exit. That's just a reality and PC isn't the exit hatch you think it is.

 

[rofif]

They should just stick to consoles

 

[Gediminas]

They should just stick to consoles

Why not to try to earn all the money in the world? What can go wrong?

 

[arvfab]

Why not to try to earn all the money in the world? What can go wrong?

I think PlayStation should go into pharmaceutics next, heard there is good money to be earned.

Imagine an Astro Bot formed pill or something against erectile dysfunction called "rage of sparta".

 

[mibu no ookami]

Let's play a game.

Sony listens to you. Sticks to consoles... for reasons...

Consoles continue to fail to grow.

Big Tech eats up 3rd party publishers.

Sony's revenue diminishes.

As a result we get fewer and fewer first party games and safer and safer choices.

The price of PS hardware continues to increase to make up for the declining sales, but the lack of games can't be made up for.

Cloud gaming continues to rise and fewer and fewer 3rd party games make it to the PlayStation console.

Sony can no longer afford to do hardware and decides to just focus on software on other platforms cloud and PC...

Somehow you think staying in place in business is an effective strategy, but it isn't in tech. That's literally blockbuster's strategy and RIM and Sony's in electronics.

 

[Danja]

This company is no longer about catering to consoles, it's just that they know without console their PS+ and storefront profits are all gone. PlayStation is nothing but a vessel now to nickel & dime a cultivated base they once cared about.

Still can't understand why they think constantly shoving PC into every discourse will make console players still feel like first class citizens

 

[arvfab]

Consoles continue to fail to grow. Xbox starts to put their games on PC.

You, as Big Tech, try to eat up as many 3rd party publishers as possible.

Xbox's revenue diminishes.

As a result we get fewer and fewer first party games and safer and safer choices.

The price of Xbox hardware continues to increase to make up for the declining sales, but the lack of games can't be made up for.

Cloud gaming continues to rise, you try to be the best in it, but people continue to prefer consoles and fewer and fewer 3rd party games make it to the Xbox console.

Xbox can no longer afford to do hardware and decides to just focus on software on other platforms cloud and PC...

Instead of playing "what if"s, some minor changes for the status quo of someone who already went that way.