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[emerge]

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000080&sid=alJ2cN_sOwI8&refer=news_index

July 9 (Bloomberg) -- Sony Corp., the world's second-largest consumer electronics maker, will delay U.S. sales of its combination PSX game console and DVD recorder to 2005 from the end of this year because the device may not appeal to U.S. consumers.

Sony, which gained about two-thirds of its operating profit from games business in the year ended March 31, will debut the PSX ``some time next year,'' Dick Komiyama, head of the electronics unit, said in an interview in New York. Sony earlier delayed the U.S. release of its PlayStation Portable from the end of 2004.

``Delays give a bad impression,'' said Masayuki Ito, who helps manage the equivalent of $189 million in Japanese equities at Ikegin Investment Management Co. in Osaka, Japan. ``Investors probably didn't have high expectations for the product,'' because it has had little appeal in Japan, he said.

The PSX, released in Japan late last year, is one of several new products Sony President Nobuyuki Idei pledged in October would help lift operating profit to 10 percent of group sales by 2007, from 1.3 percent on March 31. Sales have since disappointed, analysts including John Yang of Standard & Poor's in Tokyo and Eiichi Katayama of Nomura Research Institute have said.

Share Performance

Sony shares fell 1 percent to 4,000 yen in Tokyo Stock Exchange trading. Sony has returned investors 3.5 percent in the past 12 months, compared with a 17 percent gain by the Topix index of stocks traded on the first section of the Tokyo bourse.

No schedule for beginning sales of the PSX in Europe has been set, said Taro Takamine, a company spokesman in Tokyo. Sony earlier said it will start selling the console in Europe this year.

Sony plans to sell the device as a stand-alone product rather than a so-called set-top tuner sold through cable television operators like TiVo Inc.'s video recorder, Komiyama said.

``This is proprietary,'' said Komiyama. ``We're working very hard to make the technology feasible for U.S. consumers.''

The PSX had a troubled start. Sony began selling the console in Japan with fewer functions than promised. PSX, for example, couldn't play recordable CDs or MP3 music files when it went on sale in December.

The lack of new functions to attract consumers may prevent Sony from meeting its target of shipping 1 million units of the PSX worldwide by the end of the year, analysts and investors have said. That target ``now seems ambitious,'' Yang said in April.

I hope the fad of "convergence" will finally find it's grave.

 

[Alcibiades]

so now Kutagari have to launch PSP & PS-X in the same year as XBox 2...

PS2 (even GCN I admit) will lose steam cause XBox 2 games already been worked on and that's what all the hype will be about...

It's going to be vicious, but things not as bright in outlook for Sony as before...

Now hopefully Nintendo doesn't do a crapshoot and delays DS otherwise it's in big trouble...

 

[cvxfreak]

This PSX thing is looking bleak by the minute. Yeesh.

 

[SolidSnakex]

"It's going to be vicious, but things not as bright in outlook for Sony as before..."

What exactly isn't bright about the PS2's future? It's outselling all systems in every territory, it's going to end up being the best selling console ever ect. The PSX really has nothing to do with the PS2 as it's a different market altogether. If it doesn't do well, oh well they've always got the PSP and the lock known as the PS3.

 

[Deg]

I think they mean PSX. It will be tough as there are already good HD/DVD recording devices. Ones that also integrate with programme planners as well.

 

[Alcibiades]

"It's going to be vicious, but things not as bright in outlook for Sony as before..."

What exactly isn't bright about the PS2's future? It's outselling all systems in every territory, it's going to end up being the best selling console ever ect. The PSX really has nothing to do with the PS2 as it's a different market altogether.

Plz, no putting words in my post...

I didn't say "isn't bright", or did I?

I said "not as bright", very different...

Sure things are going very well, but they are slowy losing marketshare, and remember that info about Sony still having to recoup their investment on PS2...

 

[SolidSnakex]

Plz, no putting words in my post...

I didn't say "isn't bright", or did I?

I said "not as bright", very different...

Sure things are going very well, but they are slowy losing marketshare, and remember that info about Sony still having to recoup their investment on PS2...

You're overstating way too much. In Japan for example the PS2 has close to 50% of the market and that's with the GBA included. Imagine what their market share would look like without that included since it's not even in direct competition with the PS2 (the GC has 7% and the Xbox has less than 1% there). In the US it has around 50% also. It's doing just fine, people are just looking for any hole they can find to try to prove that Sony is messing up when they really aren't.

 

[Deg]

The news seems to be focused on PSX and nothing else.

 

[Troidal]

They really shouldn't bother with the PSX anymore.
It comes across as a half-assed TiVO, DVD recorder, and PS2 hybrid.

If you want the above features in your living room, buy them separately.
(Well, most average consumers who casually like games should already own a PS2...)

 

[Suerte]

"Sony Corp., the world's second-largest consumer electronics maker"

Who is number 1?

 

[Sirolf]

Matsushita...

 

[DCharlie]

for the good of sony's image, they should NOT release this unit in the US. It's a joke.

 

[cybamerc]

Samsung is the biggest electronics maker.

 

[Deg]

Samsung is the biggest electronics maker.

No its Matsushita. Different brand names in different regions. Include Panasonic, National, National Panasonic etc.

 

[Jumpman]

for the good of sony's image, they should NOT release this unit in the US. It's a joke.

I honestly don't think the PSX will ever be released in the U.S. It's sales in Japan have been extremely disapointing. So bad in fact, that Sony themselves seem to be uncertain about the PSX's future. They are obviously trying to get the price down before attempting a launch in other territories, but there really is no point. People are not interested in paying a premium price for product that is attached to such old technology (PS2). Sony is better off canning the PSX altogether. If they really want to sell a machine like this, they should wait for PS3's launch, and launch a PSX version of that.

 

[Link316]

too bad for MS if they're planning to launch Xbox2 in 2005
PSX in 2005 = PSTwo in 2006 = PS3 in 2007

 

[cybamerc]

No its Matsushita. Different brand names in different regions. Include Panasonic, National, National Panasonic etc.

Matsushita is worth less than Sony and Samsung is worth about as much as Matsushita and Sony put together.

 

[DCharlie]

"too bad for MS if they're planning to launch Xbox2 in 2005
PSX in 2005 = PSTwo in 2006 = PS3 in 2007"

well that all depends.
if the machine is shit hot and has great support, then it might turn people onto the XB2.

Especially if there is nothing demonstratably more impressive/desirable on the PS3.

Given that stuff like Madden should make a XB2 appearance before PS3, then i see MS taking a much bigger bite out of the US market this coming gen. IMO of course.

 

[Deg]

Matsushita is worth less than Sony and Samsung is worth about as much as Matsushita and Sony put together.

Which part of electronics? dont you understand? Stuff like Spiderman isnt what people would describe as electronics.

 

[DarienA]

Sure things are going very well, but they are slowy losing marketshare, and remember that info about Sony still having to recoup their investment on PS2...

That's true and if we stayed in this generation for one hundred years maybe MS would catch up..... :rolleyes

 

[kaching]

I hope the fad of "convergence" will finally find it's grave.

I suppose you plan to ditch your PC then, right? And never buy a cell phone with a built-in camera, ability to play games, MP3s, etc. ?

Let's not condemn convergence just because one device is struggling.

Sure things are going very well, but they are slowy losing marketshare,

PSX was never intended to help general Playstation marketshare in any significant way. Even if they were on target with the PSX, they were only aiming to sell 1 million of them worldwide in its first year of availability

and remember that info about Sony still having to recoup their investment on PS2...

In today's edition of "Vague References to Unsubstantiated Info"...

 

[emerge]

I suppose you plan to ditch your PC then, right?

Since when is a PC a convergence device?

And never buy a cell phone with a built-in camera, ability to play games, MP3s, etc. ?

Indeed. I'm quite happy with the telephony alone. I'll leave the ringtones to the idiots.

 

[kaching]

A PC has been a convergence device ever since it was able to perform multiple, unrelated tasks. Considering that a modern PC can be configured to perform the tasks of many of the electronice devices found in a house, its the very archetype of a convergence device.

As for whether or not you'll ever buy a cell phone with "convergence features" that doesn't change the fact that they are successful and not just a fad. It's just going to become harder and harder to find a cell phone that offers just telephony over the next few years.

 

[TTP]

Sony earlier delayed the U.S. release of its PlayStation Portable from the end of 2004.

Wasn't the PSP US lauch scheduled for 2005 since the beginning?

 

[kaching]

Nope. They were initially targeting 2004 for multiple regions.

 

[jarrod]

What exactly isn't bright about the PS2's future? It's outselling all systems in every territory,

All systems except GBA in American and Asian regions. I'd also suspect iQue is probably outselling PS2 in China (SCEI's one real market failure).

 

[neptunes]

All systems except GBA in American and Asian regions. I'd also suspect iQue is probably outselling PS2 in China (SCEI's one real market failure).

The GBA you can't be serious, that's a whole different market.

 

[Kobun Heat]

The GBA you can't be serious, that's a whole different market.

I honestly wonder how different it is sometimes. Ultimately it's still in competition for your gaming dollars. With the wild popularity of Pokemon in Japan it's got to be taking a certain amount of attention away from home consoles.

 

[Deg]

Well wait ofr PSP then.

 

[jarrod]

The GBA you can't be serious, that's a whole different market.

Arguably yes, but SSX said systems. And GBA is currently the best selling game system in most regions...

 

[Marty Chinn]

Since when is a PC a convergence device?



Indeed. I'm quite happy with the telephony alone. I'll leave the ringtones to the idiots.

Actually for quite some years now the PC has been a convergence device on different levels and functionality. Most related to this topic is the growing number of HTPCs being made because they are powerful yet cheaper alternative to getting home theater hardware. With many high end TVs using DVI as an input device, it has made hooking up a PC to a high definition screen a breeze. People are now using a HTPC to play progressive scan DVDs, High Definition movies at 720p and 1080i resolution, music, emulators, Tivo like device, and even some have high definition tuners.

The PSX is a great concept that has just poor timing and maybe not the best execution, but clearly the concept of convergence is still alive and well. In fact I hope it does improve because that's where I think things are going. Heck anyone with a modded Xbox will tell you what a wonder is and that on it's own is a converging set top box even if MS never intended it to be.

 

[HAOHMARU]

Didn't Sony recall the PSXs that didn't sell in Japan? Or did they just discontinue making them? Maybe they are going to try and sell the surplus in the US? I doubt they will be manufacturing any more of these things.

 

[sc0la]

I honestly wonder how different it is sometimes. Ultimately it's still in competition for your gaming dollars. With the wild popularity of Pokemon in Japan it's got to be taking a certain amount of attention away from home consoles.

I certainly know Fire Emblem has saved me from buying new console games for a few months now. Yeesh. Longevity ++

the cart says 20 hours, but I have put at least 60 into it.

 

[krypt0nian]

So when does this go in the "why bother" column again?

There is less and less of a need for this product day by day.

Folks want concrete PS3 news.....yes even casuals.