Sony now paying attention to the Nintendo Switch

Source Nikkei

From an interview w/Kaz Hirai

Our semiconductor business, for example, is set to return to the black this year with 150 billion yen in profit, thanks to the rise of dual-camera smartphones propelling sales of camera sensors. But Sony is behind the ball on 3-D sensors, a field where features such as facial recognition are expected to create new demand. We plan to catch up by developing new offerings with a Belgian company we purchased in 2015.

At our gaming business, sales of the PlayStation 4 are strong heading into the holidays. But we can't ignore the Nintendo Switch, which has also captured consumers' attention. Our business model involves selling both the game console and the software for it, so we're working to get more customers paying continuously for content, for example through paid subscription services.

so we're working to get more customers paying continuously for content, for example through paid subscription services

Ruh Roh

well perhaps if more of their services were worth paying for

won't be long until they copy the game pass

@metalboi: Well one of Sony's better known mottos this gen is "this is for the payers"

Cows gonna get milked confirmed

@FLOPPAGE_50: Yep, Sony's Game Pass incoming... and I'm sure cows will say it's the best thing since sliced bread. Lol.

sony is watching nintendo like a person looking at the empire state building LOL

well in japan at least.

They might as well. Nintendo is certainly ignoring them. How else could they have come up with something like the Switch anyways?

That sounds more like Sony wants to find more games-as-a-service revenue, not to emulate the Switch. That being said, I think the days of large box consoles are numbered

lol it means sony looks "up" to nintendo.

while nintendo looks "down" at them.

cmon man... simple physics

@stereointegrity said:

@KBFloYd said:

sony is watching nintendo like a person looking at the empire state building LOL

well in japan at least.

And that's a future that I do NOT want!

lol Switch

@KBFloYd said:

lol it means sony looks "up" to nintendo.

while nintendo looks "down" at them.

cmon man... simple physics

@stereointegrity said:

@KBFloYd said:

sony is watching nintendo like a person looking at the empire state building LOL

well in japan at least.

uhhhhhhh.....i think both company's have tremendous respect for each other. both do things differently. both provide amazing games. one is just mobile the other isnt. i mean you can always play out what ever scenario u want in ur head but i doubt its true

why? people pay "continuously" for great services they enjoy. i pay continuously for netflix and spotify because those are great. i don't play for psn plus or playstation now continously tho, but hey if sony want to try and make better/worthy services good for them, hopefully they can come up with something good.

@KBFloYd said:

lol it means sony looks "up" to nintendo.

while nintendo looks "down" at them.

cmon man... simple physics

@stereointegrity said:

@KBFloYd said:

sony is watching nintendo like a person looking at the empire state building LOL

well in japan at least.

the empire state building cant look at anything though, because its a building ?

What's being said sucks for PS gamers. But I doubt PS gamers are smart enough to understand that.

First Of All Nintendo Is King In Japan And States I Mean Look At 3DS , Wii , Wii U And Switch Sales . Second : Sony Is New In Game Industry Compare to Sega , Atari And Nintendo Also Their PS3 Marketing Hurting Their Reputation . Third : PS4 Exclusive Have Not Seen Significant Sales Since Launch Of Console ( Except Uncharted 4) Horizon Zero Down Only Sold 3 Million Copies After 8 Month , Even WiiU Had Some 6 to 5 Million Seller (Google It ). Although If You Copmare Sony Wealth ( Around 160 Billion Dollar ) To Nintendo ( 40 Billion Dollar ) You Find Out Sony Have To Pay Attention To Nintendo In Game Industry.

@indzman: you’re slacking. It’s usually a matter of seconds before you post this about Switch.

Nope

@indzman: Lol Switch!

Lol Switch!

What about it?

@indzman: nothing, just a really funny post! Brilliant!

No sir. you are a brilliant poster. Keep posting more :)

@indzman: I am good. But not sure I could come up with ‘Lol Switch’ though.

You can't go wrong with

lol Nintendo

OP gets very angry when you say this :P

Sony lost Japan, but still has Europe on its side.

Security cams bro.

Simple physics of course.

Copy how?

They already have PS Now. They only difference between the two (aside from the selection of games of course) is PS Now is a streaming service, where as Game Pass let's you download the game first, no?

Obviously, Yoshida is more a fan of Nintendo than anyone in here.

@FireEmblem_Man: they trying to take handheld out of the gaming ghetto again?

would those cameras still be looking down all the time? And would they be as high too? Would there then be someone looking at the security feed? Are they looking down on the empire state building then? ????

Please don't do that hybrid console thing. Puhlease.

Interested to see how Sony will take the Switch idea and incorporate more subscription services into it lololol

"Sony Playstation Swap" coming in 2020 Mark my words.

So the PS5 will be a console/handheld hybrid, with a subscription-based streaming service for all of its games?

I could see Sony doing something stupid like that.

Prepare to be disappointed!

Didn't read the article but did they mention the PS4 Portable and Pro-Slim, yet?

No, they mention that they're paying attention to the Switch success and plan on making games as a service

Just read it. Not sure I come to that same conclusion. Word is that Sony is making bank on PS Vue, though.

But PS Vue is an IPTV service, not gaming. It just happens to use the Playstation name to sell the service.

Didn't they say that at the beginning of the gen? Yet Sony will pull out ps2 like numbers.

Judging by SCE's history, they will at the very least build a working prototype. I wouldn't put it past them if they ever revisit the idea of a handheld console.

If anything, I see them wanting to push PSNow further to other Non-Sony devices such as Android Tablets and the iPad if they want to keep up w/the portable space. But yes, another Portable device could be possible due to SCE's record of following the competition.

they should consider getting back into the handheld market, one of the biggest differentiating factors the PS4 has that the Xbox doesn't isn't just it's own first party offerings, which IMO haven't been as strong as they have been in past years like they were with the PS2, but mainly I'm talking about third party Japanese developer support, with the Nintendo Switch selling so well, if the Japanese gaming market centers its attention on it, on Sony's console end of things we might see a drop in support of those kinds of Japanese games one would play on a Sony console as publishers and developers might move to the Switch

I would consider getting a ps4 portable to go along with my ps4 pro. I think that would be a better investment than VR (which Sony is trying too hard to push).

at some point that will be the future

Why, they thinking about launching a new Handheld? :P

They kinda already started, I think you can now (or soon) play PS games via streaming and I heard they were going to add PS4 games to the bunch too.