'Bullet Train' locked and loaded atop N.America box office

LOS ANGELES, United States - Sony's "Bullet Train" held the top spot for the second week running in the North American box office, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations estimated Sunday during a relatively flat mid-August period of moviegoing.

As the last major studio release of the summer, the action thriller starring Brad Pitt pulled in $13.4 million, less than half its take the previous week but still nearly doubling up on its closest competitor.

Pitt, who plays a professional assassin on a Japanese train seemingly loaded with them, heads a cast that includes Joey King, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Latin music star Bad Bunny, as well as Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum in bit roles.

Holding second spot was former number one "DC League of Super-Pets," Warner Bros.' animated film which pairs the likes of Superman and other action heroes with furry partners. It earned $7.2 million.

Jumping back up three spots to third was "Top Gun: Maverick," Paramount's long-awaited -- and extremely popular -- Tom Cruise sequel. It pulled in $7.1 million, for an eye-popping $674 million in North American ticket sales over the past 12 weeks.

Fourth spot went to Disney's action comedy "Thor: Love and Thunder," at $5.3 million. It stars Chris Hemsworth as the uber-muscular space Viking, who pines for his ex-girlfriend (Natalie Portman). It has now eclipsed $325 million over six weeks.

Following closely in fifth was Universal's "Nope," also at $5.3 million. The sci-fi/horror flick, boosted by the involvement of popular writer/director Jordan Peele, stars Daniel Kaluuya.

Overall, domestic releases are gradually getting back on track since the coronavirus pandemic hammered the industry, but the schedule remains relatively "thin," according to Franchise Entertainment Research's box office newsletter.

"There's no question, the total box office would be bigger with more studio releases," it said.

Rounding out the weekend's top 10 were:

"Minions: The Rise of Gru" ($4.9 million)

"Where the Crawdads Sing" ($4 million)

"Bodies Bodies Bodies" ($3.3 million)

"Elvis" ($2.6 million)

"Fall" ($2.5 million)

Agence France-Presse

Sony brings latest ‘intelligent’ Xperia X-Series smartphones to PH market

MANILA, Philippines — Sony Philippines recently introduced the new Xperia flagship mobile devices with the launch of the Xperia X and Xperia XA — two new smartphones under the X Series.

The two Android-powered Sony smartphones deliver next generation features with a fresh new look, improved camera technology, smart battery management, and stylish design.

“Smartphone users are demanding more from their smartphones: some want a better camera, others longer battery life, and the rest just simply want a sleeker design,” said Jhoana Benedicto, marketing officer for Sony Mobile’s the Philippine office. “Sony Mobile took this into consideration and provides a major improvement with the X Series. Every detail of the X series shows great improvement in all the key areas, particularly in camera, battery, and design.”

The X Series offers a range of next-gen technologies: from fast autofocus on a moving object with Xperia X’s Predictive Hybrid Autofocus and a more stable video capture that features SteadyShot video stabilization for recording smooth videos and minimizing “shaky cam” effects, to low-light selfie camera on the XA model for an anytime, anywhere shot.

The Xperia X is equipped with camera features such as an improved 13MP front camera and quick startup from standby mode of only 0.6 seconds at the touch of a button to capture that once in a lifetime photo moment.

Crafted with a seamless metal back and curved glass edges of its 5-inch display, the Xperia X also has fingerprint sensor on the power button which provides instant access to the phone.

The phone’s smart battery management provide up to two days of battery life with its Quick Charge technology delivering up to two times battery lifespan using ground-breaking Qnovo Adaptive Charging technology that maintains battery health while charging.

For the mid-range Xperia XA model, this Sony smartphone features the world’s narrowest 5-inch smartphone in a sophisticated bezel-less design that gives a seamless edge-to-edge display that stretches the full width of the phone to make full use of the entire display.

It comes with a 13MP rear camera, plus hybrid autofocus, and super-fast quick launch, too. In addition, the XA’s 8MP front camera enables users to capture clear photos in low-light environment including an improved wide angle lens.

XA’s battery power lasts up to two days from a single charge. And with the same smart battery management system as the Xperia X, the Qnovo Adaptive Charging technology gives the Xperia XA two times battery lifespan. Pairing this smartphone model with the optional accessory Quick Charger, the user can get 5.5 hours of battery life with just a 10-minute charge.

The dual-SIM Xperia X is tagged at P29,990 and comes in colors: Graphite Black, White, Lime Gold, Rose Gold. While the Xperia XA is P13,990 in colors: Graphite Black, White, Lime Gold, Rose Gold. Both smartphones will also be available on all Sony Centers and Xperia shops nationwide by early July.

source: interaksyon.com

Sony steps up in wearable space with SmartEyeglass

SAN FRANCISCO — Sony on Tuesday began taking orders for SmartEyeglass Internet-linked eyewear, moving ahead in the market as Google steps back to revise its Glass strategy.

The offering from the Japanese consumer electronics comes amid growing interest in wearable computing, but also questions about whether consumers will warm to connected eyewear.

SmartEyeglass connects with smartphones and then superimposes text, images or other information onto whatever real scene is in view.

A version of the eyewear tailored for software developers will be available in Japan, Germany, Britain, and the United States on March 10. The price in the US will be $840. In Europe it will be 670 plus applicable taxes.

SmartEyeglass for enterprises will also be available in March in France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere.

Along with the hardware, Sony will release an upgraded software development kit “to tap into the ingenuity of developers to improve upon the user experience that the SmartEyeglass provides.”

Sony is encouraging software makers to develop fun, hip, or functional applications for SmartEyeglass so people will be enticed to buy the eyewear on track for commercial release in 2016

Sony said that it “has its eyes set on the future of wearable devices and their diversifying use cases, and it hopes to tap into the ingenuity of developers to improve upon the user experience that the SmartEyeglass provides.”

Sony said it sees a wide range of uses for the eyewear, beyond the obvious display of information at eye level without having to turn attention to another device.

It sees “considerable implications for AR (augmented reality), which holds great potential in the domain of professional use as well, such as when giving instructions to workers at a manufacturing site or when transmitting visual information to security officers about a potential breach,” the Sony statement said.

Google Glass sidelined

Google in January halted sales of its Internet-linked eyewear Glass but insisted the technology would live on in a future consumer product.

The technology titan put brakes on an “explorer” program that let people interested in dabbling with Glass buy eyewear for $1,500 apiece.

Glass became available in the United States in early last year to anyone with the money and desire to become an “explorer.” The Glass test program was later expanded to Britain.

Instead of being part of the Google X lab working on innovations such as self-driving cars, the Glass team became a separate unit.

Microsoft last month introduced HoloLens eyewear that may hit a sweet spot between Google Glass and virtual reality headgear, immersing users in a mesmerizing world of augmented reality holograms.

Microsoft executives said the holographic capabilities built into Windows 10 operating software — to be released late this year — would open doors for developers to augment tasks from complex surgery to motorcycle design.

source: interaksyon.com

With PlayStation network, Sony goes back to the future in search of revival

TOKYO — Japan’s Sony Corp is hammering out plans to rise from the ashes of nearly $10 billion lost in six years by building a future around its last consumer electronics blockbuster – the PlayStation.

Sony plans to reposition the video console warhorse as a hub for a network of streamed services, according to three senior officials, offering social media, movies and music as well as games. The executives spoke to Reuters on condition they not be named because the matters are still in early stages of discussion.

The plans to coax more revenue from the PlayStation’s network of users are being developed by a new breed of managers brought in by Chief Executive Kazuo Hirai. Analysts say if Sony gets it right, the game and network business could earn about $1 billion in the fiscal year from April 2016 – making it the most profitable part of the company bar a financial services unit.

“Network services have been a long-running issue for Sony,” said Atsushi Osanai, associate professor at Waseda University’s business school. It’s a field Apple Inc has dominated with iTunes, while established movie and music services like Netflix Inc and Spotify are expanding fast.

“In the past there was a time when they (Sony) were all over the place and went after everything, but zeroing in first on game users is effective,” said Osanai. The company’s next progress report will come with its first-quarter earnings on July 31.

At 200 billion yen ($1.96 billion) last fiscal year, some 90 percent of it from games, Sony Entertainment Network’s revenue is small compared with the 5 trillion yen at the company’s broader electronics business. The division lost 10 billion yen last year and more losses are expected this year as it spends on servers and systems for a surge in users, but the executives – and analysts – expect it to ramp up quickly after that to double-digit margins.

The new thinking is far from Sony’s first effort to kickstart a revival. Yet the company that was once the symbol of Japan’s technology prowess has often failed in attempts to deliver innovative hits to match successes of old, like the Walkman music player.

The managers lining up Sony’s new strategy know a PlayStation network won’t fix mainstream loss-making businesses, like its TV division – “a grim electronics portfolio”, according to brokerage Jefferies. It’s also not the first time Sony has tried to develop networked content services.

But under plain-speaking Kenichiro Yoshida, a former head of Sony’s Internet services unit now leading the charge as chief financial officer since April, managers believe focusing on PlayStation to develop a network is potentially Sony’s best chance of securing a money-making springboard for revival.

“These are crucial assets that offer the greatest potential upside,” said one of the senior officials.

Game on
The network’s base of 52 million active users is dwarfed by Apple’s iTunes with over 800 million, and now just about the same size as fast-growing Netflix. But Sony Entertainment Network’s peg to a hit piece of hardware with a potentially captive audience can give the service a future edge, executives say.

Yoshida, 54, knows networks so far have been a black spot for Sony. A PlayStation security breach in 2011 was a major setback to its plans at the time for a looser network that was designed to allow a range of Sony devices to be connected.

The CFO’s message to executives is that things must change. “What’s made it tough for Sony in electronics is that we were never able to take the lead role in the networking era,” Yoshida told a gathering of about 500 managers earlier this year, according to a person who attended the meeting.

While the network plans take shape, this year Yoshida is also overseeing restructuring across the company. Sony is axing thousands of white-collar jobs, has ditched the Vaio personal computer brand, and has placed the TV business in a separate subsidiary – to fend for itself.

High-tech components such as image sensors and batteries for smartphones, and next-generation consumer gadgets such as wearables, have been identified by Sony managers as key potential areas of hardware growth.

“Game and network services are a core part of Sony’s electronics and we are currently strengthening our network services by expanding sales of the PlayStation 4 in a bid to raise revenue,” said Mami Imada, Sony’s general manager of public relations, asked to comment on future strategy for this article.

The latest iteration of the now 20-year-old console has outsold rivals easily, attracting committed gamers rather than the casual game playing audience that is migrating to smartphones and other mobile devices.

Even as Sony plans to extend the PlayStation’s role, games are still driving the network services division forward, accounting for 90 percent of revenue. From July 31, Sony is launching a streaming game service, PS Now, the first ever for a console game maker, in the United States.

Sony has sold 8.7 million PlayStation 4s against 5 million Microsoft Corp Xbox Ones as of July 19, according to market research firm VGChartz. Nintendo Ltd’s Wii U console, released a year earlier than its rivals, also trails with sales of 6.7 million.

source: interaksyon.com

If not for Sony’s iconic VCR, your digital world is nothing

MANILA, Philippines — Much like hairsprays, shoulder pads, and stone tablets, the analog videocassette format Betamax is now a dusty relic of a bygone era, its relevance consigned as a footnote to the evolution of our digital age. But unknown to many, everyone streaming, downloading, or uploading videos owe a it big to the antiquated video tape recorder due to a controversial U.S. Supreme Court decision thirty years ago.

In the same manner that Youtube revolutionized computer screens, Sony’s launch of the Betamax in 1976 ushered in a sea change to the viewing experience of household television sets. The device empowered households to record TV content and watch it at their own time of convenience — a practice known as “time-shifting.” Wary that the technology would cannibalize television viewership, well-established giant film and television studios Universal and Disney sued Sony, arguing that Betamax aids copyright infringement.

The District Court of California ruled in favor of Sony, but Hollywood won the suit at the appellate court, prompting a showdown at the Supreme Court. But in a 5-to-4 ruling, after a reported last minute change of mind of a Justice, the case was eventually held in favor of the Betamax after determining that the recording of home videos constitutes fair use.

In his majority decision, Justice John Paul Stevens said that struck down the argument that the technology is “contributory” infringement and said that to rule thus would “block the wheels of commerce.”

Robert S. Schwartz, who was a reported counsel to the Home Recording Rights Coalition in the ’80s, said that the landmark decision established two key pillars of present day consumer rights: that the recording and storage of an entire copyrighted material is lawful, and that the selling of a product that has non-infringing uses is lawful as well.

“Without these twin protections for consumers and innovators, we could not today buy most consumer digital products or log on to most online services that search for, store, and respond to copyrighted information,” Schwartz said.

“The Internet itself would have remained a closed circuit primarily for government, educational, and industrial use. There would be no social networks,” Schwartz said.

source: interaksyon.com

Sony’s PS4 tops Xbox One as gamers’ holiday choice: poll

SAN FRANCISCO — More U.S. shoppers prefer Sony Corp’s upcoming PlayStation 4 than Microsoft Corp’s Xbox One, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, as the industry’s two leading videogame console makers prepare to do battle this holiday season.

Asked about their interest in dedicated game devices, 26 percent of 1,297 people surveyed online last week say they are likely to purchase the new PlayStation 4 when available, versus 15 percent opting for the Xbox One.

The rift widens among those below the age of 40. Of that group of 408 people, 41 percent picked Sony’s PS4 versus 27 percent for Microsoft’s Xbox One, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from Sept 23 to Sept 27.

Though based on a limited sample, the results potentially point to a lopsided battle during the crucial holiday season, with Microsoft and Sony hoping to get their newest consoles into U.S. households. Apart from games, they act as conduits for living-room entertainment, from TV shows to music.

Microsoft came under fire from gamers after initially saying it would set restrictions on used games, and require an Internet connection to play. After a flurry of complaints, the company reversed its policies in June. In contrast, Sony has consistently touted support for used games and offline gameplay at industry events. And the PS4 comes $100 cheaper.

Sony said at video game industry trade show in Germany that it had received more than 1 million pre-orders for its upcoming console, while Microsoft has revealed only that preorders for the Xbox One exceeded those of its predecessor, the 360, eight years ago.

Microsoft “couldn’t make up their mind and Sony hadn’t wavered from the beginning,” said 26-year-old gamer Christopher Turner from Salem, Alabama, who intends to spend his cash on the PS4. “The PlayStation 4 is for both hardcore and casual gamers.”

But 56-year-old participant Jon Leigh, who plays six to 10 hours of video games a week and lives in Harlan, Kentucky, thinks the Microsoft controversy won’t sway Xbox fans.

“People who use Microsoft products will continue to use them, he said. Leigh will go with the Xbox One because of its upgraded “Kinect” motion sensor, and because he’s more familiar with the Xbox than the PlayStation.

The $399 PS4 and $499 Xbox One represent the first major upgrades of mainstream gaming hardware in years, setting game developers scrambling to put out new releases that take advantage of better graphics and faster processors.

They are scheduled to hit store shelves from mid-November, about a year after Nintendo’s slow-selling Wii U. Of the 1,297 respondents, only 3 percent said they now played games on the Wii U, versus 20 percent on the Xbox 360, 20 percent on computers, and 18 percent on Sony’s PlayStation 3.

Reversing the tide

More broadly, the shrinking videogames industry hopes the advent of the two new game consoles can breathe fresh life into a sector battered by the proliferation of free games on mobile devices and PCs, as well as on social networks like Facebook Inc’s.

Indeed, 64 percent of total respondents said they would not buy any new game hardware at all this season, when posed with choices ranging from the Xbox and PS4 to Nintendo’s 2DS and Valve’s Steam Box.

The Reuters/Ipsos poll underscored strong interest in Activision Blizzard Inc’s “Call of Duty: Ghosts,” slated for November, which will try and take on Take-Two Interactive Software’s mega-hit, “Grand Theft Auto V.”

GTA V, the latest in the critically acclaimed series that helped ignite a nationwide debate about violence in the media, became the fastest game to hit the $1 billion sales-mark, just three days after sales began on Sept 17.

About a quarter of 715 participants who owned gaming devices said they were likely to buy GTA V, while 22 percent said they would pick up a copy of “Ghosts,” the latest from Activision’s money-spinning Call of Duty franchise.

Analysts say GTA V, which won rave reviews, benefited from pent-up demand as the first major game from the franchise in five years. In contrast, Activision spits out a new Call of Duty game annually. Last year’s “Call Of Duty: Black Ops II” raked in $500 million on its first day.

Ubisoft’s historical action-game “Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag” came in third place in the poll with 19 percent expressing interest. Electronic Arts’ “Madden NFL 25″ and shooter “Battlefield 4″ were the participants’ fourth and fifth choices, respectively.

source: interaksyon.com

Sony goes higher than High Definition

TOKYO, Japan — Before I started making movies, I was a fan of movies. When I was younger, I’d go to the cinemas, and as the films played, the pictures would take me away from my seat and transport me to a world of, say, Middle Earth or Hogwarts. I’d be engrossed because the pictures would be so clear and so vivid, it’d be like nothing else existed.

This is called “movie magic” — when a screen can teleport a viewer into another realm. For decades, we’ve tried to replicate this magic in our homes, from the Betamax to the Laser Disc to the DVD to Blu-ray. But the result has always been wanting. TV screens have gotten bigger, yes, but image quality has lagged behind. Those of us with LED TVs know this: You may have a 48-inch screen, but switch to channels two and seven and notice how fuzzy the pictures look.   





This is because image quality is tied to the number of pixels your screen contains. If you turn on your TV and lean in, you’ll see little dots across the screen — those dots are called pixels. The fact that you can see these dots means that the image isn’t true-to-life (put your eyes close to your table, for example, and you won’t see dots).

Now, imagine if the pixels were so small, that you couldn’t see them? The result would be images so clear and so vivid, that just like in a movie house, if you were watching footage of a landscape, you’d feel like you were actually there.

Enter the new generation of Sony Bravia 4K LED TVs. While the high definition (2K) TVs we have in our homes today have a resolution of 1,920 pixels in length by 1,080 pixels in height, or a total of only two million pixels, 4K refers to a screen resolution of 3,840 pixels in length by 2,160 pixels in height — a whopping eight million pixels of pure visual bliss.

The TVs were recently launched in Tokyo, at a press event I was invited to attend. I got to see the products up close and my verdict is that the new Bravias deliver an immersive home entertainment experience you have to see to believe.



Of course, a TV screen with eight million pixels needs content that contains eight million pixels. Movies on High Definition Blu-Ray discs contain only two million pixels, while the images broadcast by local networks like channels two and seven are at only 345,000 pixels (that’s why they look so fuzzy!).

Thankfully, Sony has this covered. With the X-reality PRO processing engine, the new Bravias can actually upgrade content. Sony says that the chip reduces visual noise and corrects image shapes, but also up-scales 2K content to a near 4K native resolution. In order to do this, the TVs employ a state-of-the-art “Reality Creation” database as well as “Super Resolution” processing — a system that optimizes images, and produces stunning picture quality with richer colors and sharpness.

Moreover, Sony promises a wealth of 4K content, since the company not only makes TVs, but also professional filmmaking equipment such as cameras, recorders, and monitors — and since the company also owns a major Hollywood studio in Sony Pictures. Recent box office attractions such as Oblivion and After Earth were shot in 4K, while classics such as Lawrence of Arabia are being remastered in 4K. (I saw a preview during my Tokyo trip, and the results are impressive.)


Other winning features

For me, the colors on the Sony Bravia 4K LED TVs are another winning feature. The TVs have Triluminos Display LED backlighting; they also integrate QD Vision’s Colour IQTM optical component — a one-two punch that, explains Sony, presents rich colors with subtle tones while also replicating hard-to-reproduce reds and greens in order to deliver a significantly wide color gamut and provide a heightened sense of depth.

To complete the experience, the new 4K Bravias also offer a better sound experience. Sony’s proprietary Magnetic Fluid Speakers deliver sound pressure levels that are higher than what conventional TVs can produce. The TVs, out of the box, deliver such loud and rich audio that there is no need to buy an external sound system for these babies.

Now, these aren’t the first 4K models Sony has launched. Sony dipped their feet into the medium last year with an 84-inch model that cost P1.2 million. (The company says they’ve sold four units in the Philippines).

So, what do the new Bravias have over their predecessor? Aside from improved image quality, and aside from the X-reality PRO processing engine, which upgrades content, the come-on for me is the price. The 55-inch Bravia 4K TV retails for P299,000, while the 65-inch model sells for P399,000. It seems that Sony is on a mission to bring the magic of the big screen to a broader reach of consumers.

source: philstar.com

Sony goes back to basics with ‘Triluminos’ tech in new TVs

BORACAY, Aklan — Competitors may harp about the Internet functions and 3D features of their TVs, but Japanese electronics brand Sony would rather go back to basics and improve the picture quality of their TV sets, starting with how close they mimic color in real life.

This was the message sent by Sony Philippines President and General Manager Yasushi Asaoka during the launch of their new Bravia TVs here, headlined by models that include a new color-production technology called “Triluminos,” which the company claims provides a wider spectrum of colors for TVs.

“Sony has constantly set the benchmark on delivering the best television experience; this time, we are bringing picture to life with a breathtaking palette of rich, natural colors never before seen on a television,” Asaoka said as he unveiled Sony’s new lineup of Bravia TVs.

The Triluminos technology, developed internally by Sony engineers, extends the available color palette viewable on TV screens so that it comes just a little bit closer to the color spectrum that can be seen by the human eye.

Executives said that through this development, images viewed on the Triluminos-powered screens give off bolder shades of red, darker hues of blue, and more natural colors of green. Models that carry this technology include the 4K-powered X9004A, as well as the W945A and the W904A. All will be available in the Philippines come June.

“We decided on investing on picture quality because we think that’s how we can stand out,” Asaoka said during an interview with reporters. “We didn’t want to just go with fringe features such as Internet functions and 3D technology.”

The Sony Philippines head honcho, himself an expert on Sony’s Bravia line of televisions, was referring to competitors such as South Korean firms Samsung and LG, which have both been overplaying the Internet connectivity and 3D functions of their TV products. More than being key differentiators, Asaoka said these specifications are mere “features” that do not add value to the product.

“In fact, all of our new TVs also have these features,” he stressed, pointing out that more than just these features, Sony’s Bravia line truly excels in picture quality.

Changing demographic

Larry Secreto, director of sales and marketing at Sony Philippines, added that this trend is merely aided by the change in consumer demographic, as households with younger members increasingly prefer to purchase TV sets that come with these new features.

But Asaoka stressed that they do not want to play in that game, even if it means that their products are priced a little bit higher than their competitors.

“We noticed that the Philippine economy is growing, so people have more spending power and are choosing TV sets with larger screens, even if they are more expensive,” he explained. Historically, according to Asaoka, the TV market is dominated by 32-inch screens and below, but consumer demand in recent years had indicated a move toward larger screens, such as those measuring 46 inches and above.

In this space, Sony has a formidable player in the form of the KD-84X9000, an 84-inch ultra-HD TV set that is built on top of 4K technology, or the video standard that contains four times the pixel count of traditional 1080p Full HD videos.

But to up the ante, the company announced here the upcoming availability of the Bravia X9004A, a 4K TV set that will be available in 55-inch and 65-inch models and will be priced significantly lower than the 84-inch model’s P1.2 million price tag.

“This is our way of bringing 4K technology to more mainstream users,” executives said.

On top of superior picture quality, Secreto said they had also tried to bring existing sound technology to their new 4K TV sets, particularly in the use of “magnetic fluid” speaker technology that reduces vibrations and therefore eliminating unwanted sound coming from the TV’s sound system.

“In CRT TVs, the entire TV box is part of how a TV produces sound,” Secreto explained. “But after changing from CRT TVs to LED TVs, the form factor has become very slim, and customers started complaining about the sound.”

With the magnetic fluid technology, Sony uses proprietary digital signal processing that can fit into slim LCD screens and produce similar — if not better — sounds as CRT TVs.

Sony hopes that these new models will propel the company and its TV line back to its luster about two decades ago, as it guns for double-digit growth in their TV business this year in the hopes of leaving its third spot in the local market in terms of market share.

source: interaksyon.com

Sony bills PS4 console as gaming’s future

NEW YORK — Sony unveiled a new generation PlayStation 4 system Wednesday and laid out its vision for the “future of gaming” in a world rich with mobile gadgets and play streamed from the Internet cloud.

At a press event in New York, computer entertainment unit chief Andrew House said PS4 “represents a significant shift from thinking of PlayStation as a box or console to thinking of the PlayStation 4 as a leading place for play.”

Absent from the Sony event was mention of what plans the company had regarding films, music, television shows and other digital content offered on the PS4.

In a move that was not lost on observers, there was no glimpse of a PlayStation 4 at the launch event.

“It was odd that Sony did not show a physical device,” said Gartner consumer technologies research director Brian Blau.

“These days, people love beautiful devices, especially because of Apple.”

Sony spoke ambiguously about the device, leaving much to the imagination during a two-hour presentation aimed primarily at gamemakers and players.

“They don’t want to give it all away, which is the nature of the industry,” Blau said. “Sony was really trying to get developers excited about what is going on.”

PS4 was designed to get to know players, ideally to the point of being able to predict which games people will buy and have them preloaded and ready to play.

It also allows to gameplay to be broadcast in real time, letting friends virtually peer over one another’s shoulders and gamemakers act as “directors” guiding players along.

Sony has also given a green light to building “the most powerful network for gaming in the world,” according to David Perry, chief of the Gaikai cloud gaming company that Sony purchased last year.

Gaikai specializes in letting people play videogames streamed from the Internet “cloud” instead of buying titles on disks popped into consoles or computers.

“By combining PlayStation 4, PlayStation Network and social platforms, our vision is to create the first social network with meaning dedicated to games,” Perry said during the event.

He spoke of letting people access and play videogames on the Internet using PS4, smartphones, tablets or PS Vita handheld devices.

“We are exploring opportunity enabled by cloud technology with a long-term vision of making PlayStation technology available on any device,” Perry said.

“This would fundamentally change the concept of game longevity, making any game new or old available to get up and running on any device, anywhere.”

Sony needs to adapt to changing lifestyles while not alienating videogame lovers devoted to its hardware.

Low-cost or free games on smartphones or tablet computers are increasing the pressure on videogame companies to deliver experiences worth players’ time and money.

A PlaySation App will let iPhones, iPads or Android-powered smartphones or tablets be used as “second screens” augmenting play taking place on televisions connected to PS4 consoles, according to Sony.

Sony said the PS4 would hit the market in time for the year-end holiday season but did not provide details.

New-generation consoles are typically priced in the $400 to $500 range, and blockbuster game titles hit the market at $60 each.

Using Gaikai streaming technology to let people play PlayStation 3 titles on PS4 hardware was likely aimed at calming worries that fans switching to the new system would be forced to give up beloved older games, according to Blau.

He was unimpressed by word the PS4 would integrate with Facebook, saying that “pretty much everyone else” already has hopped on the trend of syncing with the leading social network.

“I’m a little worried about their integration of social,” Blau said. “You would think that a company like Sony would have lots of experience in exposing users to social mechanisms, and I didn’t see that today.”

He referred to the PS4 as evolutionary rather than revolutionary.

“Sony believes the future will be like the past and has built the game console to prove it,” Forrester analyst James McQuivey said in a blog post.

“While the technology that goes into the console is definitely of the future, the idea behind the PS4 is rooted firmly in the past,” McQuivey continued. “Specifically, the PS4 yearns for a glory day of gaming.”

Sony shares fell in the wake of the presentation, ending down 1.77 percent at 1,331 yen on Tokyo’s Nikkei index.

Ratings agency Fitch meanwhile warned the new gadget was unlikely to turn the firm’s fortunes around.

It was “unlikely to be Sony’s savior,” Fitch Ratings said, noting the company lost money on the PS3 for the first several years after its launch until production costs fell.

“The competitive nature of the market may also constrain profitability,” the agency said in a note Thursday.

“The key to the product’s success will be price, timing, content and how it compares with the yet-to-be-announced next generation Xbox. None of these details are currently available.”

source: interaksyon.com

Rumors of Playstation 4 fly as Sony announces phaseout of PS2

TOKYO — Japanese electronics giant Sony said it has stopped producing its PlayStation 2 consoles in Japan, fuelling online rumors a PlayStation 4 is in the pipeline.

Since launching in 2000 the PlayStation 2 (PS2), which has a DVD player, has sold more than 150 million units worldwide, making it the best selling console of all time and was so popular it outsold the its replacement for the first three years.

Shipments have been “completed” for the hardware of PS2, the Japanese website of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. said with no further comment. The firm did not say what its plans were for production in other parts of the world.

Software for the console is expected to continue being produced.

The announcement sent gamers posting messages online, with some surprised the PS2 was still being made.

The news has sparked rumours that embattled Sony, which has been hit by falling sales owing to the popularity of games on smartphones, is planning a PlayStation 4, more than six years since launching the PS3.

source: interaksyon.com

Sony at greater risk than Panasonic in electronics downturn

TOKYO — Panasonic Corp has a better chance than rival Sony Corp of surviving Japan’s consumer electronics slump because of its unglamorous but stable appliance business of washing machines and fridges, credit rating agency Fitch said Friday.

Fitch cut Panasonic’s rating by two notches to BB and Sony three notches to BB minus on Thursday, the first time one of the three major ratings agencies have put the creditworthiness of either company into junk-bond territory.

Rival agencies Moody’s and S&P rate both of Japan’s consumer electronic giants at the same level, just above junk status. Moody’s last cut its rating on Panasonic on Tuesday.

Panasonic “has the advantage of a relatively stable consumer appliance business that is still generating positive margins”, Matt Jamieson, Fitch’s head of Asia-Pacific, said in a conference call on Friday to explain its ratings downgrades.

But at Sony, he added, “most of their electronic business are loss making, they appear to be overstretched.”

Japan’s TV industry has been bested by cheaper, more innovative models from Samsung Electronics and other foreign rivals, while tablets and smartphones built by Apple Inc have become the dominant consumer electronics devices.

Investors are focusing on the fate of Sony and Panasonic after another struggling Japanese consumer electronics firm, Sharp Corp, maker of the Aquos TV, secured a $4.6 billion bail-out by banks including Mizuho Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.

Sony and Panasonic have chosen divergent survival paths.

Panasonic, maker of the Viera TV, is looking to expand its businesses in appliances, solar panels, lithium batteries and automotive components. Appliances amount to around only 6 percent of the company’s sales, but they generate margins of more than 6 percent and make up a big chunk of operating profit.

Sony, creator of the Walkman, is doubling down on consumer gadgets in a bid to regain ground from Samsung and Apple in mobile devices while bolstering digital cameras and gaming.

The latest downgrades will curtail the ability of both Japanese companies to raise money in credit markets to help fund restructurings of their business portfolios.

For now, however, that impact is limited, given the support Panasonic and Sony are receiving from their banks.

In October, Panasonic, which expects to lose $10 billion in the year to March 31, secured $7.6 billion of loan commitments from banks including Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ, a financing backstop it says will help it avoid having to seek capital in credit markets.

Sony, which has forecast a full-year profit of $1.63 billion helped by the sale of a chemicals business to a Japanese state bank, announced plans to raise $1.9 billion through a convertible bond before the latest rating downgrade.

Thomson Reuters’ Starmine structural model, which evaluates market views of credit risk, debt levels and changes in asset values gives Panasonic and Sony an implied rating of BB minus. Sharp’s implied rating is three notches lower at B minus.

Standard & Poor’s rates Panasonic and Sony at BBB, the second lowest of the investment grade, while Moody’s Investors Service has them on Baa3, the lowest of its high-grade category. Moody’s has a negative outlook for both firms while S&P sees a stable outlook for Panasonic and a negative one for Sony.

source: interaksyon.com

Moody's cuts Sony's credit rating

TOKYO —Moody’s on Friday downgraded Japanese electronics titan Sony, citing the company’s “weak profitability and cash flow”.

The agency lowered its assessment on debt issued by Sony from Baa1 to Baa2, citing “its challenges in achieving profitability in the TV and mobile phone segments, and the erosion in its global competitive position across different product lines”.

The rating agency also said: “Weak consumer sentiment, fierce global competition, and the impact of the strong yen on cost competitiveness will further hamper its efforts to improve its metrics.”

Sony, the once-world-beating maker of the Walkman, lost a whopping 456.66 billion yen ($5.83 billion) in the year to March, its fourth consecutive annual loss.

It also reported a widening loss in the first quarter and cut a profit forecast for the year.

Last month ratings agency Standard & Poor’s downgraded its long-term corporate credit ratings on the firm to BBB, just two notches above junk status.

“Moody’s expects Sony to narrow its losses through cost cuts in these businesses (of televisions and mobile phones), but will continue to experience losses at the operating level,” it said.

“In addition, despite the long-term strategic importance of the medical devices business, the recent capital and business alliance with Olympus Corp will further pressure Sony’s cash flow,” Moody’s said.

Sony said last month that it will take a 50 billion yen ($638 million) private placement of scandal-tainted Olympus shares by the fiscal year-end, which will make it the single biggest shareholder in the camera and endoscope maker.

Moody’s said it would be difficult for Sony “to reduce debt without additional sales of non-core assets”.

source: japantoday.com

Sony posts record $5.7 billion full-year loss

TOKYO—Japanese electronics giant Sony on Thursday posted a record full-year loss of $5.7 billion, but vowed it would swing back into the black this year as it embarks on a huge restructuring plan.

The ¥456.66 billion loss for the year to March, its fourth consecutive year in the red, came after Sony said last month it would cut about 10,000 jobs and spend nearly $1 billion on an overhaul its new chief described as "urgent."

Sales for the year fell 9.6 percent to ¥6.49 trillion, while the firm booked an operating loss of ¥67.28 billion.

Sony, which is struggling to stem losses at its television division, on Thursday said a strong yen and natural disasters were among the main reasons for its disastrous earnings figures.

"Sales decreased... primarily due to unfavorable foreign exchange rates, the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake... the floods in Thailand, and deterioration in market conditions in developed countries," it said in a statement.

The firm has also blamed tough competition and falling prices, particularly in the television segment, for its struggles.

But it said it was on course to post a net profit of ¥30 billion in the current fiscal year, with operating profit of ¥180 billion on sales of ¥7.4 trillion.

At a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday, Sony's chief financial officer Masaru Kato said, "We consider fiscal year 2012 to be the very important year to rehabilitate the electronics division."

Sony's reforms, in addition to the jobs cuts, also include expanding its PlayStation and online games business, and pushing further into emerging markets and new sectors, such as medical equipment and life sciences.

"Now is the time for Sony to change," Kazuo Hirai, who replaced Welsh-born US chief executive Howard Stringer earlier this year, said from the company's Tokyo headquarters while announcing the turnaround plan in April.

"What is urgent is that we strengthen our core businesses while rebuilding our TV business."

Investors, however, have been unimpressed, sending Sony shares down 1.22 percent on Thursday to ¥1,213 before the earnings release was issued after markets closed.

Sony shares stood at ¥1,528 before Hirai made his announcement last month.

Analysts have criticized the plan as not enough to win back Sony's reputation as an innovator or vault ahead of its foreign rivals, and questioned Hirai's plan to boost revenue to ¥8.5 trillion by 2015.

Sony, along with Japan's other electronics giants including Panasonic and Sharp, has been fighting a losing battle for years against fierce competition offered up by competitors including South Korea's Samsung and US-based Apple.

Falling prices, particularly in the television segment, have eaten away at their bottom line as a strong yen made their products more expensive overseas, while a stuttering global economy also knocked sales.

Sony still generates profits in some areas, such as electronics parts, but critics have accused the company of various strategic blunders over the years including being late to enter the liquid crystal display panel market.

The firm was forced in December 2008 to slash 16,000 jobs worldwide as it came under pressure amid tumbling demand during the global financial crisis.

In March, Sony announced the sale of its chemical division to the Development Bank of Japan, saying the unit did not fit with its revamp. — Agence France-Presse

source: gmanetwork.com

Sony bares first flagship accessory store in PH

MANILA, Philippines — Japanese electronic brand Sony on Wednesday opened the doors to its first dedicated accessory store in the Philippines as it poses for further growth in the local market amid a disappointing year of losses for the entire company.

The Sony accessory flagship store, located at the former Sony VAIO store at the Cyberzone area in SM Megamall, will be carrying exclusive accessories for Sony’s VAIO, Handycam, Cybershot and Walkman product lines.

A Sony Philippines executive said the accessory store would eventually carry accessories for the company’s mobile division, which recently folded back to the mother company following the acquisition of Ericsson’s shares in the former joint venture.

The latest Sony mobile phones will be formally launched in the Philippines by mid-April.

During earlier launch of new Sony gadgets and devices meant for the summer season, executives noted how the common complaint of customers about Sony products is that their accessories are hard to find and that the service centers are not easily accessible to customers.

Takao Kuroda, Sony Philippines president and managing director, said the accessory store was opened precisely to address those concerns, as it also acts as a collection point for service centers as well as a venue where interested customers could learn more about the company’s products.

“It really is a one-stop shop for Sony enthusiasts,” Kuroda said. “Whether shopping for new accessories and gadgets or bringing them in to be fixed, you can do it all in this branch.”

The store will offer Sony Premium Services which have yet to be offerred in other outlets of the company, executives said, which include programs such as get-me-started services, consumer workshops, as well as one-on-one consultations with in-store specialists.

Examples of consumer workshops includes the currently on-going classes about Sony’s Alpha series of digital cameras, the first in a series of product seminars the vendor is planning to roll out to familiarize customers with the products’ features.

Sony Philippines Director for Channel & Accounts Management Yung Yap said that aside from the accessory store, they are planning on opening two stores in Metro Manila dedicated to the Alpha series in the near future.

“Opening the flagship store is really just the start for us. We plan to bring Sony even closer to its customers and provide them with the best service possible,” he stressed.

source: interaksyon.com