With PlayStation 5 launch, Sony needs a high score

TOKYO - Sony launches its PlayStation 5 console next week angling for a mega-hit, and with the Japanese firm increasingly dependent on the lucrative gaming sector there is little room for error.

The PlayStation 5 will enter a head-to-head battle with rival Microsoft's new Xbox, released two days earlier, with both hoping to capture the market in the run-up to Christmas.

But the showdown has significantly higher stakes for Sony.

Since the PS1 launched in 1994, gaming has become the biggest segment of Sony's business, generating the lion's share of profit and about a third of sales -- more than electronics products or music.

By comparison, gaming made up less than 10 percent of Microsoft's sales for the year ending in June 2020.

Sony sold twice as many PS4s as Microsoft did Xbox Ones, and analysts say it has learned lessons from the disappointing roll-out of the PS3.

"We have seen in previous generations that at launch there are two major factors that will impact a generation's success -- the first to launch and the cheapest," said Morris Garrard, an analyst at Futuresource Consulting.

He cited the "relative failure" of the PS3, which went on sale a year after the Xbox 360 and at a higher price.

The PS5 is priced at $500, like the Xbox Series X, while a version without a disk reader costs $400.

That's more than the $300 price tag for Microsoft's less powerful Xbox Series S, which also has no disk reader.

Sony's margin on the consoles will be slim -- possibly even loss-making -- analysts say, and the firm is counting on sales of games, services and online subscriptions to turn a profit.

GAMES 'MAKE OR BREAK' FOR PS5

So far, demand looks strong, and Sony has reportedly boosted production targets.

But meeting those will depend on suppliers, particularly TSMC, the Taiwanese firm that manufactures the PS5's processor and graphics-processing unit.

It is already under pressure as a key producer of chips for 5G-compatible smartphones.

"Whatever Sony produces, it will sell," said Yasuo Imanaka, an analyst at Rakuten Securities, who thinks PS5 could exceed the record 157 million PS2 units sold since the 2000 launch.

But "everything depends on what TSMC can supply", he told AFP.

To stand out against the Xbox, Sony will be counting on its games line-up, including exclusive titles that Sony Interactive Entertainment president Jim Ryan says will "make or break" PS5.

Among its trump cards is "Spider-Man: Miles Morales", which will be released with the new console. Its predecessor is among the best selling PS4 titles.

The game was developed by the American studio Insomniac Games, which Sony bought last year for $229 million.

The purchase brought the number of studios Sony owns to 14, and represents a popular strategy of bringing increasingly expensive game development in-house.

Microsoft has made its own forays, buying ZeniMax in September for a record $7.5 billion.

'SHORT-TERM FOCUSED'

Despite the costs, Amir Anvarzadeh, a strategist at Asymmetric Advisors, said the trend makes sense given the risk of diminishing returns for console manufacturers on games produced by third-party developers.

Platform manufacturers charge games publishers a cut for each game sold for use on their device -- and nearly 70 percent of games sold for the PlayStation come from third-party developers.

But Sony and others are under pressure from publishers to slash that fee.

"If the royalty fees go down, they're in a lot of trouble because then they would have to sell twice as much hardware" to avoid a hit to their bottom line, Anvarzadeh said.

There are also fewer incentives now for studios to develop exclusive games, especially given the growing popularity of "cross-play", where gamers play one game together on different devices.

On top of bringing game development in-house, Microsoft has a subscription service that is broader than Sony's and gives users access to hundreds of Xbox and PC games.

Garrard said Sony continues to have several strong cards up its sleeve when it comes to PS5, and its "content portfolio, strength of consumer social networks and development of immersive tech... will all aid in encouraging consumer uptake of the hardware".

But he warned its focus on consoles risks being too fixated on short-term goals.

As well as its subscription model, Microsoft is investing heavily in streaming, also known as cloud gaming -- a strategy Garrard said "appears to be aimed at long-term dominance".

Agence France-Presse

PlayStation 5: What we know so far

Sony has unveiled the technical specifications of its PlayStation 5, with the next-generation console to include 3D audio and backwards compatibility of at least 100 PS4 titles.

PS5 lead system architect Mark Cerny gave a presentation which was streamed live on YouTube on Thursday (Manila time). It was originally intended for the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, which was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"We had a dream of what might be possible five years from now," said Cerny about 3D audio, which will make virtual raindrops sound like they are hitting different surfaces around the player.

"This is a journey we'll all be taking together over the next few years. Ultimately, we're committed to enabling everyone to experience that next level of realism," he added.

Watch it 


Hideaki Nishino, PlayStation's senior vice president for platform planning and management, said in a blog post that PS5's new features "will allow developers to maximize their creativity, build expansive worlds and new play experiences in the games they design."

As for backwards compatibility, he wrote: "We recently took a look at the Top 100 PS4 titles as ranked by play time, and we're expecting almost all of them to be playable at launch on PS5. With more than 4,000 games published on PS4, we will continue the testing process and expand backwards compatibility coverage over time."

Despite the deep dive, Sony has yet to unveil images of the new console. 

For now, here are the official specs of the PS5:

CPU
- x86-64-AMD Ryzen™ “Zen 2”
- 8 Cores / 16 Threads
- Variable frequency, up to 3.5 GHz

GPU
- AMD Radeon™ RDNA 2-based graphics engine
- Ray Tracing Acceleration
- Variable frequency, up to 2.23 GHz (10.3 TFLOPS)

SYSTEM MEMORY
- GDDR6 16GB
- 448GB/s Bandwidth

SSD
- 825GB
- 5.5GB/s Read Bandwidth (Raw)

PS5 GAME DISC
- Ultra HD Blu-ray™, up to 100GB/disc

VIDEO OUT
- Support of 4K 120Hz TVs, 8K TVs, VRR (specified by HDMI ver.2.1)

AUDIO
- “Tempest” 3D AudioTech

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Sony's PlayStation recognized as world's best-selling game console

TOKYO - Sony Corp.'s PlayStation has been recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's best-selling home video game console, having sold 450.19 million units over 25 years, its game business unit said Tuesday.

The first PlayStation device was launched in December 1994, when Nintendo Co.'s Super Nintendo console was dominant in the home video game market, and quickly gained popularity due to its 3-D graphics and lineup of software titles.

Its producer Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC introduced the PlayStation 2 in March 2000 and sold more than 150 million units of the second-generation console worldwide, followed by the PlayStation 3 released in November 2006 which adopted the Blu-ray disc format.

With the latest PlayStation 4 console, the Japanese entertainment conglomerate established a subscription business model for video games, providing online games at a fixed charge for 36.9 million registered users.

The company plans to introduce the next-generation PlayStation 5 console in the year-end shopping season of 2020.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Sony's PlayStation 5 launch set for late 2020

SAN FRANCISCO - Sony said Tuesday its next-generation PlayStation 5 console, with new immersive features giving players the tactile experience of virtual worlds, would launch for the 2020 holiday season.

The Japanese electronics firm, which had teased its new console earlier this year, said a major new feature of the updated console would be its immersive controller.

"One of our goals with the next generation is to deepen the feeling of immersion when you play games, and we had the opportunity with our new controller to reimagine how the sense of touch can add to that immersion," said Jim Ryan, president and chief executive of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

The new controller will offer "haptic feedback" that brings players closer to the action of games.

"With haptics, you truly feel a broader range of feedback, so crashing into a wall in a race car feels much different than making a tackle on the football field," Ryan said.

"You can even get a sense for a variety of textures when running through fields of grass or plodding through mud."

Another feature will be "adaptive triggers" incorporated into controls "so that you feel the tactile sensation of drawing a bow and arrow or accelerating an off-road vehicle through rocky terrain," he added.

Sony, which leads the console segment, announced the move as more gamers move away from these boxes to streaming games powered by the internet cloud on a variety of devices.

Google, Apple and others have launched game subscriptions which compete with Sony's PlayStation Now cloud video game service.

According to NPD Group, a market research firm, 73 percent of Americans ages two and older play video games, an increase of six percentage points since June 2018.

Mobile remains the most popular gaming platform, with mobile gaming appealing to gamers across all consumer segments, the NPD survey showed. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

PlayStation touts virtual reality and big name games

LOS ANGELES - Sony late Monday proclaimed a "new era" of PlayStation gaming complete with big-name games and the dawn of virtual reality on its powerful PlayStation 4 consoles.

The Japanese entertainment titan boasted an array of beloved games for exclusive play on PlayStation 4, along with behind-closed-doors demonstrations of video games tailored to immerse players in fantasy worlds using Sony's Project Morpheus virtual reality head gear.

"I believe we are witnessing an historic evolution in gaming," Sony Computer Entertainment America chief Shawn Layden said as he kicked off a glitzy media event on the eve of the official start of the Electronic Entertainment Expo extravaganza.

As Microsoft did in a grand event earlier, Sony spotlighted exclusive content and early access to some keenly awaited new games in an effort to be the preferred console for die-hard players.

PlayStation is the new home for the blockbuster "Call of Duty" franchise due to an alliance with video game publisher Activision, according to Sony Computer Entertainment president Andrew House.

"This is the start of a new era for PlayStation and this famed franchise," House said.

 Sony Studios is also expanding the massive science fiction shooter world of its successful new "Destiny" video game centered on seemingly limitless online play.

Some 20 million people have played "Destiny" in its first year, and a "Taken King" sequel is on its way, according to Adam Boyes of PlayStation.

Other blockbuster titles promised PlayStation 4 lovers included "Uncharted 4: A Thief's End" due out early next year along with a resurrected Last Guardian, Hitman, Star Wars, and a Final Fantasy Seven remake.

Also teased was a new video "Horizon Zero Day" video game set in a future where cities have died, nature has reclaimed the world, and tribes of people fight robotic foes.

House boasted that developers were embracing crafting games that give players 360-degree perspectives in worlds visited using Morpheus virtual reality head gear Sony is readying for market.

He showed off a "Rigs" arena battle game and touted others that visitors to the PlayStation booth at E3 will get to play.

"Project Morpheus is real, evolving, and continues to capture the imagination of developers," House said.

"We are committed to bringing the biggest titles and the best experiences to PlayStation."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sony works to restore PlayStation after attack

BOSTON -- Sony Corp worked for a third day on Saturday to restore services to its PlayStation network as the FBI said it was looking into the disruption, which began on Christmas Day.

"We are aware of the reports and are investigating the Sony PlayStation matter," Federal Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jenny Shearer said via email. She did not elaborate.

Meanwhile, Sony said on Saturday that the attack had prevented some people who received consoles for Christmas from using their new machines on the PlayStation network, which lets gamers compete with people around the world via the Internet.

"If you received a PlayStation console over the holidays and have been unable to log onto the network, know that this problem is temporary and is not caused by your game console," Sony executive Catherine Jensen said on the company's U.S. PlayStation blog.

Some customers posted complaints about the outage on the blog. "Three days without PSN. That's absurd," said one of them.

"We understand your frustration," Jensen responded early Saturday afternoon. "Our engineers are working to restore service as quickly as possible!"

Later in the day she said the company had restored access for some users and would keep bringing more back online. Sony declined to say how many of PSN's 56 millions users had been affected by the attack.

The blog said the problems were the result of "high levels of traffic designed to disrupt connectivity and online game play," which is widely known as a distributed denial-of-service attack.

It was Sony's second recent high-profile encounter with hackers after an unprecedented attack on its Hollywood studio, which the U.S. government attributed to North Korea and linked to the release of the low-brow comedy "The Interview."

A hacker activist group known as Lizard Squad said it was responsible for the PSN outage as well as delays on Microsoft's Corp's Xbox network; Microsoft quickly fixed the problem.

The group has claimed responsibility for previous attacks, including ones on PSN in early December and August.

The August attack coincided with a bomb scare in which Lizard Squad tweeted to American Airlines that it heard explosives were on board a Dallas-to-San Diego flight carrying an executive with Sony Online Entertainment.

Sony has been the victim of some of the most notorious cyberattacks in history. Besides the breach at its Hollywood studio, hackers stole data belonging to 77 million PlayStation Network users in 2011.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

How PlayStation changed gaming forever

Twenty years ago, a small grey box of electronic tricks made its debut in Japan, heralding the birth of the global gaming phenomenon that changed the entertainment landscape, launching titles that now outstrip sales from Hollywood's biggest franchises.

The original PlayStation, which hit stores in early December 1994, brought revolutionary graphics, engrossing gameplay and the kind of complex virtual worlds that had only previously been available in an arcade.

"When we arrived, the video game was seen as a niche hobby. One of our achievements is to have succeeded in making a legitimate cultural object, like music or cinema," Jim Ryan, chief executive of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, told AFP.

The launch was Sony's first foray into computer games and pitted the company against the established giant of the sector, Nintendo, whose character-driven two-dimensional offerings like Super Mario had wowed children.

But unlike the 16-bit cartridges that powered the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), Sony's PlayStation opted for cheap-to-produce CD-ROMs, a technology that allowed vast tracts of data to be stored.

The discs' convenience and powerful graphics in the original 32-bit machines lured game developers and players into a world where, suddenly, 3-D was in reach.

And it wasn't just the insides of the machines that Sony had re-imagined; they shunned the plain rectangle controllers of the SNES in favor of an ergonomic device that sat neatly in a player's hands.

Titles such as Tomb Raider, Gran Turismo and Final Fantasy spurred console sales and launched what became multi-billion dollar franchises with legions of loyal fans.

Global blockbusters like Grand Theft Auto joined the PlayStation world, as well as other platforms. The latest installment took $1 billion in its first three days of sales, putting even huge cinematic hits in the shade.

Sleek design

In March 2000, PlayStation 2 burst onto the market, leveraging the mega-capacity of DVDs before the format was standard storage.

The trademark controller remained, but with additional features like vibrations and a sleek new design featuring a black tower with clean lines that had the grace of a designer's touch.

The company shifted around 150 million units worldwide, and the PS2 remains the best-selling console of all time.

Although addicts got a handheld PSP in 2004, it would be another six years until the main console got an update with the PS3, a Blu-ray equipped and Internet-ready device that allowed gamers in different continents to play against each other.

Where gaming had once been largely a solitary activity or done among friends close to home, there was now a global community of like-minded players.

Unlike the ever-contracting windows of release for mobile phones and tablets, gaming consoles have retained their strung-out lives, with engineers packing as much hardware and spare capacity into them as they can.

"In every generation, Sony has tried to bring an innovation in its machines to make the difference," said Laurent Michaud, head of consumer electronics and digital entertainment practice at Digiworld Institute/IDATE.

Acolytes had to wait until 2013 for the PS4, an ultra-powerful machine with 4,000 times the memory of the original and processing capacity orders of an ever larger magnitude.

The 13.5 million units Sony has sold in the last year allow users to play games straight from the Cloud in a universe that now includes compatible smartphones, televisions and tablets.

Sony is now introducing a cable-style television service in the United States delivered through PlayStation3 and 4 consoles, called "PlayStation Vue."

The PS4 symbolizes Sony's strategic move for future growth, as the product positions itself for a Cloud-based future where consoles might even disappear, said Yu Okazaki, analyst at Nomura Securities.

"PlayStation4 is selling well. The product shows Sony is looking at five, 10 years down the road. The number of consoles sold and their network capacity make it extremely promising," Okazaki said.

To mark the 20th anniversary, Sony Computer Entertainment is releasing a special, limited edition PS4 in the original grey, which will be offered to 12,300 fans worldwide.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

How you can own the limited edition PS4

MANILA - Sony, in celebration of the PlayStation's 20th anniversary, has recently launched a commemorative edition of the PS4 that resembles the colors of the original console.

According to the Japan-based company, only 12,300 units will be sold worldwide -- a number symbolic to the original PlayStation's launch date.

It will sell for P26,999 in the Philippines, which will come packaged in a special commemorative box.

On Thursday, Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong Ltd. in Singapore made an announcement that the company will be holding a special contest for Southeast Asian fans of the gaming console.

Winners of the online contest will receive a special purchase pass to buy the limited edition PS4. It will be held from December 4 to 21, 2014.

To join, participants will need to share any photo of video on Instagram, celebrating the PlayStation's 20th anniversary milestone.

The theme can be any of the following: Your special PlayStation collection; Your Best moment with PlayStation; PlayStation related cosplay; Anything you can think of.

All winners will be determined by the number of likes on Instagram (50 percent) and selected by the company's judging panel according to creative, inspiring and styling factors (50 percent).

Participants will also get a chance to win a PlayStation Plus 3-Year Membership and PlayStation 20th Anniversary Limited Premiums in addition to the purchase pass.

For more details, visit here.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Little Big Planet 3 gets PH release date

MANILA - Filipino fans of Sony's critically acclaimed puzzle game Little Big Planet will have plenty to look forward to this November, as the company recently announced the release date of the series' latest installment in the country.

In a statement released over the weekend, Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong Ltd. said Little Big Planet 3 will be available on November 18 in the Philippines for both the Playstation 3 and the Playstation 4 consoles.

[PLEASE EMBED VIDEO from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymCDdrMKPrY]

Created by Media Molecule and currently being developed by Sumo Digital, Little Big Planet is a game where one can bring his own imagination to life with the powerful customization tools and share his creation with other players from around the world.

As of writing, the puzzle-platformer and its sequel currently boasts a score of 95/100 and 91/100, respectively, on review aggregator website Metacritc. The latter's score is based off 86 different reviews from several gaming websites.

What's new?

Little Big Planet 3 will see the return of series' mascot Sackboy, along with three other new characters -- Toggle, OddSock and Swoop -- and a main antagonist named Newton, voiced by "House" star Hugh Laurie.

The game will still be narrated by comedian and actor Stephen Fry.

One of the biggest change in the series is that Little Big Planet 3 will allow creators to use 16 playable layers of depth as opposed to the usual three, which basically means more space to create even more massive and engaging levels.

Little Big Planet 3 will introduce over 70 new tools, in addition to all of those available in the game's predecessors.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sony crafts strategy around PlayStation console

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: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Global sales of Sony PlayStation 4 top 6 million units

TOKYO - Global sales of the PlayStation 4 home gaming console have topped 6 million units in less than four months since its launch, Sony Corp.'s gaming unit said Tuesday.

The figure eclipses the company's original sales target of 5 million units in fiscal 2013 through March 2014 and the pace of PS4 sales has been faster than that of its predecessor PS3, which sold 3.55 million units from its launch in November 2006 through March 2007.

The PS4, which features enhanced connectivity with social networks and mobile phones, is now available in 57 countries in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin America, according to Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

The latest game console hit the Japanese market on Feb. 22 and sold 370,000 units in the country as of March 2.

"I am absolutely delighted that PS4 is off to such a great start in Japan," Sony Computer Entertainment President Andrew House said in a statement. "The responses we have received for the PS4 system's integrated social capabilities have been phenomenal, and I could not be more thrilled that gamers are utilizing these unique features to engage, share, play and connect with users around the world."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

PlayStation 4 now sold in PH

MANILA – The much awaited PlayStation 4 gaming console is now available in the Philippines through the gaming and multimedia store chain DataBlitz.

In a post on its Facebook page on Friday, DataBlitz announced that it is now selling the PlayStation 4 for P24,595.

The gaming console may also be bundled with a PlayStation camera or with the “Killzone Shadow Fall” game, with each package priced at P26,595.

“Greatness comes with the number ‘4’! The PlayStation 4 will be available today at DataBlitz!” DataBlitz said as it uploaded photos of the console on its Facebook page.

“Release of the item may vary in different branches depending on their location and schedule of delivery,” it added.

Sony Philippines recently revealed its pre-order page for the PlayStation 4 ahead of its formal launch in the country on January 14, 2014.

Here, the PlayStation 4 console is priced at P24,999, and P26,999 with the camera. Sony Philippines also offers bundles with the “Killzone Shadow Fall” game (P26,899) and “Battlefield” (P27,399).

Pre-orders may be made until January 10 at selected Sony Philippines stores.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sony says PS4 sales exceed 2.1-M units

TOKYO - Sony said Tuesday it has sold more than 2.1 million PlayStation 4 consoles after less than three weeks on the market, as it battles Microsoft and Nintendo for supremacy in the lucrative gaming sector.

The eagerly-awaited PlayStation sold more than one million units in just one day after its November 15 debut in North America and Sony said Tuesday it was on track to hit a worldwide target of 5.0 million units by March.

The latest PlayStation, which will be released in its home market Japan in February, is now being sold in 32 countries.

"PS4 delivered the best launch in PlayStation history with the North American release and we've continued this incredibly successful start in Europe, Australasia and Latin America," Andrew House, President of Sony Computer Entertainment, said in a statement.

Sony's latest sales figures come after Microsoft said its new Xbox One console also sold over one million units in 24 hours following its November 22 release.

Rival Nintendo launched its new Wii U console late last year.

Sales have lagged the company's expectations, but Nintendo said in October it was keeping its forecast for the new Wii console at 9.0 million units for the year to March 2014.

A forecast by the research firm Gartner shows game console sales of hardware and software are likely to grow to $44 billion worldwide in 2013 from $37 billion last year.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pinoys wait in line for Sony PS4 in Las Vegas

NEVADA - The world of gaming technology has an exciting view of the much anticipated launching of Sony Playstation 4 (PS4) for gamers, and among them are Pinoys in Las Vegas.

There's a long queue of people patiently waiting for hours all for one goal: to get the Playstation 4 first hand Thursday when the clock strikes midnight.

PS4 game enthusiasts camped out just outside this store.

"I've seen people line up since yesterday,” said Pinoy gamer, Mark Nuguid.

Nuguid added that pre-orders for PS4 have been sold out for months.

PS4 gamers said that they are expecting a new generation close-to-real life experience kind of game since it took the Sony company seven years before they launched a new home gaming system.

"I'm expecting something a lot better from PS3. Hopefully, it's a better upgrade. Hopefully, it's a lot faster. We are just waiting for something that's like new generation gaming. Something that's really new, probably like 3D graphics like detailed gaming close to real life," said Steven Lee.

Another PS4 gamer Roger Sanchez added, "It's a new generation of gaming so people are trying to see what's the new console, just the new consoles like the game systems if there's a drastic change to it.“

Jorge Garcia, 56, patiently waited and brought his own chair to sit outside the store. He said that it's worth the wait and the price of $399.

"Para siyang real time talaga. Para siyang katabi mo lang. I think this is the best one na talaga," he said.

"I'm expecting something big because we've been waiting here, so I just want it really nice," said Josh Garcia.

According to Sony, the 300 MB update has several features, which include: remote play, second-screen screenshots, and gameplay recording.

PS4 constantly records the last 15 minutes of gameplay, which can be shared on twitter and Facebook by just hitting the share button on the Dualshock 4 controller. Spectating and live streaming gameplay play as you download are some of the other features.

While techies and gaming trades are buzzing about the next generation consoles, the Playstation 4 will be launched in the Southeast Asian countries in December of this year.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sony's PlayStation 4 goes on sale in US

NEW YORK - The gaming unit of Sony Corp. on Friday launched its PlayStation 4 home gaming console in the United States and Canada ahead of other global markets, aiming to expand sales during the year-end shopping season amid fierce competition with rival consoles like Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox One.

The PS4, which features enhanced connectivity with social networks and mobile phones, is the successor of the PlayStation 3 console launched in 2006.

Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. will launch the PS4, priced at $399 in the United States, in Latin America and Europe later this month. It will hit the Japanese market on Feb. 22 priced at 41,979 yen.

The launch of the new gaming device is expected to further intensify competition among console manufacturers like Nintendo Co., which rolled out its Wii U console last year. Microsoft is set to release the successor to its Xbox360 console on Nov. 22.

In the April to September period, Sony incurred an operating loss of 15.6 billion yen in the gaming business. Placing the business as one of the pillars of its operations, the company is aiming to sell 5 million units of the new console this business year through March.

The PS4 is equipped with enhanced processing capability and graphics. The device allows users to upload videos of their game play to social networks in the midst of their games.

The console can also be used to download music and videos, according to Sony.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sony to charge fees for multiplayer games on PS4

Sony Corp plans to charge a monthly fee of $9.99 in the United States and 6.99 euros ($9.40) in Europe for playing multiplayer online games on its PlayStation 4 (PS4) console scheduled to debut this month, the Nikkei business daily reported without citing sources.

Multiplayer games can be played for free on PlayStation 3.

Sony plans to charge 500 yen ($5.00) a month for multiplayer games in Japan when the new console debuts in February, the Nikkei said.

Sony plans to make PS4 more attractive by including more social networking functions, such as the ability to chat with fellow players, the business daily reported.

Microsoft Corp's Xbox One will also launch this month.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com