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Sony’s Chief Plans to Make Entertainment Assets a Priority

OSHAN

OSHAN

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,928
When Mr. Yoshida takes the stage on Monday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, he plans to use the high-profile platform to showcase Sony movies, television shows and music. He plans to telegraph that not only will his Sony not exit any of these businesses, it will make them a priority as his predecessors have not. In particular, Mr. Yoshida wants to make better use of the company's online PlayStation Network as a way to bring Sony movies, shows and music directly to consumers. PlayStation Network, introduced in 2006, now has more than 80 million monthly active users.

He added that Sony's three separately run entertainment businesses — music, gaming and motion pictures — have been told from on high that it is time to collaborate more consistently. In the past, analysts say, PlayStation Network managers have been hesitant to team up with their movie and music counterparts, worrying that the service's core gamers would balk if they felt that Sony was pushing, say, family films at them.

Mr. Yoshida seemed less concerned. He called PlayStation Network "a very strong entertainment platform for all of Sony — very suitable for video and music content."

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/06/...html?action=click&module=News&pgtype=Homepage

I'm inclined to believe the bolded. I'm curious what the approach is going to be here, because Yoshida (Kenichiro, not Shuhei) seems set on it. Would be duly launched with the PS5, I imagine. What that looks like, I don't know.
 
ByWatterson

ByWatterson

▲ Legend ▲
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
2,302
No issue here. They'd be insane not to use Playstation as a bigger platform.

Vue is an example of this. Works great, doesn't interfere with their product or game brand, etc.
 
vivftp

vivftp

Member
Oct 29, 2017
19,744
Well one example of the 3 media channels crossing over I wouldn't mind is if the movie and PlayStation divisions could tap the plethora of musical talent under Sony's umbrella for more custom soundtracks. Not necessarily "video game music" but things average people could listen to randomly and enjoy. Into the Spideverse's soundtrack is still something I listen to almost daily and would kill for more like it in the games I play.
 
kennyamr

kennyamr

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,587
New York, NY, USA
They will probably use the PlayStation brand more than before to promote their movie and tv catalog. They want to bring the PlayStation Store to every possible device and platform.
 
MysticGon

MysticGon

One Winged Slayer
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Oct 31, 2017
7,285
I imagine it'll be like Xbox 360's dashboard, with ads running in real time, with clickable links to streams or downloads.
 
zedox

zedox

Member
Oct 28, 2017
5,215
They better be careful on diluting the Playstation brand with their other offerings. I would rather them use the Sony branded "sub" instead of Playstation...
 
Nightengale

Nightengale

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Oct 26, 2017
5,708
Malaysia
ItAintEasyBeinCheesy said:
The fact that their game and movie divisions dont utilise each others IPs boggles the mind.
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It's... harder than it sounds. Ultimately, the fact is that those two business units within Sony are too big and too far apart from each other, and they were never set-up with a unifying vision in mind. Kaz wanted a unified One Sony too, but he balked and caved in when he couldn't get that vision.
 
RestEerie

RestEerie

Banned
Aug 20, 2018
13,618
isn't that what everyone wants to be nowadays? Apple/Amazon getting into original TV programming, Netflix getting into movies....

We'll see the results..
 
GarthLordOfTheSith

GarthLordOfTheSith

Member
Oct 30, 2017
5,006
Which division owns Aniplex? Music? Yoshida, conpletely take that division over and make aniplex release affordable sets at some point lol. Their expensive releases usually come with extras, but I'd rather save money. (Or take over and put their catalogue on Funimation app or something.) please?
 
RedSwirl

RedSwirl

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,048
The thing they're scared about is that the cost of making and selling PlayStations is recovered through selling games and selling PS+. And at the end of the day, if someone is buying a $400 box they're doing it to play AAA games, since you can stream movies and TV on a $99 box. This is basically an attempt to get existing PlayStation gamers to do Vue and potentially future services.

Maybe it's a reaction to BirdBox and Netflix. I heard BirdBox's viewership numbers, if translated into box office numbers, would've been huge. Meanwhile Sony Pictures has Venom and Spider-Verse both succeeding commercially. I don't think Sony wants to go full Netflix, but maybe it sees that streaming is the future of movies and TV now. Maybe it's thinking about what Apple is trying to do with the movies and shows you can already rent on PSN.
 
jroc74

jroc74

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Oct 27, 2017
28,989
iscodisco93 said:
sounds like something i heard before
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Cynn said:
Sony's PS5 marketing: "MOVIES MOVIES MOVIES"
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Dave. said:
TV TV SPORTS MOVIES TV
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Yeah....I was getting flashbacks, lol.

But, Sony this gen has proved as long as the messaging and execution is good, they can do it.

PS Vue = TV TV TV TV
PSNow = always online

As long as they remember how they handled those 2 this gen, they'll be fine.
 
Firmus_Anguis

Firmus_Anguis

Member
Oct 30, 2017
6,106
Considering the amazing success that they've enjoyed with the PS4... I hope they're smart enough not to mess with the formula too much, because that'd be a huge mistake. Make it more streamlined? Sure. Make it a priority over gaming? Then the PS5 won't be the success story the PS4 was/is.

Don't mess up, Sony. You've got a good thing going.
 
Nightengale

Nightengale

Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,708
Malaysia
Firmus_Anguis said:
Considering the amazing success that they've enjoyed with the PS4... I hope they're smart enough not to mess with the formula too much, because that'd be a huge mistake. Make it more streamlined? Sure. Make it a priority over gaming? Then the PS5 won't be the success story the PS4 was/is.

Don't mess up, Sony. You've got a good thing going.
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The main takeaway from this article is actually a good thing for gaming. ( and entertainment overall )

It means that entertainment content ( music, movie, TV, games ) will be key pillars for Sony moving forward under the new CEO.

While it doesn't mean that gaming is any bigger a priority compared to other entertainment content, in general, Sony is a company that juggles all sorts of different priorities anyway ( consumer tech, insurance, gaming, etc ) and any inclination towards a direction that is focused on IP and content is favorable to gaming.
 
N.Domixis

N.Domixis

Banned
Oct 28, 2017
9,208
Give me a AAA Spider-Man into the spiderverse exclusive made by insomniac . And I'll bite.
 
Agent X

Agent X

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Oct 27, 2017
1,141
New Jersey
zedox said:
They better be careful on diluting the Playstation brand with their other offerings. I would rather them use the Sony branded "sub" instead of Playstation...
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In some cases, attaching the "PlayStation" name could be a detriment. I've read that PlayStation Vue is considered to be a great service, but some people have avoided it because the name causes confusion. They think you need to have a PlayStation-branded system and/or It's tied into gaming (which they have no interest in).

Microsoft used to attach the Xbox brand to their music and movie services, and eventually rebranded them so PC owners wouldn't think it required a game console. It might be good for Sony to pull a similar strategy, and rebrand their streaming TV service as "Sony Vue". I know they've put out ads emphasizing that "you don't need a PlayStation", but that doesn't appear to be very effective.
 
Cynn

Cynn

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,285
It's all part of Sony and MS's dance. They copy each other one gen behind.

PS3 stumbles out the gate due to unnecessary movie and entertainment objectives, MS gets ahead with a gaming focused device. (360)

MS stumbles out the gate obsessed with TV and interactive movies on the X1, Sony focuses on gaming first with the PS4.

Now Sony is wanting to cram movies and other media into the PlayStation brand with PS5 and Phil claims the next Xbox will be games first.

We're in a loop here.
 
Cactuar

Cactuar

Banned
Nov 30, 2018
5,878
Agent X said:
In some cases, attaching the "PlayStation" name could be a detriment. I've read that PlayStation Vue is considered to be a great service, but some people have avoided it because the name causes confusion. They think you need to have a PlayStation-branded system and/or It's tied into gaming (which they have no interest in).

Microsoft used to attach the Xbox brand to their music and movie services, and eventually rebranded them so PC owners wouldn't think it required a game console. It might be good for Sony to pull a similar strategy, and rebrand their streaming TV service as "Sony Vue". I know they've put out ads emphasizing that "you don't need a PlayStation", but that doesn't appear to be very effective.
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Or maybe even changing "PlayStation Plus" to "Sony Plus" as you include movies and music to try to add some nongamers to that 80+ million.

Not sure what to make of their end game with this. Four player Ghostbusters game incoming? Cynics will say this already started with Insomiac's Spider-Man, but we know that had nothing to do with the movie deal.
 
Marano

Marano

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Mar 30, 2018
4,893
Rio de Janeiro
I can see a sony all access subscription that emcompasses games, streaming, online play, plus games, music, movies and tv streaming, is that feasible?
 
Agent X

Agent X

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Oct 27, 2017
1,141
New Jersey
RedSwirl said:
And at the end of the day, if someone is buying a $400 box they're doing it to play AAA games, since you can stream movies and TV on a $99 box. This is basically an attempt to get existing PlayStation gamers to do Vue and potentially future services.
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You're right, anyone who's buying a PS4 is doing so because they have at least some interest in games. If someone's home entertainment interests are primarily movies and music, then they could get everything they need from a Roku or Fire TV for a fraction of the cost.

They don't need to chase "PlayStation gamers" to bolster PS Vue. On the contrary, they need to appeal to the general consumer who isn't a gamer, but just bought a smart TV or Roku/Fire TV/Apple TV. As I said above, they should drop the PlayStation branding and call it "Sony Vue", as some people automatically dismiss it (compared to Sling TV, DirecTV Now, YouTube TV, etc.) because they assume you need to "buy a $400 box" in order to use it.

If Sony's going to continue to be in the business of selling movies and TV shows (through PlayStation Store), then they need to open this content up to smart TVs and streaming media players. I rarely even look at the movie/TV selection on PS Store (let alone buy anything there), because it's simply not competitive with Google or Amazon. Both of these companies have Sony soundly scorched in terms of content, as well as the ability to utilize that content on a wide variety of devices.

Nightengale said:
The main takeaway from this article is actually a good thing for gaming. ( and entertainment overall )

It means that entertainment content ( music, movie, TV, games ) will be key pillars for Sony moving forward under the new CEO.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

As if they weren't key pillars before?

Nightengale said:
While it doesn't mean that gaming is any bigger a priority compared to other entertainment content, in general, Sony is a company that juggles all sorts of different priorities anyway ( consumer tech, insurance, gaming, etc ) and any inclination towards a direction that is focused on IP and content is favorable to gaming.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

My take is that they're working to have more cohesion between their different entertainment media branches--which can be a good thing, if managed properly. For example, Sony owns game shows like Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune. I've wondered for years why Sony themselves never produced really whiz-bang adaptations of those game shows for their own video game systems. They've farmed out the rights to various companies over the years (with varying degrees of success), but never produced their own versions. TV shows like these are an excellent fit for the video game market, but there are also other shows and movies that would not work out well as video games, and vice versa. Sony needs to be very careful not to go overboard and force their media units into low-quality collaborations.
 
gundamkyoukai

gundamkyoukai

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Oct 25, 2017
21,070
The top guys have been trying to do this for years .
Lets see if Yoshida fairs any better that last few CEOs at this .
 
Ascenion

Ascenion

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Oct 25, 2017
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This seems like a mistake while also being incredibly out of touch. The PSTV didn't work, Vue is misbranded and being devastated by Sling TV and DirecTV now. Let PlayStation be PlayStation and don't fuck it up with bullshit Sony. PlayStation means games, not movies and music or whatever other crap you wanna peddle with it's image.
 
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