The question in the subject line isn't really a question. The PS3, according to Bloomberg, is directly to blame for what's to be known as the biggest quarterly loss for Sony in four years. Pat yourself on the back, PlayStation 3. You're like that college student who keeps asking your parents for book money, then spends it on beer. You take and take, but you've got nothing to show for it. Yet. The lower than expected demand of the PS3 has been figured to blame for the expected loss of ¥75.8 billion ($629.3 million). This is a fairly significant increase from the previous loss in 2006 of ¥66.5 billion ($552.1 million).Sir Howard Stringer recently said he planned to have a 5% raise in operating revenue by March of 2008, but that doesn't seem likely, says Bloomberg. "The 5 percent margin target is reachable if there is no price cut in the PS3 ... But I'm expecting a 20 percent price cut this fiscal year, and if that happens, the margin will not reach 5 percent." So, will there or won't there be a price cut? If there is, will more people buy the PS3 and surprisingly reach the margin, or will enough people pay full price for the system to attain it?
[via Gamasutra]
1. Where's the spinmaster fanboy KingofWale when you need him.
This has to be Microsofts fault somehow, and this has to actually be wonderful news that is just so nuanced that we can't see the forest through the trees.
Posted at 5:22PM on May 15th 2007 by Devils Advocate