iT Rumors: Sony

Sony PlayStation 4

Sony Corp. sold more than 2.1 million PlayStation 4 game consoles globally since its release last month as Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai seeks to revive the company’s consumer electronics business.

About 700,000 units were sold in Europe and Australasia as of Dec. 1 after the console went on sale in those markets on Nov. 29, the Tokyo-based company said in a statement today. Sony sold more than 1 million PS4s in the first 24 hours of its release in North America on Nov. 15.
Hirai, who surprised investors in October with a second-quarter loss, is trying to turn around the company with holiday console sales after cutting forecasts for televisions, cameras and computers. Sony is trying to differentiate its PS4 gaming machine -- which sells for $399 in the U.S. compared with $499 for Microsoft ’s Xbox One -- by offering a wider selection of popular and eclectic titles.

“A lower price than Microsoft’s Xbox One is probably helping boost sales of the PS4,” Keita Wakabayashi, an analyst at Mito Securities Co. in Tokyo said by phone. “PS4 sales will certainly help Sony.”
Sony is confident it can meet analysts sales estimates of 3 million units by year-end and its own target of 5 million units by March, Jack Tretton, president and chief executive officer of the company’s U.S. computer entertainment division, said Nov. 11.
Sony’s previous version of the console, the PS3, sold 197,000 consoles in the first month after it was released in the U.S. on Nov. 17, 2006, NPD Group, which tracked sales of video games and consoles, said at the time.
Source : Businessweek

Sony 2 Million Global PlayStation 4 Sales

Two weeks after announcing record initial sales of its new PlayStation 4, the company today revealed a milestone 2.1 million consoles sold worldwide.

"It's an impressive and record-setting accomplishment for our company and for our industry, and we couldn't have done it without you," Andrew House, president and Group CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment, wrote in a blog post.

Unveiled in February, the PS4 launched in the U.S. on Nov. 15, and more than 1 million gamers picked up a console in the first 24 hours.

"The best part: the PS4 journey has just begun," House said today. "In addition to an incredible lineup of PS4 games from the best developers in the world, we will continue to introduce valuable new features and services to PS4 in the months and years ahead."

Source : PCMag

Sony has announced yet another water- and dust-proof Android smartphone. The Xperia ZR has a 4.55-inch Reality display but share many of the features as the Xperia Z and Xperia ZL. If we just focus at the hardware specifications, the Xperia ZR looks like a Xperia T with a waterproof housing. They have the same 4.55-inch Reality display with a 720 x 1280 HD resolution. But Xperia ZR is a little larger something that must be caused by the extra water and dust sealing. Xperia ZR has the same quick 1.5 GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 processor which we also find in Xperia Z.

Sony Xperia ZR has got a slightly better water protection than Xperia Z. The IP-Code is now IP55/58 which means that the phone can be immersed in depth deeper than 1 meter. Sony has tested the phone down to 1.5 meter for 30 minutes.

The external buttons seems familiar. We have got the power key and the volume keys. One thing we missed with the Xperia Z was the lack of a dedicated camera shutter key. It is nice to see that Sony has added one on the Xperia ZR.

You will not find a docking station included in the sales package, but a new Charging Dock DK28 should be yours for an extra 50 Euro. We would recommend anyone choosing the Xperia ZR to buy this dock. The water protection has its price. The protective covers must be removed each time you want to use headsets via the 3.5 audio plug or the USB or MHL cable. This hassle is gone if you are using the Charging Dock

Sony Xperia ZR will, like its bigger brother Xperia Z, run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.

Sony Xperia ZR highlights

Size: 131.3 x 67.3 x 10.5 mm
Weight: 138 gram
Networks:
- C5502: GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS/HSPA 850/900/1700/1900/2100
- C5503: GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS/HSPA 850/900/2100, LTE Band 1,3,5,7,8,20
1.5 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. MDM9215M + APQ8064
4.55-inch Reality TFT display. 1280 x 720 pixels HD resolution
Wi-Fi a/b/g/n. Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hotspot
Bluetooth 4.0
13.1 megapixel camera with pulse LED flash. Dedicated camera shutter key
VGA front camera
1080p Full HD video capture
2 GB RAM
8 GB internal storage. Expandable with additional 32 GB using a microSD card
aGPS and GLONASS
DLNA
NFC
ANT+
USB 2.0
IPX5 and IPX8 IP-Code (waterproof)
IP5X (dust proof)
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
2300 mAh battery
Standby time: 470 hours (GSM)
Talk time: 11 hours

More than one million PlayStation 4 units sold within a day of the gaming console going on sale Friday in the U.S. and Canada, Sony SNE +2.65%JP:6758 +0.87% has said. "Sales remain very strong in North America, and we expect continued enthusiasm as we launch the PlayStation 4 in Europe and Latin America on Nov. 29," Andrew House, head of Sony's computer entertainment division, said in a statement on Sunday. The launch of the PS4, Sony's first new games system in seven years, was met by long lines across the U.S., and the company has set a target of 5 million sales by March for the device. It faces competition from Microsoft's [msft] upcoming Xbox One, which is scheduled to launch Nov. 22

Via: Market Watch

PlayStation 4 went on sale in the United States and Canada early Friday, the first new gaming system in seven years from Sony, which desperately needs a hit.

The new system, which sells for $399, won't be on shelves by itself for long. Microsoft's(MSFT, Fortune 500) rival Xbox One goes on sale in one week, although it will cost $100 more. Both companies are counting on strong sales through the holiday shopping season.

Shoppers lined up outside many stores across the country for a special midnight debut of the system, hoping to grab up one of the limited supply. Analysts expect the demand for the system to outstrip supply through Christmas. Sony's forecast is that it will sell 5 million of the PlayStation 4's by the end of March.

Related: Console smackdown - comparing PlayStation 4 to Xbox One

The gaming console comes with greater connectivity to social media networks, apps to link to online streaming video services and a catalog of 20 games, which is set to expand up to 30 games by the end of the year. But the Xbox One will come with more initial games and apps to some popular streaming services missing from PlayStation 4, including HBO Go and Watch ESPN.

And the 80 million customers who bought a PlayStation 3 will not be able to play the games they own on the new console.

Related: The top 10 PS4 launch games

The debut comes two weeks after Sony disappointed investors by posting anunexpected loss for the most recent quarter and warning that profits for the year would be 40% lower than forecast just three months ago.

Via: CNN

Sony has decided its PlayStation Network (PSN) Store isn't going to be the only place you can purchase digital PlayStation games. Utilizing a model similar to Valve's PC game marketplace Steam, the company will allow online retailers to launch their own storefronts for Playstation 3, Playstation 4, and Playstation Vita titles (although PS4 titles aren't listed right now). As spotted by Kotaku, Amazon launched its US PlayStation Network store today and is offering $5 PSN credit on digital orders -- credit which can be redeemed in its buy two get one free promotion starting at noon ET today. Digital PlayStation 4 games will launch alongside physical titles, making an all-digital game library a reality, but a Sony monopoly over pricing may have affected their overall success in the past. With Amazon's PlayStation Store, and other potential partnerships, Sony will let gamers shop around for the best game deals, just like they did with boxed copies.

It's a commercial imperative for Sony and Microsoft to maintain people's interest this month, by any means necessary. But at least the PlayStation marketing team isn't taking itself too seriously. The latest release on its YouTube channel starts with an overplayed build-up, replete with a shadowy sci-fi setting and steaday crescendo, and then ends with a detailed (and inevitably mundane) look at exactly what you'll find in the PlayStation 4's box when it lands in stores this Friday, right down to thevoucher freebies and plastic-wrapped cables. The video is presented by none other than Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony Worldwide Studios -- a man who's known to enjoy a bit of fun in the spotlight.

Source : Engadget

The PlayStation 4 will set you back a cool $399.99, but Sony is sweetening the deal for those who buy the next-gen console when it hits store shelves next week.
For a limited time, PS4 buyers in the U.S. and Canada will get a trio of free goodies with their console, Sony announced on Friday. The freebie package includes a $10 Sony Entertainment Network wallet credit for the PlayStation Store, a 30-day free PlayStation Plus membership trial, and a 30-day free Music Unlimited service trial.

"Out of the box, you can immediately experience everything PlayStation Plus for PS4 has to offer and have access to millions and millions of songs through Music Unlimited," Sony said.

Meanwhile, Sony yesterday announced that 11 entertainment apps will be available on the PS4 when it launches on Nov. 15, including Amazon Instant Video, Netflix, and Hulu Plus. The list of apps launching with Sony's next-generation console also includes Crackle, Crunchyroll, Epix, NBA Game Time, NHL GameCenter LIVE, Redbox Instant by Verizon, Vudu, and YuppTV.
Source : PCMag