Playstation 5 [PS5] [Release November 12 2020]

[Deleted member 11852]

edit: I wrongly understand first time I read, sorry but Sony had record breaking few last years, not increasing price of hw (that they already earn money on, its not ps3 era) is not necessary to stay in the buisness

This is true, but if you want Sony have money to invest in games and risky hardware ventures like PSVR2 - and it's hard to imagine that PSVR made any money, given the years and years of R&D, coupled with low sales of hardware and games, then they need a very healthy overheard.

Today's profits drive tomorrow's R&D and game investments. I know it's not a popular opinion but I think the cost of games today is tremendous value, but then my first console was an Atari 2600 where cartridges cost £29.99, which is over £110 now with inflation. That's a game that maybe one guy worked on for six weeks and the cost was in the cartridge, which doesn't impact the value and obesity of the appeal of the game. Compared to now? Yeah..

But I know most gamers probably have a very different financial situation to me!

 

[snc]

This is true, but if you want Sony have money to invest in games and risky hardware ventures like PSVR2 - and it's hard to imagine that PSVR made any money, given the years and years of R&D, coupled with low sales of hardware and games, then they need a very healthy overheard.

Today's profits drive tomorrow's R&D and game investments. I know it's not a popular opinion but I think the cost of games today is tremendous value, but then my first console was an Atari 2600 where cartridges cost £29.99, which is over £110 now with inflation. That's a game that maybe one guy worked on for six weeks and the cost was in the cartridge, which doesn't impact the value and obesity of the appeal of the game. Compared to now? Yeah..

But I know most gamers probably have a very different financial situation to me!

They sold 5m psvr, quite good results for first attempt in vr with quite expensive peripheral, Im sure they didn't lose money here. Im not saying that increasing by 50 euro prize in Europe is big deal but imo it looks like back of arrogant Sony.

 

[orangpelupa]

Psvr2 will miss the school from home, in the middle of people looking for jobs/money, and inflation.

 

[snc]

Psvr2 will miss the school from home, in the middle of people looking for jobs/money, and inflation.

Psvr2 will be fine if there will be enough aaa hybrid games (and better marketing as for now is terrible ;d)

 

[Deleted member 11852]

They sold 5m psvr, quite good results for first attempt in vr with quite expensive peripheral, Im sure they didn't lose money here. Im not saying that increasing by 50 euro prize in Europe is big deal but imo it looks like back of arrogant Sony.

If you look at what Sony have said about the PSVR centre, they're mostly talked about revenue (which is generally a sign of little or no profit), and the only reference to actual profit is when they begin making a slight profit in individual hardware bundles sold at retail. You may be right, but I've not read anything to suggest that Sony take from PSVR came anywhere near to offsetting all the R&D they invested, plus the investment in software which sold relatively poorly.

I love my PSVR BTW, and I'll be trying to get a PSVR2 on day one.

 

[snc]

If you look at what Sony have said about the PSVR centre, they're mostly talked about revenue (which is generally a sign of little or no profit), and the only reference to actual profit is when they begin making a slight profit in individual hardware bundles sold at retail. You may be right, but I've not read anything to suggest that Sony take from PSVR came anywhere near to offsetting all the R&D they invested, plus the investment in software which sold relatively poorly.

I love my PSVR BTW, and I'll be trying to get a PSVR2 on day one.

I think they would drop psvr2 if they lost money on psvr1. Yeah, psvr2 day 1 also for me.

 

[eastmen]

I think Sony's problem - and to a degree, the whole console industry - is that there does seem to be stalled growth. If you look at the global install bases and growth between Generation 6 (2D), Gen 7 (PlayStation) and Gen 8 (PS2) the market massively increased each time. That has slowed with Gen 9 (PS3) and Gen 10 (PS4). So if you want more users you have to go where they are.

I would expect Sony will keep this programme under review and weigh-up whether the effort spent porting games to Windows could result in more profit were it directed to produce more PlayStation games instead. I imagine it's a fairly complex issue, because porting a game should be vastly less effort than creating a new game from scratch because at the very least, the concept, IP and gameplay mechanics are all worked out - and with modern consoles, most of the graphics and audio assets will be a drop-in.

What were the global totals ?

PS2 - 150m ww
Xbox 25m ww
gamecube 25m ww

So 200m

PS3 88m
X360 84m
wii 102

So 274m

Ps4 118
Switch 111m
xbox one 60m (we will just go with half of ps4 )
wii u 14m

So about 300m

Last generation is also the first generation that saw little in the way of price drops. The PS4 started at $400 and ended at $300 , the xbox one started at 500 and ended at $300 . The switch is still at $300 .



I honestly think if MS can get the price of the series s down to $200 or less we will see higher sales than any previous generation

 

[PSman1700]

exactly, maybe they consider going back to old strategy that worked like focusing on current gen and not crossgen and stop wasting time on pc ports that struggle to sale 1/10 amount of playstation version sales

Going to PC (and possibly other platfroms) is a plan for the future to increase market share, not decrease it. Its not experimental anymore either, its a path they follow like MS started over a decade ago. it hurts, but its all the better for Sony.

 

[BRiT]

stop wasting time on pc ports that struggle to sale 1/10 amount of playstation version sales

One way to increase the sale of those PC titles is to move closer to Day One releases on PC. Don't worry, they are on their way there.

 

[snc]

Its not experimental anymore either, its a path they follow like MS started over a decade ago

Thats I dont understand, is a path of competitor that lost badly last generation. Why they decided to went losing path ?

 

[PSman1700]

Thats I dont understand, is a path of competitor that lost badly last generation. Why they decided to went losing path ?

Well, for one that wasnt due to their games being available outside of their plastic boxes. Sony's losing path is due to different factors im afraid, actual competition is one. Its not the Xone era anymore, no, it resembles more what the X360 did.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I think they would drop psvr2 if they lost money on psvr1. Yeah, psvr2 day 1 also for me.

You get to a point where you have too much invested to cut and run. Look at Microsoft with O/G Xbox Or Sony with PS3. Sometimes you can turn it around and recoup the earlier investments. I don't think PSP was that commercially successful, but Sony tried again with Vita. Which was even less commercially successful. Maybe if PSVR2 doesn't work, that'll be it on the VR front from Sony.

I do think VR is a really hard sell, because you imagine VR without having experienced VR.

 

[snc]

You get to a point where you have too much invested to cut and run. Look at Microsoft with O/G Xbox Or Sony with PS3. Sometimes you can turn it around and recoup the earlier investments. I don't think PSP was that commercially successful, but Sony tried again with Vita. Which was even less commercially successful. Maybe is PSVR2 doesn't work, that'll be it on the VR front from Sony.

I do think VR is a really hard sell, because you imagine VR without having experienced VR.

I also think that if psvr2 wont be success we will have another long break from vr...

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I also think that if psvr2 wont be success we will have another long break from vr...

Which would be a shame. Because I both love and hate Skyrim VR because the movement model really grates on me. And I think this is the biggest challenge for VR without some expensive VR environmental equipment.

VR puts you half in that environment, except when it comes to first person spacial movement. The Star Wars Battlefront VR DLC, which puts you in an X-Wing, was absolutely amazing and it's a shame that the number of people with VR headsets cannot support a more signifiant investment in a game like this because being in fixed cockpit solves most of those problems.

 

[snc]

Which would be a shame. Because I both love and hate Skyrim VR because the movement model really grates on me. And I think this is the biggest challenge for VR without some expensive VR environmental equipment.

VR puts you half in that environment, except when it comes to first person spacial movement. The Star Wars Battlefront VR DLC, which puts you in an X-Wing, was absolutely amazing and it's a shame that the number of people with VR headsets cannot support a more signifiant investment in a game like this because being in fixed cockpit solves most of those problems.

Btw if there wont be full gt7 vr support Im buying ticket to Japan and going to kick Kaz ass

 

[eastmen]

You get to a point where you have too much invested to cut and run. Look at Microsoft with O/G Xbox Or Sony with PS3. Sometimes you can turn it around and recoup the earlier investments. I don't think PSP was that commercially successful, but Sony tried again with Vita. Which was even less commercially successful. Maybe if PSVR2 doesn't work, that'll be it on the VR front from Sony.

I do think VR is a really hard sell, because you imagine VR without having experienced VR.

The psp sold around 80m units. It had to be successful but the vita i can't find real sales numbers. So that was the failure.

I think that VR can be really good for sony but it depends on the price. The recent price increases makes me worried that ps vr 2 is going to be expensive and couple that with its competition that doesn't require addition hardware is going to make it a tough sell.

I see you said in another post that you both love and hate skyrim. I suggest you try half life alyx. Its by far the best vr control

 

[Deleted member 11852]

The psp sold around 80m units. It had to be successful but the vita i can't find real sales numbers. So that was the failure.

The PSP hardware (launched in 2004), which was initially sold at a a loss, sold well but the software did not. The security was cracked early (2005) and PSP became a very popular emulation/piracy platform whilst Sony were still selling it at a loss, which is why I question PSP's commercial success for Sony.

 

[PSman1700]

half life alyx. Its by far the best vr control

Theres nothing else like it. Nr1 VR experience.

 

[eastmen]

The PSP hardware (launched in 2004), which was initially sold at a a loss, sold well but the software did not. The security was cracked early (2005) and PSP became a very popular emulation/piracy platform whilst Sony were still selling it at a loss, which is why I question PSP's commercial success for Sony.

Yea but they kept introducing new models that would keep piracy at bay while they were hacked again. I'd assume with 80m units sold they would have to make a profit off software.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Yea but they kept introducing new models that would keep piracy at bay while they were hacked again. I'd assume with 80m units sold they would have to make a profit off software.

PSP software sales do not support that. Whilst the PSP sold around half what PS2 did and two thirds of what PS3 did, the software sales over time are nowhere near proportionate to those two platforms. It looks good as first (GTA Liberty City Stores) selling a proportionate amount to GTA III/VC/SA on PS2, but it game sales nosedive over time as piracy kicked in.

For whatever reason, PSP was way more prone to piracy than PS2. Possibly just hardware vs. firmware hacks being required. Given the profit in software licensing and sales, piracy is a massive revenue suck.