Sony's Yoshida says PS3 is now turning a profit, no plans for a price cut
By Donald Melanson 
posted June 29th 2010 3:14PM
posted June 29th 2010 3:14PM
We'd already seen some evidence that Sony was lowering the manufacturing costs of the PlayStation 3, and it looks like that's now finally starting to pay off -- Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida has confirmed to IGN that the console is at long last actually turning a profit. Of course, that profit is apparently still a fairly small one (and might just be breaking even), with Yoshida only saying that "this year is the first time that we are able to cover the cost of the PlayStation 3," and that "we aren't making huge money from hardware, but we aren't bleeding like we used to." That also unsurprisingly means that Sony still isn't planning a price cut anytime in the near future, with Yoshida instead saying that Sony will focus on more bundles like Move / Sports Champions package announced at E3.
@PinchofSalt
Oh for sure they will. To me Sony have been very steady in their game. Each generation of the Playstation they've launched the best unit, and ensured that it has the best games. Sure, the best is subjective, but they certainly have followed a more steady path than Nintendo who (correctly) gambled on capturing the casual market, and Microsoft who released faulty hardware and paid too heavily for exclusives. Although Nintendo have done phenomenoly well this generation, and although Microsoft have put up a mighty fight, I think Sony can be confident that their Playstation brand has come through very well. In addition, it seems to me, as has been stated by all 3 manufacturers, that the current generation of consoles will last longer than previous iterations. From the last E3 it looks like the next batch of games will be a steady improvement but ultimately the same tier of quality. Perhaps we haven't seen the best of the PS3 yet, but we've certainly seen plenty it has to offer. And I think for now that's just fine as the technology does have so much to offer.
For me personally I'm currently scooping up PS3 games once they hit bargain basement price. I simply don't have the time to play them all, but I still have this burning desire to do so. So I can justify waiting for the big release games to fall to a quarter of their release price. As such, for me I'm in no hurry for the PS4. The games I already have, and the games that i'll be able to buy for bargain prices in the future will last me for several years or a decade before I'll feel the need to purchase a new console.
Oh good, they're finally making a profit. Good for them. Now can you explain to me why my PS3 Slim I bought 6 months ago that I barely ever used had a Blu-Ray drive failure? Is it because they used cheaper parts than in the Playstation 3 "fat" version? I think that's why.
@hotdogday49
I feel your pain but sometimes you just get a dud part. There has been no overwhelming QA issues with the slim as with other consoles - so its not like there is a fundamental design flaw like the 360 RROD. But I hear ya...
Glad to hear Sony's finally in the black on this. After all the money they've lost, they really need this.
just in tome for the 360 sales with the SetalthBox 360 and Kinect to once again dwarf it
Apple can bring the Iphone 200th generation, i really don't care, Android FTW!!!!
@Rimz007 Thats beyond off topic...
@EggoEspada
uhhhhhhh......
***scratching head***
They'be sold 35 million ps3s and most of them at lost, but more importantly that's 35 million potential bluray buyers...which in long term outweighs the cost
35 million ps3s sold which means 35 million bluray players, so either way, as a business standpoint, its a win...
This is a victory not only for Sony, but also for physical media (Blu-Ray) and its associated superior video/audio quality (for now, at least).
In MS' vision of the world, full 1080p + 5.1 lossless surround are dead and we all stream low-bitrate "HD" video with stereo audio over Netflix. Not that it's not good to have streaming options, but those are nowhere near a true substitute for good ol' video on a disc. Yet.
This is good to see whether you hate Sony or not, because they really pushed the cutting edge on this hardware and took great risk.
And this is how Sony can make a profit,spare a thought for those who have been put out of work.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE4B816720081209
Bundles huh? I'm crossing my fingers there will be a Final Fantasy XIV bundle when the game is released. I've been planning on picking up a PS3 mainly for that and the Blu-Ray player.
Sony will get as much life as they can from the PS3, with the Move not coming out until September, it really seems like it will be a while before Sony announces the next console. http://www.ps4sony.com/
You mean that "now it breaks even in the US" at least, because it already did that in Europe long time ago.
REally for how long? oh sorry I know until Natal gets out there.
After 35 million consoles sold with losses, they will have to sell at least twice as many to see any profit overall from the console.
I think the current price is quite reasonable.
I bought mine when it was a bit more expensive but considering how much enjoyment i have got out of it and how it has become the center of my living room, i don't regret it at all.
In short, the PS3 is a quality product and i'm glad to hear Sony is in the black, keep the quality games coming.