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PlayStation Now-capable Bravia TVs launching in June
Sony has announced that its upcoming series of PlayStation Now-compatible 4K "Ultra HD" Bravia televisions, first revealed at CES 2014, will launch in June. A total of nine models from three series will hit the market with prices ranging from a $2,099 (49") to $24,999 (85"). With the ability to access Sony's upcoming PlayStation Now service, the Bravia sets will be able to stream PS3 games and play with a DualShock 3 controller (which, for the price, you'd hope would be included, but Sony's press release doesn't specify). The foundation for PlayStation Now is Gaikai, the games streaming service Sony purchased for $380 million in 2012. Sony is one of many television manufacturers that continues to push HD technology into the 4K future. Ultra HD 4K televisions (also simply known as UHD TV) claim to deliver four times the picture resolution of standard 1080p sets; 4K televisions increase pixel count per image from two million to eight million. "We strongly believe 4K is the future for entertainment and we remain committed to leading the 4K movement, from lens to living room, in a way that only a company like Sony can," said Mike Fasulo, president at Sony Electronics.
Over 60 percent of Sony Stores to be closed
Sony announced a restructuring of its Sony Electronics division, resulting in the closure of 20 Sony Stores across the United States. The restructuring will affect approximately 1,000 employees "across all sites," which Sony says will amount to a staff reduction of one-third by the end of the calendar year. Just 11 Sony Stores will remain open: five in California, three in New York, two in Florida and one in Texas. The news follows Sony's decision to sell its Vaio PC brand earlier this month, announced among its third quarter fiscal 2013 results in which it saw a net profit of $257 million. At that time, Sony confirmed plans to cut a total of 5,000 jobs worldwide by the end of the 2014 fiscal year, 1,500 in Japan and 3,500 overseas. We added the list of the 20 Sony Store locations that are slated to close after the break.
Sony's final 2011 report shows a record net loss, optimism for 2012
After a slew of bad news and drastically restated projections, Sony has reported the numbers for its full 2011 financial year and as expected, they're not good. The company experienced a record net loss of 456.7 billion yen ($5.73 billion) and an operating loss of 67.3 billion yen. The good news to look forward to however, is that it currently expects an operating profit of 180 billion yen for next year. For the year, it also noted sales of 13.9 million units for the PlayStation 3, 6.8 million PSPs/PS Vitas, 19.6 million LCD TVs and 21 million cameras. Next year, Sony is looking to move 16 million PS3s and 33 million smartphones. New CEO Kaz Hirai has detailed the "One Sony" strategy he hopes will bring the company back to financial health but with its current worth standing at just a fraction of competitors like Samsung and Apple (Reuters pegs it at 10 percent and 3 percent, respectively), the electronics giant has a long, long way to go. Hit the source link below for more dirty financial details, slideshows and spreadsheets.
Department of Justice probe eyes Sony's rechargeable battery business
After the headache-inducing bout of hacking woes that beset the corporation in recent weeks, a new Department of Justice-led investigation into Sony's US electronics division may have the company emptying that aspirin bottle. Details of the inquiry are scarce at the moment, but with the company's cooperation confirmed, all signs lead to an alleged price fixing of its rechargeable battery business. Citing data from a Tokyo-based research firm, a Bloomberg report indicates that a 2010 market surplus had Sony Electronics (amongst others) lowering battery prices at the expense of less financially-cushioned players. The notorious sector of the multinational's operations has been in the hot seat before -- namely, for actual laptop explosions -- but this time 'round the judicial maypole, it seems the Japanese giant may have been partaking in some anti-competitive shenanigans. If the DoJ hammer does happen to fall on Sony's already bowed head, the company could be facing a very expensive slap on the wrist and a fundamental change to its business practices. Luckily for Sony, we happen to believe in a little something called "innocent until proven guilty."
