Game Over For PlayStation 3

The game is over for Sony (SNE) and its PlayStation 3. Sony’s sales plunge 19 points compared to sales in November 2007. Sony’s strategy has been flawed from the beginning. 

Sony made two big bets with PlayStation 3. First was the cell processor which promised to be a breakthrough in computing power and bridge the gap between x86 architecture and specialized hardware. It proved to be challenging to develop for. The second big bet was on the Blu-rayDVD format. This bet was a mixed blessing. The shift from standard DVD to HD DVD has been much slower than other industry format changes. Sony ultimately won the format battle with Toshiba but they might have lost the war. The Blu-ray drive which is included in every Sony Playstation 3 causes the price of the PlayStation 3 to be $200 more than other consoles like the Xbox 360.

PlayStation 3’s run rate has a compounding negative impact on Sony. Game developers are less likely to build blockbuster titles something the PlayStation 3 has lacked.  Even more important are the third party royalties that come with licensing the PlayStation 3 platform and contribute a majority of profit to Sony’s gaming business. The PlayStation 3 has become a big boat anchor on Sony’s bottom line.

The Wii has been a run away success from a unit perspective. Nintendo cracked the code, broadening the gaming category by pioneering physical game play. Xbox 360 took the next gen gaming console to a new level by creating games in full HD. Microsoft also created an online service with Xbox Live that made games more interactive and social. Microsoft also addressed the expense of game development by creating a tools platform with XNA that makes it easily and cheaper to develop games. All in all Nintendo and Microsoft have both made significant strides in the console wars. Sony seems to be left in the dust.