Hirai banks on PlayStation Network for profitability

Sony Computer Entertainment president Kazuo Hirai has said that the company's games division is cutting corners and increasing its PlayStation Network capabilities in order to bring it to a profitable state.

"We need to quickly bring our PlayStation business on a break-even level and later to profitability," said Harai, speaking to Japan Today.

According to the article, Sony is considering expanding its PlayStation Network service to products other than its consoles, including televisions and digital cameras.

"We need a strategy where buying a hardware is not the endpoint but instead a starting point that can offer new experiences to our customers," said Hirai.

Sony reported a USD 1 billion loss for the fiscal year ending March 31, with the game segment seeing an 18 per cent decrease in sales year-on-year. In January, the outspoken Hirai made controversial statements that Sony's PlayStation division was the "official" industry leader.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...-profitability