Console business here to stay, says Sony CEO
Kaz Hirai says market for home-based systems and dedicated portable gaming devices not going away anytime soon.
The home console and game-specific portable markets are here to stay. That's according to Sony CEO Kaz Hirai, who told The Verge in a new interview from the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show that Sony is keen to continue investing in both markets, despite what the naysayers may be predicting.
"I think that based on the consumer feedback that we've been getting, there is certainly a very large segment of the video game market that is interested in playing immersive games on a game-specific device, as opposed to playing casual games on smartphones," Hirai said of the PlayStation Vita. "There is certainly a market for that as well, but again, there's that market where the physical buttons and the controls are very important for that intuitive and intricate gameplay control."
Of the home console business, Hirai was similarly enthusiastic. "Between that and also the home-based consoles as well, those aren't going to go away anytime soon," he said.
The PS Vita has sold more than 2.2 million units since launch 11 months ago, while the PlayStation 3 has shifted over 70 million systems since 2006. Looking ahead, the rumor mill has been busy with speculation about the PlayStation 4, with analysts expecting it to arrive--alongside the next Xbox--during the second half of this year.
