Sony launches crowdfunding platform for its own new products
http://www.theverge.com/2015/7/1/8874943/sony-crowdfunding-platform-first-flight-launch
https://first-flight.sony.com/
Sony has launched a new crowdfunding platform designed to find and finance projects developed by Sony employees. The platform, called First Flight, is part of an effort by the Japanese company to promote new business ideas as it tries to drive itself back to profitability. In addition to crowdfunding new projects, First Flight will also let backers directly buy and pre-order new devices developed by Sony workers.
FIRST FLIGHT IS JAPAN-ONLY FOR NOW
First Flight currently offers pre-orders for two Sony-affiliated projects — the MESH Smart DIY kit, and the FES e-ink watch. A third, a sleek all-in-one remote called the HUIS Remote Controller, is already 20 percent of the way to its 5 million yen (about $40,820) crowdfunding goal. Each project has a Kickstarter-esque introductory page with videos, pictures, and product information, in addition to an "episodes" tab that functions like a blog, allowing backers to keep tabs on the status of the projects. For now at least, the platform is only available to Japanese customers. Of the devices on offer, it's the gorgeous FES watch that's the most appealing, but for now it — and all of the products on the site — are only available to Japanese consumers. They'll be able to pre-order the watch for 29,700 yen (about $242), with shipping due in October.
We first saw the FES watch last November. The stylish e-ink device appeared to be the design of new Japanese startup Fashion Entertainments, but it was revealed soon afterwards that the new company was a subsidiary of Sony itself. Under CEO Kaz Hirai, Sony has increasingly given its employees more freedom to innovate on new products and devices as the company's mobile and TV divisions suffer heavy financial losses. It's tempting to ask why Sony as a vast conglomerate can't simply fund exciting new projects itself, but First Flight is at least an attempt by the Japanese firm to focus on the kind of innovative design that originally made it great.
=== my opinion, its great ==
In big companies employees always come up with experental ideas and try them out in their work place but dont get aproval in the end. The same products who wouldnt be released at all have now a platform and let the consumer directley decide for a second chance.
The PlayStation was one of the experienental ideas which alsmost didnt happened, it was Ken Kuteragi who designed a sound chip in his free time for the Famicon which let to Sony making the sound chip later on for the SNES and that lead to the PlayStation deal with Nintendo. Before that Sony didnt want to have anything to do with Videogames at all.
Its great that Sony is making its own platform like Kickstarter to have some transperancy for consumers and let them get involved in making something possible that otherwise wouldnt have happened. Maybe Videogames could also be funded one day in this platform, games like Alundra 3 or Legend of Dragoon 2 could happen with this i am hoping for. Or with Sony Music getting an unknown artists album funded who wouldnt gotten a deal before.
they should also ad third parties and integrate their First Flight platform into other Sony platforms along making it avaible globally to rival Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms. Its not Sony begging for Money but realizing that Crowdfunding is the future, defeniatley looking forward to this.
