Profit Numbers: Nintendo, Sony (Game Segment) and Microsoft (EDD Segment)

[Dianko]

Impulsivity said:

One issue with the MS one is that it takes into account far more then just the Xbox. Included in the EDD segment are things that are actually profitable such as the microsoft branded keyboards and mice as well as PC games made by microsoft studios such as Ensemble. They purposely obscure the Xbox revenue by including it with many other devices because it is almost certainly still losing money (particularly with the ongoing RROD repair cost allowance of over a billion).  Even things as far from gaming as Windows Mobile phone licensing is included in that number.  Given that all the other areas turned a profit before teh Xbox brought the division into loss territory its almost certain that the xbox is at best breaking even allowing the other more profitable divisions to keep the segment in the black.

Maybe the Xbox division ekked out a narrow profit last year, but I doubt it. Sony on the other hand breaks out all their divisions quite extensively so whatever is made/lost on the PS systems is completely contained accurately and not obscured by PS systems being bundled in with TVs or whatever.

As to Sony I don't think they look at the PS as their main money maker (as Nintendo has to, since they don't make anything else) and partially use the PS as a vehicle to push other Sony products such as Blu Ray, HDTVs, Recievers, speakers ect, ect. Even with the PS3 losing money the past few years Sony posted its first loss in almost 2 decades this past year, Sony as a whole has been very profitable for a long time.

We'll have a decent idea on Xbox 360 profitibality if MS chooses to mention it specifically (if it's been doing good). But in regards to EDD, I was under the impression it was always one of the money losers, since most of the loss comes from R&D of new products and marketing them. I doubt PC game sales and peripheral sales can make up for the massive losses the Zune must be racking up.