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Forums - Sony - Sony expects first loss in 14 years amid downturn :(

FreeTalkLive on 11 May 2009
papflesje said:
@ Type59: if so, that would be against certain competitive laws, I think?

Not at all.  Many of the largest companies in Europe are partly owned by European governments.  The US government just bought part of several US companies.  China owns at least part of pretty much any Chinese company of any power.  Many companies across Central America, South America, and Africa are partly or completely owned by governments.

 



 

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slowmo on 11 May 2009

Anyone still think we'll get a price cut at E3? Hopefully the western economy will pickup enough in the next year or two to stop the slide but at the moment there isn't a lot Sony can do now until things get better.



NJ5 on 12 May 2009
Slimebeast said:
NJ5 said:
The worse part is that during all those years of profits they were racking up debt instead of building up a money pile for times like these. That's a big part of why Sony will have a hard time recovering.

 

 How's that possible?

When you take up debt, that doesn't mean you're losing money. Like a person can have a paid job and get a loan at the same time. The only loss from taking a loan is the money paid as interest.

 



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Spankey on 12 May 2009

eep.
doesn't sound too cheerful.
but at the same time they haven't (yet) released a warning statement like they did in January...unless this counts as one.
The last one was FAR more official though



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Slimebeast on 12 May 2009
NJ5 said:
Slimebeast said:
NJ5 said:
The worse part is that during all those years of profits they were racking up debt instead of building up a money pile for times like these. That's a big part of why Sony will have a hard time recovering.

 

 How's that possible?

When you take up debt, that doesn't mean you're losing money. Like a person can have a paid job and get a loan at the same time. The only loss from taking a loan is the money paid as interest.

 

Hmm... I didn't think of it that way, that companies would do that like private persons. But why do they chose that kind of strategy, generally speaking?

Is it like money to 'different pockets' (share holders want their share of profits, but at the same time the company takes loans to invest in stuff)? Or is it due to "technical and tactical reasons", much like for private persons it's actually smart to save in pension funds but at the same time take low rate loans on housing which can be deducted from taxes and stuff?

(^did that make any sense?)

 



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NJ5 on 12 May 2009
Slimebeast said:
NJ5 said:
Slimebeast said:
NJ5 said:
The worse part is that during all those years of profits they were racking up debt instead of building up a money pile for times like these. That's a big part of why Sony will have a hard time recovering.

 

 How's that possible?

When you take up debt, that doesn't mean you're losing money. Like a person can have a paid job and get a loan at the same time. The only loss from taking a loan is the money paid as interest.

 

Hmm... I didn't think of it that way, that companies would do that like private persons. But why do they chose that kind of strategy, generally speaking?

Is it like money to 'different pockets' (share holders want their share of profits, but at the same time the company takes loans to invest in stuff)? Or is it due "technical and tactical reasons", much like for private persons it's actually smart to save in pension funds but at the same time take low rate loans on housing (that u can deduct from taxes and stuff)?

(^did that make any sense?)

 

Sony is primarily in the electronics manufacturing business, which is very capital intensive. You need lots of money to build a new factory to make TVs for example. I suspect a lot of the debt was contracted to build these kinds of assets, basically to grow and maintain the company.

 



My Mario Kart Wii friend code: 2707-1866-0957

heruamon on 12 May 2009
NJ5 said:
Slimebeast said:
NJ5 said:
Slimebeast said:
NJ5 said:
The worse part is that during all those years of profits they were racking up debt instead of building up a money pile for times like these. That's a big part of why Sony will have a hard time recovering.

 

 How's that possible?

When you take up debt, that doesn't mean you're losing money. Like a person can have a paid job and get a loan at the same time. The only loss from taking a loan is the money paid as interest.

 

Hmm... I didn't think of it that way, that companies would do that like private persons. But why do they chose that kind of strategy, generally speaking?

Is it like money to 'different pockets' (share holders want their share of profits, but at the same time the company takes loans to invest in stuff)? Or is it due "technical and tactical reasons", much like for private persons it's actually smart to save in pension funds but at the same time take low rate loans on housing (that u can deduct from taxes and stuff)?

(^did that make any sense?)

 

Sony is primarily in the electronics manufacturing business, which is very capital intensive. You need lots of money to build a new factory to make TVs for example. I suspect a lot of the debt was contracted to build these kinds of assets, basically to grow and maintain the company.

 

 

 

It probably doesn't help to give away tons of free ps3's the way Sony did in 2007/ early 2008...remember the, buy a discounted HDTV and get a free ps3, and like 10 free brd movies.  I said it ALL the way back then, that there was going to be a devil of a price to pay for Sony's attempt to force the ps3 solution onto the market.  They busted their bank trying to quash out HD-DVD and it's going to be tough to see how they can recover, unless Nintendo and M$ really screw up over the next 2 years.



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