Sony posts loss, but has rosy outlook for electronics division

Weighed down by its financial unit, Sony posted a $45 million loss for its fourth quarter earnings Wednesday.

Analysts were expecting an average estimated profit of $260 million for the quarter.

Revenue for Sony's video game unit, which competes head-to-head with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii, grew by 26 percent in the past year based on better sales of the PlayStation 3 console.

Still, the bright point of the company's quarterly report was its electronics business. Revenue was up 9 percent due to increased sales of its digital cameras, video cameras, and notebook PCs.

The TV unit struggled though, and in April the company announced it was replacing its top TV exec. But Sony has higher hopes for this year. It said it plans to sell 17 million flat panel TVs in the next year, an ambitious goal. To do so, it will continue selling entry-level models, a practice it began last summer at Target and Wal-Mart.

[richto]

Hardly surprising. They got basically wiped out by Microsoft in the console wars and are now lumbered with an underpowered console that costs more than the Xbox 360 even though the 360 has notable better graphics performance, and have no hope of ever catching it in sales figures.

The only reason to by a PS3 is if you want a Blu Ray player - and that is already a dead format. Downloads and memory cards will be the format of choice before Blu ray ever makes mass market.

[richto]

Hardly surprising after Syon have been wiped out in the console wars by Microsoft.

Sony now have a clearly inferior product with a crippled GPU that simply cant compete with the Xbox 360 in terms of graphics power.

The only reason to by a PS£ is if you want a Blu Ray player - and that is a dying format.

[richto]

Hardly surprising after Sony have been wiped out in the console wars by Microsoft.

Sony now have a clearly inferior product with a crippled GPU that simply cant compete with the Xbox 360 in terms of graphics power. And it costs you more.

The only reason to by a PS£ is if you want a Blu Ray player - and that is a dying format.

[mssoot]

what a load of Xbox fan Boy total BS

[richto]

stupid posting system tells you posting a comment failed when it didnt!

[ibeetle]

It is not the posting system... it is the poster..

oh and BTW not one word of your post is true.
The XBox Division has never made a profit.
The XBox is so grossly under poorly designed that it keeps over heating.
In every market except the U.S. the Xbox is third.. and the the Playstation 3 is second.
The entire Playstation Division (currently the Playstation 2, PSP and Playstation 3) have out sold every XBox and XBox 360 ever made.
As far as Blu-ray Disc being dead... let me guess you got porked by Microsoft on a HD DVD peripheral for your XBox 360.

[swiggins]

I agree richto, . . Sony got a bit cocky and over ambitious, and now they are paying the price, I have both the 360 and the PS3, and the 360 is much more of a complete package, also for what's it's worth I think they are fudging on the percentage of failure rates, they claim some low number, yet if you go on their official PSU forums, it's peppered with freezing and bluetooth problems, as well as completely seizing up on many people. My 60GB console freezes while watching movies and the audio keeps going, it's a real headache.

[pol;0987]

OMG, how much spin must you place on this blog. Bill Gates is that you? The 360 is a more complete entertainment package than PS3? Remember fella, puff puff pass.