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[RetroGamingUK]

https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/14/tech/sony-stock-record/index.html

The last time Sony was worth this much on the stock market, Bill Clinton was president and the PlayStation 2 was about to debut on American store shelves.

It’s been a rough past two and a half decades for Sony, the 78-year-old company that invented the Walkman and the PlayStation and had long been an icon of consumer electronics. It largely missed the boat on the mobile phone revolution, and while the PlayStation has been profitable, production costs for other electronics have risen while demand has softened.

But as opportunities arise in streaming, Sony is trying to transition from being a legacy consumer electronics company to an original content and entertainment company.


The strategy is working: In the past three years, Sony’s stock (SONY) has started to break out of a decades-long slump. Sony’s stock price in Japan recently closed at the first record high since March 2000, signifying confidence in the company’s ability to evolve its game offerings and steer itself toward entertainment, Damian Thong, a research equity analyst at Macquarie, told CNN.

“If you went back 30 years ago, it was an electronics company, so best known as a seller of hardware,” Thong said. “But today, the company is primarily generating profits off of entertainment, which is games, music and (TV and movies).”

Sony’s stock is up almost 18% in the past month, outpacing entertainment heavyweights like Disney and Netflix, and boosted from investors piling into the Nasdaq, which crossed 20,000 for the first time this week.

Glad to see Sony doing well as a company again, it seems like the late 00s and early 10s weren’t just a bad period for their PlayStation division.

When it comes to tech I’ve always appreciated their design, innovation and reliability, they’re right up there with Apple for me.

Now start delivering great games that don’t feature AstroBot again!

 

[Radical_3d]

The bigger they are the shittier they become. That rule never fails.

 

[nani17]

The bigger they are the shittier they become. That rule never fails.

Nintendo wants a word with you

 

[Radical_3d]

Nintendo wants a word with you

Are we talking about the Wii Nintendo or the “ups, all remakes from Wii U” Nintendo? SNES sold tons less and was the best Nintendo.

 

[Mr Hyde]

Their hardware is excellent but their software and output has been abysmal. They're colder than they've ever been.

 

[BennyBlanco]

Their movies stink but they sure do crank out a lot of them

 

[LRKD]

Where is the 'none' option? I haven't bought a sony product since the ps4 pro launched.

 

[simpatico]

I don't see it. They completely gave up on the phone market, which is really the most important consumer electronics market moving forward. Bravia still makes great TVs but they lost all the momentum they had in that market too when flat screens were novel. If someone isn't a console gamer and dgaf about Spiderman, it's easier than ever to live a technological life with no help from Sony.

 

[LavitzSlambert]

Their hardware is excellent but their software and output has been abysmal. They're colder than they've ever been.

Only if you’re talking about quantity over the last 2 or 3 years. There have been plenty of good Sony games the last couple generations. Though I would like to see better variety from them, more games like Helldivers 2, Astro Bot, Gravity Rush.

 

[GHG]

Where is the 'none' option? I haven't bought a sony product since the ps4 pro launched.

There's a high chance any camera you've bought since then uses a Sony lens.

I don't see it. They completely gave up on the phone market, which is really the most important consumer electronics market moving forward.

They don't give a shit about how well their phones do. The only reason they continue to exist is to act as an internal test-bed for lens development.

Sony Predicts 60% Sensor Market Share Ownership and Much Bigger Smartphone Cameras

Sony is a big player betting on big sensors.

petapixel.com

 

[Little Chicken]

You might as well just throw your money into a fire.

I recently moved cities and wondered if I should bother taking my PS5 along. I calculated how much the 8.6lbs would save me in freight but realised that if I get cold or need a door stopper I should keep it just in case.

 

[Bojji]

Nintendo wants a word with you

Nintendo was bad for consumers no matter their size.

They are even worse for people legally making emulators...

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I don't see it. They completely gave up on the phone market, which is really the most important consumer electronics market moving forward.

The smartphone market has been declining since 2018, the innovation is drying up, improvements are showing diminishing returns in terms of perception so people are just holding onto their old phones longer.

 

[simpatico]

They don't give a shit about how well their phones do. The only reason they continue to exist is to act as an internal test-bed for lens development.

lmao. That's called finding a silver lining in a failed product launch.

I SWEAR I'M HAPPY THE EXPERIA LINE FLOPPED. IT'S JUST A TESTBED!

Are you GENUINELY saying that Sony is relieved to not have Samsung's success in the phone market? Oh thank God! We can just focus on our digital camera line!

The smartphone market has been declining since 2018, the innovation is drying up, improvements are showing diminishing returns in terms of perception and people are just holding onto their old phones.

People aren't upgrading as fast. You think people are going phone-less? That's the implication you're making.

 

[DeepEnigma]

 

[RetroGamingUK]

People aren't upgrading as fast. You think people are going phone-less? That's the implication you're making.

How on earth have I implied that? Please point out the exact sentence.

Just because people aren’t upgrading as often and sales are falling doesn’t mean people aren’t using them as often.

 

[LRKD]

There's a high chance any camera you've bought since then uses a Sony lens.

I haven't bought any cameras since like 20 years ago, but I have bought one cellphone since the ps4 pro, and chatgpt says it (the original iphone se) does use Sony lens. But I also bought the thing used, so idk, you could barely count that if you wanted

 

[diffusionx]

I don't see it. They completely gave up on the phone market, which is really the most important consumer electronics market moving forward. Bravia still makes great TVs but they lost all the momentum they had in that market too when flat screens were novel. If someone isn't a console gamer and dgaf about Spiderman, it's easier than ever to live a technological life with no help from Sony.

Their phones were not competitive especially against the gazillion Chinese ones that come out all the time. Instead they supply sensors to everyone.

 

[RoboFu]

I personally just like to see their TVs make a comeback.

 

[Radical_3d]

Nintendo was bad for consumers no matter their size.

They are even worse for people legally making emulators...

Yeah, and this. Their “never do sales” policy alongside their custom of always selling dated technology with a margin and still maintaining the licensing cuota for third parties… They’ve been always the mirror of Yamauchi’s draconian views. A guy that looked like a Yakuza old boss.

I personally just like to see their TVs make a comeback.

They’ve been pulling banger after banger the past years, frequently winning best TV of that year. But it’s only for people with 4.000€ in cash.

 

[DeepEnigma]

I haven't bought any cameras since like 20 years ago, but I have bought one cellphone since the ps4 pro, and chatgpt says it (the original iphone se) does use Sony lens. But I also bought the thing used, so idk, you could barely count that if you wanted

Apple uses Sony imaging sensors full stop. As does Samsung. Sony is the defacto IS leader that most top products source from them.

 

[simpatico]

Their phones were not competitive especially against the gazillion Chinese ones that come out all the time. Instead they supply sensors to everyone.

Man it's a good thing Apple and Samsung didn't fall victim to the Chinese phones. No idea how they pulled it off. Probably just dumb luck.

 

[RetroGamingUK]

I personally just like to see their TVs make a comeback.

In terms of image processing they’re the best in the business.

The other reason I chose a Bravia over an LG is due to Google TV being superior to that god awful WebOS.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

The bigger they are the shittier they become. That rule never fails.

Xbox is at its lowest and shittiest

 

[Wolves hunt in packs]

Sony is killing it!

 

[Fake]

PS5 for me continue to be a let down in comparison with my PS2, PS3 and even PS4.

If this is what companies become after sucess, I'll be glad to take another route.

 

[DeepEnigma]

Man it's a good thing Apple and Samsung didn't fall victim to the Chinese phones. No idea how they pulled it off. Probably just dumb luck.

Apple and Samsung worked with global carriers for heavy subsidizing, Sony stayed in the Asian markets. Their phones are fantastic, just not subsidized on the global scale.

It was at a time where they took off and Sony was recovering from the PS3 gen. They weren’t in position to strike while the iron was hot like the other two were doing. It cost them global subsidizing, but they make up for it by providing components to all the top phone makers.

 

[LRKD]

Apple uses Sony imaging sensors full stop. As does Samsung. Sony is the defacto IS leader that most top products source from them.

Certainly interesting, and something to think about. I had no clue since cameras are something so unimportant to me. I might use my iphone camera once a week.

I'd still go ahead and say I need that "none" option in the poll. I'm not counting my one used phone purchase towards Sony

 

[reinking]

Nintendo wants a word with you

Nintendo? The same company that rarely drops the price of their games even years after release? Nintendo that also went to a pay-to-play online platform? Nintendo who had the crappiest controller drift this generation and still did not replace those joy sticks when they released the OLED model? Nintendo is like Disney. They are all cute and colorful on the outside but on the inside, they are cutthroat company.

 

[GHG]

lmao. That's called finding a silver lining in a failed product launch.

I SWEAR I'M HAPPY THE EXPERIA LINE FLOPPED. IT'S JUST A TESTBED!

Are you GENUINELY saying that Sony is relieved to not have Samsung's success in the phone market? Oh thank God! We can just focus on our digital camera line!



People aren't upgrading as fast. You think people are going phone-less? That's the implication you're making.

Sigh...

They've been doing mobile lenses for longer than they have been making their own smartphones. Do you think Google are pissed off because they don't sell as many phones as Samsung? Do you think LG and even Samsung themselves are pissed off they don't sell as many laptops as the likes of HP and Dell?

https://www.sony.com/en/SonyInfo/blog/2024/10/07

It would make sense for you to do some research of your own on this subject before posting. It is something they are more than comfortable with considering the margins involved (which is actually part of the reason they don't sell very well, they put very little in to marketing them and seek to sell each unit with a high profit margin). Just focusing on the lens side of the business makes far more sense for them considering the partnerships they have with all the phone makers. They have a 53%+ share for all lenses sold worldwide, and for mobile phone lenses it's above 60%.

 

[Heimdall_Xtreme]

Everything that is CNN, New York times, Forbes and any kind is already informative and misleading garbage... I used to believe CNN, but I saw that they are corrupt information media deceivers.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Their hardware is excellent but their software and output has been abysmal. They're colder than they've ever been.

This. They are boosted by PS5 winning the console war. Software is still shit.

 

[diffusionx]

Man it's a good thing Apple and Samsung didn't fall victim to the Chinese phones. No idea how they pulled it off. Probably just dumb luck.

Samsung kind of has.

Apple hasn’t because they have the most valuable thing in all this, and the thing that Sony in gaming is weirdly squandering for short term cash - their platform.

 

[ShaiKhulud1989]

It would make sense for you to do some research of your own on this subject before posting. It is something they are more than comfortable with considering the margins involved. They have a 53%+ share for all lenses sold worldwide, and for mobile phone lenses it's above 60%.

Their Semiconductor arm supplies over 60% digital sensors overall and smart devices/automotive is a market bigger than any smartphones. Their photo division is doing brilliant too, Alpha line is producing one revolution after another (A9 III with global shutter is a recent expample) and they are supplying every camera maker with IMX sensors, including Nikon and Fujifilm.

We can argue about gaming, but overall health of the company is indeed at it's peak.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I really enjoy my PS5. I just bought MHW and DWO off PSN. I plan to keep supporting their PlayStation brand. Their ecosystem works for what I want. It’s the only Sony product I own, but I’ve put money into it for a very long time.

 

[TintoConCasera]

Last Sony product I've bought was a PS2 in 2023.

A few years before I got a Vita. Most "premium feeling" device I have, that thing rocks.

 

[MayauMiao]

I bought a used Sony PS2 Slim at a thrift store for $12 last week, does that count?

The last time I spent money on a new Sony hardware was the PS4.

 

[Days like these...]

Where is the none option? Haven't had a sony product since I owned a ps2 briefly just to see what the hype around FF X was about. Needless to say X put me off FF to this day.

 

[Insane Metal]

Hopefully they create an actually impressive piece of tech then?

 

[willothedog]

I personally just like to see their TVs make a comeback.

They might produce a few good halo models but cannot compete with price/features/value of Samsung/TCL/hisense/LG. Probably in single digit percent of worldwide sales.

 

[Fake]

I personally just like to see their TVs make a comeback.

Nothing will change unless they pick others panel.

Sony still insist in using LED. Just make OLED screens and try to sell their top end microLED.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

oh btw. Sony pictures is garbage and they just had a Concord themselves.

 

[V1LÆM]

Bought nothing from them in 2024. I do have a PS5 but hardly touch it. I’d sell it if it wasn’t for GTA VI. I don’t want to wait for it to come to PC. It’s been long enough of a wait without that bullshit.

I did have some Sony earphones but they crapped out. Bought Sony headphones but it had too many issues and sold them.

 

[Isa]

Ha! CNN...

I wouldn't say they are as hot as the og Walkman era, though I do love my digital media Walkman. Their combined fields were a solid investment and they do make some good products with a few duds as well. I won't dwell too much on the negative but their 4K players are good and their outsourcing or inner workings in restoration of old films is usually fine(Not my favorites though, that would have to go to others). I know people like to poopoo their first party performance, and I agree with them for the most part, they have done well securing deals with third parties and second party stuff which has been enjoyable to me.

While I've kept the PS5 in steady use these years I don't know what route I'll go in the future, still leaning towards PC due to my issues with current console trends and my disgust with modern game and media makers. AAA is triple trash for the most part to me. I've never been this disinterested in the future of gaming which is a damn shame. I think Sony will be fine since MS decided to commit sudoku and relinquish what little of the market they have lol. My friend group has all migrated over to Sony with the last getting PS5's this Christmas haha. That'll boost some stock.

 

[Calverz]

I bought a Sony Vaio laptop last year. Not long after a bought a mini disc player and some magic gate memory cards.

 

[balls of snow]

Them going almost bankrupt with the ps3 saved the company in hindsight. Never was really interested in their products besides playstation and their world class dev studios.

 

[onQ123]

All I know is PlayStation Hardware team has been on fire

PlayStation's hardware team has been pretty busy the last 2 years when you think about it

DualSense Edge: January 2023 PSVR2: February 2023 PS5 Slim: November 2023 PlayStation Portal: November 2023 PS5 Pro: November 2024

www.neogaf.com

 

[gothmog]

As a company Sony had to become more like Microsoft to survive. That kind of change is not sexy or exciting to anyone but Wall Street unfortunately.

 

[namenotfound]

It's been over a year but I bought a PS5 end of last summer. It's been multiple years but I have a Sony mirrorless camera and a couple Sony made lens but I mostly buy third party lens. When I buy a phone I generally assume it has a Sony sensor in it. I have multiple Sony headphones but the newest is like 6 years old but Sony are pretty competitive in pricing for sound cancelling headphones. I imagine they fall behind in boutique headphones even though they purchased Audeze. Big companies that buy well regarded but low volume audio brands always end up neglecting them and turning them into an expensive boutique brand that doesn't stand out in any regards. Smartphones, they have so little market share it doesn't matter that the market has stagnated and contracted a bit. They're such an uncommon phone now that they find growth within the market if they ever tried to be competitive in pricing and software support. Can't see them out competing OnePlus, Xiaomi, etc. TV's too. They exist as a premium quality boutique brand that people will buy because they know that even if the theoretical limit of the TV is lower than TCL or Hisense, Sony will support the software on the TV better. Motion processing, etc. I doubt they'll try to compete on volume with TCL and Hisense though. TCL at this point is the value champ of much better quality control than Hisense while still packing their TVs with dimming zones. Blockbuster movies, Sony is inconsistent as fuck. If they ever found a stride, they'd be able to grow there. And Sony dominates online distribution of anime outside of Japan. Playstation, 30% of all digital transactions on a Playstation. They may not be releasing a bunch of games anymore but they're getting others to release on the console and selling PS+ and that makes up for how long it takes them to churn out mega budget games

 

[Tams]

I don't see it. They completely gave up on the phone market,

Only in the US.

Elsewhere they are mostly ticking by, but they are only ones still offering physical two-stage camera buttons and 3.5mm sockets. They've fixed their cameras and got their respective departments to finally work together.