Tag Archives: sne

Sony PS4 launch marred by reports of glitchy consoles

Sony’s PlayStation 4 video game console has gotten off to a fast start, selling more than 1 million units during its first weekend of availability. But reports of defective units have dampened the excitement over the launch. The Japanese consumer electronics company reported Sunday that PS4 sales reached 1 million units in North America during the first 24 hours after its launch on Friday. Many of those sales represented pre-order purchases of the new console. The game system launches next in Europe and Latin America on Nov. 29. “PS4 was designed with an unwavering commitment to gamers, and we are thrilled that consumer reaction has been so phenomenal,” Andrew House, president and group CEO of Sony (SNE) Computer Entertainment, said in a statement. But the PS4 launch was marred by reports of defective consoles. Reports of glitchy PS4 machines have popped up on Sony’s support forum and reviews on Amazon.com (AMZN), Mashable reported . Some of these busted machines wouldn’t start up and just showed a blue flashing light on the box …

Gamers embrace Sony PlayStation 4 at launch

Sony on Friday kicked off a battle for supremacy in the next-generation video-game console market, a week ahead of rival Microsoft. Sony (SNE) began selling its PlayStation 4 console at midnight at major retailers in the U.S. The PS4 is the company’s first new living-room console in seven years. Next Friday, Microsoft (MSFT) will release its third-generation game machine, the Xbox One, setting up a major battle for consumer dollars this holiday shopping season. Both camps have been running TV ad campaigns to grab gamers’ attention. The PS4 boasts ultrarealistic graphics, a smoother gaming experience and new online gameplay and entertainment functions. It launched with 23 first- and third-party gaming titles, including Ubisoft’s “Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag,” Activision ‘s (ATVI) “Call of Duty: Ghosts,” Sony’s “Killzone: Shadow Fall,” “Knack” and “Resogun.” The PS4 also features 13 digital entertainment apps in the U.S., including Amazon (AMZN) Instant Video, Hulu Plus, Netflix (NFLX) and NBA Game Time…

Apple, Samsung combine for 109% of smartphone profit

Samsung sells more smartphones, but Apple (AAPL) still leads in smartphone profit. In the third quarter, Apple generated $6.49 billion in operating income from smartphone sales, while Samsung took in $6.13 billion in operating profit, Canaccord Genuity analyst Mike Walkley said in a research note Thursday. Apple’s operating profit margin on its iPhones was 33% in Q3, while Samsung’s was 20%. In a mathematical quirk, Apple and Samsung combined for 109% of the industry’s total profit. That’s because the rest of the industry lost money on smartphone sales. Apple and Samsung together made $12.61 billion in operating income, while the top eight smartphone manufacturers had $11.64 billion in profit. Nokia (NOK), BlackBerry (BBRY), Google’s   (GOOG) Motorola, LG and HTC lost money on smartphones, while Sony (SNE) broke even in Q3, Walkley said. Apple accounted for 56% of industry smartphone profit, while Samsung rang up 53%, Walkley said. Apple and Samsung…