Sony's Focus on Creativity: Games, Movies, Music, Sensors, IP, Not Gadgets!

Sony emphasizes its focus on creativity, encompassing games, movies, music, sensors, IP, and not just gadgets.

Sony underscores its emphasis on creativity, spanning across games, movies, music, sensors, IP, and not merely gadgets.

Japanese electronics and entertainment giant Sony states its priority lies in fostering creativity within movies, animation, and video games, rather than traditional gadgetry.

During a recent announcement, Sony's chief executive, Kenichiro Yoshida, delineated the company's strategy, emphasizing Sony's role in assisting creative professionals in delivering what he referred to as "kando," or deeply moving experiences.

Yoshida refrained from commenting on reports suggesting that Tokyo-based Sony and Apollo Global Management are considering the acquisition of Paramount Global.

Instead, he highlighted that Sony's current focus lies in emphasizing the creative process itself, rather than relying solely on iconic products from the past such as the Walkman portable music player and Trinitron color TVs. According to Yoshida, the concept of "synergies" has shifted away from the traditional convergence of entertainment and electronics, and is now defined by the intellectual property spanning animation, music, games, and films.

"We will continue to support people's creativity through our technology," he stated during an online briefing.

As Sony adapts to increasingly competitive market conditions, particularly with rivals offering cheaper yet comparable electronics, the company recognizes the importance of diversifying into movies, music, and other entertainment sectors. However, critics argue that such ventures can pose profitability challenges.

Starting with its acquisition of EMI Music Publishing in 2018, Sony has invested approximately 1.5 trillion yen in the last six years to strengthen its content creation.

In 2021, it acquired Crunchyroll, which boasts more than 13 million paid subscribers and distributes Japanese animation globally. Another notable acquisition was Yoasobi, a Japanese music duo that incorporates Vocaloid technology, a singing voice synthesizer software, and has been gaining traction among global fans.

Sony's real-time computing technology, which records "this moment," as described by Yoshida, is being utilized in cameras at sports events due to its ability to capture quickly moving subjects without distortion.

Moreover, this technology is also employed in news coverage and editing, as well as in 3D video and computer graphics, including popular movies like "Godzilla Minus One" and games that replicate human athletes' movements, according to Yoshida.

Sony recently reported that its quarterly profit increased to 189 billion yen from 141 billion yen the previous year. Quarterly sales for the company, known for its PlayStation game machines, rose by 14% to 3.48 trillion yen.

However, for the fiscal year ending in March, Sony experienced a 3% decline in profit, amounting to 970 billion yen. This decrease was attributed to a weak performance in its financial services segment, which is set to be partially spun off next year.