Sony Single-layer SACD's, beancounters, and the slow new release list or lack of such (1 Viewer)

[Rachael B]

Mike, they have no credible marketing department IMO, atleast not in the U.S. For years I've thought them clueless about how to tackle North America markets. They've played the part of market bully a few too many times for alot of us.

It's hard to comprehend why they set SACD up for failure. A freshman in marketing 101 could pick up on their numerous major blunders. I got into SACD over 4 years ago and I thought it was doomed from the start because of stratospheric player prices and single-layer discs, which is what doomed MD too, IMO.

IMO, outside of R & D, Sony has major, major problems. i.e.- what to do with the R & D!!!

 

[Chris_C]

Rachael, you clearly see what Sony cannot. It's a wonder really that their movie business hasn't suffered. They need to hire a new PR firm...are you interested in a job?
Wish I could give it to you.

cheers

ps I think Paramount has Sony's PR firm

 

[Paul.S]

Well, some would argue it has (e.g., Full Throttle, Bad Boys II [although I dug it, I know the studio was expecting the film to gross $200M+] and pretty much all of Revolution's films--but this company brings its own financing to the table, so that doesn't "count" in the same way). Some would argue that, to the extent it hasn't, it soon will (Columbia Pictures recently capped film budgets at $60M . . . except for Spidey 2 of course).

The film division is of course an entirely different p & l (one that saved Sony's bacon if you believe the financial reporting the company did today wherein Q4 estimates were upgraded; but some analysts are skeptical about whether the outperformance of their estimates is really attributable to electronics . . . or just a favorable yen-to-dollar exchange rate).

The effect of the budget cap on the film division remains to be seen.

-p

 

[Rachael B]

Paul, I know Sony was back in the pack on film grosses. I think it's been awhile since they had a big hit?!? I bet DVD's pay the bills. I understand that their video games aren't doing well in a market that ought to be easy. "High" MD is bad idea jeans all over again, IMO. They must be putting alot into the BluRay player/recorder(?). I think if that doesn't go well for them, they may have bigger trouble? Sony is too big for it's own good but it's currently contracting slowly, steadily. Until about 2 years ago, they had never lost money. Now, it's a quarterly thang... I'm not suprised about the film cost cap. It sounds like something a big sloth-like organization would do.

 

[Rachael B]

Chris, I have this strange deja vu feeling that in a parallel universe I'm a short Japanese man who started their Sony.

 

[Marc Colella]

Speaking of Sony and their movie division... it looks like they're in talks to buy out MGM:

http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/040421/media_mgm_10.html