Sony posted better than expected results for the period ending June 30 citing success of a weaker yen, its movie division, increased sales of LCD tv's and digital cameras, and gains in its mobile phone joint venture with Ericsson. The company's life insurance and games division were blamed for the most significant company-wide losses. Gamasutra writes: "As a result of manufacturing and research and development costs prior to the launch of the PlayStation 3 [read: cell processor], the company's flagship games division saw a 29.1 percent drop in sales and operating revenue... Combined profits from the PlayStation 2 and PSP businesses, though, was described as 'relatively unchanged.'"In addition, sales of the PSP and PS2 dropped with exception of an increase of the latter in Europe. While PS2 software saw a drop in sales, demand for PSP software increased. Maybe company-wide reliance on PS3 success isn't as bad as some have argued. If true, PlayStation execs can breathe a sigh of relief and get back to making racy ads.
