Sony raising money for PlayStation division with insurance unit IPO

Just like when Nintendo begged the Japanese government to drop their stocks a while back ago?

Look, Sony cannot be expected to turn a profit immediately with PS3. For the first time, much of their manufacturing is done elsewhere. And to top it all off, who's the only one turning a profit in this so far? The one selling $80 hardware for $250? Yup. Because I got news, Xbox hasn't turned dime one yet. Ever.

Nintendo didn't do that because of money problems though, they just wanted someone other than the government to hold the shares (something like that)

Hmmm... did it have something to do with pretty fairies with glittery wings?

oh how the tables have turned...

yeps

only if the gamers already bought a PS3.

I'm pretty sure its just you, since there are still the other 2 systems to play.

If my avatar is confusing you, I only have a Wii at this time.

I think they'll dig them selves out of this hole. In other words this means this is the best time to buy SCE stock.

The Holy Trinity? I smell fanboy.

LBP isn't going to sell to the PS3 userbase. Its a stellar idea, but teh haxxor harcore gamers that own PS3 won't be buying this in droves, and it will flop. Similar to Viva Piniata on 360.

I learned about 5 or so years ago not to trust the FF name anymore. FFX and FFX-2 were very disappointing. FF12 was much better, but by no means is it the best they have. FF13 won't sell consoles. MGS i've never played, but since its a sequel to a sequel to a sequel, I would imagine the target audience for it can't be larger than the total install base for the first game.

Note to self: find a copy of MGS1 and play it.

How was FFX disappointing? It had a great story line with some of the best plot twists I've ever seen. It has the best score I've ever heard from a video game, and a great solid combat and leveling system. FFX-2 was pretty bad, but FFX was incredible.

@Crono

You underestimate the legions of FF fans who actually liked FFX & FFX-2. You also think too highly of yourself if you think your dislike and contempt for newer Final Fantasies will stop the masses from buying FFXIII and a PS3. I mean, I agree that post-10 Final Fantasies sucked terribly, but it is naive to disregard the brand completely because amazingly enough, the fans love those cheesy RPG romps with whiny, effeminate main characters.

If you don't believe me, just go over to GameFAQs one of these days...

Alright Tidus is pretty damn effeminate, but the game is great if you look past his awkward motions and voice acting. FFX-2 did suck though.

Funny thing, that. In Japanese Culture.... Tidus, Squall, Cloud... those are much more manly men than Marcus Cain who's design throws up the traditional "gay man" flags. Gays of War may as well be the title in Japan.

So yes, to us, FF characters (and JRPG characters in general) may seem effinate, but in Japan? Those are the dream guys.

Also, bashing Holy Trinity? What? And Perfect Storm was any better? And fyi, the Holy Trinity for Wii is Metroid 3, SSBB, and SMG. In other words, each system has a small group of games they look to as saviors. And each system has had them. Only Microsoft was dumb enough to name them in a press conference.

Honestly I don't think even MGS or FF will be able to help Sony this time. I mean 10 million consoles won't be magically sold when they finally arrive.

I think MGS4 will move some systems, but really only to people who are holding out for a PS3 in the first place.
Basically to the second string Playstation hardcore, I guess you could call them.
I don't, however, think it'll move consoles the way the original MGS did, which I imagine the Sony fans have got to be hoping for at this point.

I also agree that LBP won't sell to the PS3 userbase. I'd be surprised if it breaks a million sold. I imagine the only way it'll do that is if the PS3 really does turn into the Gamecube and the hardcore PS fans are desperate for anything good to play.

I think you mean Marcus Fenix [sic].

FF will move plenty systems, specially in Japan, but not as much as the fanboys are expecting.

The horrible voice acting ruined FFX for me, as well as the total linearity of the game until right before the last dungeon. At least other FF games gave the illusion of exploration, FFX was a practice in holding forward on the analog stick.

The music may have been well orchestrated, but it was not Uematsu's best composition work. Look up FF6, FF7, FF8 to a degree, and Chrono Trigger for some steller Uematsu compositions. The Aria from FF6 by itself trumps anything in those other games, and anything he's done since, as well.

The sphere grid was the dumbest idea for a skill progression system since ever. It gave the illusion of control over a characters growth because it branched once or twice for each character over the course of the game. In reality, everyone was locked in a linear skill progression that required player intervention instead of just saying "level up: learned curaga". The esper system in FF6 was much more sophisticated, with the Materia system in FF7 having much more instant gratification.

The FF brand has become like water. There are still tons of FF fanboys, but the numbers are beginning to dwindle. FF13 will sell, but it won't sell nearly as well as the FF and Sony Fanboys want it to. You know its gotten bad when the spinoff games are more fun than the main series (FF Tactics series, KH series, Cristal Cronicles series).

If I'm understanding you, and I do believe I am, somewhere in the world is a huge Sony City going down the tubes because the bums are asking for hand-outs.

I would like a train ticket to this city. To help with the bum problem.

Are you saying that Sony is going to become a 3rd party developer for nintendo?

Well, that's what happened with Sega, so....

We'd see PSP2 and PS4 before we'd see Sony go third party. Keep in mind, Sega was losing much more money than Sony was for ten solid years and quit once the Dreamcast turned profitable.

IPO does not mean a sell off. They are takeing the insurance company public. This is how a company earns investment dollars. Sony its self is a public company, so is nintendo and microsoft. all Sony is doing is taking a private holding and making it public. Do you think google went public because they had troubles?

It's actually more like an asking price of 2.9 billion. And God forbid that price drops, especially when you think about all the clients insured by what will become an IPO. You can't really spin this anyway but risky and I still don't believe it's true.

But microsoft never sold off part of the business to fund it, either. Thats what sony is doing here.

ummm okay? Why do you keep bringing that up like it matters?

"What's the big deal? MS had to pony up $1B in ADDITIONAL losses for the 360 this quarter" MS never ponied up 1 Billion for the warranty, if that's what you're referring to. That 1 Billion is an accounting standard that you set aside in reserve. Big difference between paying out 1 Billion and reserving 1 Billion for warranty repairs. Reserving money for warranty repairs is the standard accounting practice.

Yes, I understand they didn't pay all the money immediately. But they reserved it, because they expect to pay it. That's standard accounting practice.

And I reiterate, that's real money they expect to pay out, and it comes from somewhere, and it sure didn't come from the console division's profits, since they have never had any.