Sony Microsoft Wars Domestic game Machine market

Abstract: May 25 afternoon, the shares listed company Oriental Pearl (600832) issued a notice, said its subsidiaries and Sony signed a joint venture contract, will be in Shanghai FTA set up a joint venture, responsible for the production and sale of Sony's PlayStation hardware software and its related business in China

On the afternoon of May 25, A shares listed company Oriental Pearl (600832) issued a notice, said its subsidiaries and Sony signed a joint venture contract, will be in Shanghai FTA set up a joint venture, responsible for the production and sale of Sony's PlayStation hardware software and related business in China. This is the following Microsoft, the main international game host manufacturers again into China. and Shanghai Wen Guang Group's two major listed platform hundred-Vision, Oriental Pearl have been involved in game consoles business.

In fact, Sony's exposure to the Oriental Pearl has been rumoured in the market since April this year, and Sony has been slow to respond to the rumours.

May 26, Sony Tokyo headquarters in an interview with the 21st century Economic report, said that in order to successfully enter the Chinese market, after repeated consideration, Sony believes that with the Chinese entertainment industry has experience in Shanghai Oriental Pearl Culture Development Company is the most appropriate choice.

and for other questions posed by reporters, Sony headquarters said that the joint venture with the Oriental Pearl had just contracted and no more information could be disclosed.

According to the Oriental Pearl and Sony Agreement, the two sides will set up two companies in the Shanghai FTA, responsible for software PRODUCT services and hardware products respectively. One of them is drawn up for Shanghai Oriental Pearl Cable Music Culture Development Co., Ltd., registered capital of 10 million yuan, Oriental Pearl Culture holds 51% stake, Sony China holds 49% shareholding, while the other is named Sony Computer Entertainment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., registered capital of 43.8 million yuan, Oriental Pearl Culture holding 30% Stakes, Sony China holds 70% per cent stake.

and the company has only set up a joint venture with Microsoft, with a total contribution of 79 million U.S. dollars to form a joint venture. Among them, hundred-Vision shares 51%, Microsoft accounted for 49% of shares. Shenwey, senior vice president of Microsoft Greater China, will serve as general manager of the joint venture company.

On the game console, Sony has taken a step slower than its rivals, compared with some of the more aggressive Microsoft. Since last August, Microsoft has been laying out Xbox into China, the Xbox One domestic release date has been set for September.

In addition, on the afternoon of May 23, Microsoft has also got the business license of a wholly owned game machine manufacturer registered in Shanghai FTA. The company is registered as "Microsoft Gaming Entertainment Equipment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.", the legal representative is Microsoft Greater China Regional Vice President Chen, registered capital of 33.4 million U.S. dollars. Microsoft's domestic game machine business is a steady push.

In fact, Sony has been eyeing the domestic gaming machine market. 2000 launch of the game Machine Playstation2 began, Sony Computer Entertainment and Sony China in the joint promotion of the matter, but unfortunately because of the June 2000 State Council forwarding Ministry of Culture, such as 7 departments "on the development of electronic game management site special Management views" and end.

Then Sony Computer Entertainment began to try to operate alone, but did not make any clear progress until 2008, when Sony's computer entertainment announced its withdrawal from the Chinese market. July 2012, Sony Computer Entertainment Guangzhou branch was officially completed, mainly responsible for "software personnel training."

But Sony has said in several interviews with the 21st century economic reporter that it is bullish on the domestic game console market, but it needs to wait and see if China's policy on the game consoles is clear enough.

Until April this year, the Shanghai municipal government promulgated the "China (Shanghai) Free trade Pilot Zone cultural market opening of the Project Rules" (hereinafter referred to as "the rules"), said, since the trade zone allows foreign enterprises to engage in the production and sale of gaming equipment, the equipment approved by the cultural authorities will be allowed to be sold in the domestic market. This rule has a certain catalysis to the Sony game host in China.

However, whether for Sony or Microsoft, the core issue is how to solve the bottleneck of domestic game content shortage. The rules require that the content of the game, the game method explanation should use our country common language text, this means the game host wants to be in the domestic market really to make a difference, must have with the game machine match the Chinese game, but at present game host's game, Chinese class's game is very few, mostly is in English, Japanese and so on foreign language mainly

But both sides are now looking for strategies to break through the bottleneck of the game's content, such as starting contacts with domestic game makers.

The head of a host game development team in China told reporters that Microsoft is providing developers with a set of development tools (i.e. engineering version xbox+ test account, worth thousands of USD) that is not required to sign an exclusive agreement, and a dedicated channel for product audits. , and developers can also choose to sign exclusive agreements, on the basis of the above treatment, but also access to Microsoft's capital level strategic stakes.

Compared to Microsoft, Sony's strategy is a little bit simpler for the time being. "Developers need to promise to develop exclusive games for the PS platform, Sony will provide developers with the PS platform for the promotion of resources." The head of the game team told reporters. (Edit Lu Aifang Sin Yunwei)