Sony Microsoft games hosts China Market: the future is difficult

December 11, Sony United Oriental Pearl in Shanghai held a conference, announced the formal launch of the Chinese market for PlayStation (hereinafter referred to as PS) business, is expected in early 2015, PS4, PSV and gaming software products will be officially available. So far, the world's two largest home entertainment host manufacturers in the absence of more than 10 years after the formal entry into the Chinese market.

Sceja, executive vice president of Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia (Tianbo), said the choice to enter the Chinese market now comes from the right time. When the policy is open, Shanghai promulgated the "China (Shanghai) Free trade Pilot Zone cultural market opening of the project rules," from the policy of the game entertainment equipment lifted. In September, Microsoft first unveiled the selling price and sales strategy of Xbox One in mainland China.

In the Global Home entertainment host market, Microsoft and Sony have been infighting, and now reopen the Chinese market competition. But a Shenzhen game developer to the 21st century economic reporter said that the domestic video game market for many years, despite the large market space, but from the Xbox One two months, two companies want to open the market, still obstacles.

The developer said that first is the price, in the domestic, including the box product hardware is in the lower price strategy, while the Xbox One announcement price is 4299 Yuan (Deluxe version) and 3699 yuan (ordinary version). According to the 21st century economic reporter learned that the Xbox one had a disguised price reduction, in some of the electric web site through the form of promotional discounts, ordinary version even once fell below 3000 yuan, which also triggered the first batch of users dissatisfaction. At present, Microsoft does not disclose specific sales.

Sony in the press conference also announced the price of PS4, where the general version of the proposed retail price of 2899 yuan, set (including camera and base) recommended retail price of 3299 yuan. Compared to the Xbox One price, Sony apparently adopted a different pricing strategy.

But two companies are still facing a common key problem, namely content. It is understood that Xbox one now only has 10 games, some classic games still can not be online. At present, the domestic implementation of the game approval system, even if the two companies in the international release of the game to enter the Chinese market, but also must be approved by the relevant departments. In the press conference, Sony revealed a few of the classic games in advance still need to be approved in the relevant departments can be online. On the other hand, the domestic video game industry chain is immature.

The game developers said that the current domestic hand tour is still on the rise, the capital of the host game is not high, and for developers, the development of host game requirements are very high, and after the launch is not necessarily successful, higher risk. From Microsoft, Sony's current cooperation of some developers to see, but also more than some of the large-scale online games companies, such as the perfect world, snails and so on. As a result, the Xbox one and PS4 want to open the market quickly, and still need time, in the context of the difficulty of introducing games and inadequate local development.

As a world-class home entertainment host giant, entering the Chinese market is not simply aiming at the game, but the whole family entertainment. It is understood that Xbox one had previously indicated that it wanted to use a blockbuster to place video content in the host, but the plan is now shelved. Sony also focused on its gaming business at the day's press conference, with little more to do with video and other content.

It is noteworthy that the two home entertainment host international "enemy" in the future in China may be the same shareholder. September 2013, Microsoft and the company signed a cooperation agreement, and Microsoft intends to jointly invest 79 million U.S. dollars, in Shanghai FTA set up Shanghai Hundred Information Technology Development Co., Ltd., of which the hundred-view share of 51%, Microsoft accounted for 49% shares.

May 25, 2014, Sony and the Oriental Pearl reached cooperation and set up two joint ventures, including Shanghai Oriental Pearl Cable Music Culture Development Co., Ltd. is mainly responsible for the release of software, sales and network platform to build, registered capital of 10 million yuan, Oriental Pearl accounted for 51%, Sony accounted for 49%; Sony Computer Entertainment (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. is mainly responsible for hardware production and sales, registered capital of 43.8 million yuan, Oriental Pearl accounted for 30%, Sony accounted for 70%.

But on November 21, the "two in one" package was disclosed by the company and the Oriental Pearl, which means that two companies will become a company in the overall reform of the Shanghai group. From the solution, the reorganization of the hundred-vision as the main body, after the completion of the trade, the Oriental Pearl will be written off.

Will the company become a shareholder of the joint venture in the future? In this regard, a person in the hundred-Vision insider said that the current hundred-vision and the Oriental Pearl has not been formally merged, for Microsoft and Sony's cooperation business, is still responsible for the hundred-Vision is responsible for Microsoft Xbox One, the Oriental Pearl is responsible for PS business. On the same day, the Chinese shareholders who attended the Sony PS conference were still senior executives of the Oriental Pearl.