Jack Tretton, chief executive officer of Sony Computer Entertainment America gave an interview with Bloomberg a day after the PlayStation 4 was unveiled. In the interview, he discussed Sony’s strategy for the next-generation console and how the company’s plan was to cater to its core audience, the hardcore gamer.
Tretton emphasized that the hardcore gamer made up the bulk of its customer-base, and that the event was directed for the hardcore gamer and not the company’s investors, as some talking heads on Twitter claimed. The event, which we covered in full, saw the unveiling of the PlayStation 4 next-generation console; its technological, social and networking capabilities; and a few of the games that Sony plans to release with the console’s launch by the end of 2013.
Speaking to Bloomberg’s Deidre Bolton on “Money Moves”, Tretton emphasized that while its main audience consisted of hardcore gamers, the company was aware of the casual gaming audience and intends for them to adapt into hardcore gamers through its cheaper, more casual offerings on the PlayStation Network.
When asked whether the console would be priced closer to the PlayStation 3 when it was first launched for $600 or as it is right now, for less than $300, Tretton said that the company plans to launch it at an affordable price based on the hardware it carries as well as consumer demand. The company, he says, listened to both game developers who wanted high-end hardware, and consumers who want an affordable console. Tretton described the PlayStation 4’s longevity as a “marathon and not a sprint.” Unlike Nintendo’s Wii U, the hardware on the PlayStation 4 can be expected to support games for many years to come.
Finally, Tretton said that Sony will unveil the PlayStation 4 in full at the upcoming E3 2013 and that gamers will be able to get their hands on the console and experience it in person during the event.
