After the controversial Xbox One launch event, which painted the console as more of an enhanced TV box than an actual gaming device, Sony has been taking steps to distance itself from its competition as much as possible. Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai addressed the new console at the D11 conference this year, calling it a “true gaming machine.”
“I fundamentally believe that the initial market that we need to make sure we appeal to with any new platform … is really the gaming audience,” Hirai said. “They will be the supporters of your platform and they will help propel the installed base.”
While the PS4 will have non-gaming apps like Netflix and Hulu, Hirai has said that these will be secondary to the consoles gaming functions. Even more entertainment apps are planned, but they won’t be added until the console is established as a gaming platform.
“We want to make sure that we are there for the gamers with our PS4 as well. They will go beyond this, but they’ll definitely start with gamer first,” Hirai said. “For us, it’s all about the gamers.”
A few months ago, Sony revealed that all of the PS4’s capabilities that it showcased at the PS4 reveal event would not be enabled at the consoles launch. Is it worth it for Sony to delay functionality in order to focus on games, or would you rather have a fully fleshed out console firmware, complete with Netflix, Hulu, Skype, and more, at the expense of having a weak launch line-up? What do you think?
Source: Gamezone