PS5 PRODUCTION AGAIN
According to a reliable Sony investor, Sony is said to have reduced PS5 production once again. However, the investor did not confirm this. In an article written by Japanese publication Nikkei, the statement was allegedly made by senior management in Sony’s headquarters. The article further added that Sony is “actively looking for ways to regain momentum in the console business” after it has suffered from significant losses in recent years. The article did not specify what these losses might be.
Many have speculated as to why Sony would release another PS5, especially when the last one was released two months ago. A Sony Corporation representative, speaking to Gaming Industry News, has confirmed that the company is indeed working on new games for the next PlayStation. However, he declined to give any details or provide any comment on whether production would resume.
According to another article in the same publication, Sony is also mulling over the possibility of creating a new PS4, which would be manufactured in-house. The article goes on to say that nothing is decided and that talks are still in progress. Reports had earlier claimed that Sony was considering making the new system available in the U.S., but denied this in a statement. The company’s decision to move manufacturing to Asia could mean that the long-awaited release of the new console in the U.S. could remain a rumor for the time being. Sony is yet to reveal any specifics about its new project.
Another article in the same publication goes into more depth on the subject of layoffs within Sony Computer Entertainment America. According to the article, several employees who are handling the sales, marketing, and customer service aspects of Sony’s business were told to immediately quit their jobs. Additionally, 20 percent of Sony’s employee strength is thought to have been affected by the layoffs. A spokesperson for Sony told the publication that no employee had been “terminated due to performance issues.” The article goes into the details of the reason for the layoffs but didn’t mention if any of the employees had been fired as a result of performance issues.
According to an interview with Sony Computer Entertainment America’s president and chief executive officer, Ken Kawasaki, the company is looking at developing new models of PSP. Kawasaki stated that a release date for such a product has not yet been decided and that a firm decision will be made at a later date. A Sony spokesman told Polygon that no decision has been made yet. Sony did, however, share some interesting tidbits about the new products that it has in store: a new camera meant for portable use, as well as an “upscale” version of its PlayStation Move motion controller. No release date has been given for either one of these announcements.
In March, it was reported that Sony had delayed the release of its next PlayStation game in the Americas. According to a report in The Hollywood Reporter, Sony is planning on releasing The Last of Us at some point this summer. The unnamed PlayStation game is being developed by Naughty Dog, which is known for its open-world games like The Last of Us and Puppydom. It could also be a spinoff of the successful movie franchise. Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the delay.
A few days later, The Hollywood Reporter said that a new RPG project called Sleeping Dogs is now in development at TBC’s New York studios. This, according to the trade journal, is in development for PlayStation Portable. TBC is currently working on the PC version of Sleeping Dogs. A representative for Sony Computer Entertainment America could not confirm or deny whether or not the rumors are true, and referred us to the company’s spokesperson for comments.
Some people are speculating that the whole thing is a big joke, but the truth may be a little uglier than that. When TBC first announced the PS5 rumor, at least one high-ranking employee mentioned cutting the project in June, which is when the rumor surfaced. Sony denied it at first, but it has since changed its tune. A source told Polygon that the rumor is true. The original statement can be seen in the article’s source box below.
