By Ian Sherr
Sony and Microsoft are gearing up for what they say will be record launch periods for their respective new videogame machines. A key reason: they are churning out big volumes of the new consoles.
Jack Tretton, head of Sony Computer Entertainment America, said it successfully met internal expectations for manufacturing PlayStation 4 units weeks before the device‘s debut this Friday. The ramped-up production, Tretton said, was due to efficiency improvements and ample quantities of the PlayStation‘s new microprocessors, which are being supplied by Advanced Micro Devices.
“The results have been nothing short of phenomenal,“ Tretton said, adding that the console was easier to produce than its predecessor.
Yusuf Mehdi, head of marketing and strategy for Microsoft‘s Xbox group, echoed that sentiment. He said his company expects to ship a record number of devices for its Nov. 22 launch day, that weekend and the holiday period.
“We‘ll have millions of units available,“ he said, adding pre-orders for the Xbox One are at record levels, without elaborating further.
Both companies also stress signs of strong demand as the long-awaited hardware hits store shelves. Microsoft‘s previous device, the Xbox 360, was released in 2005; Sony‘s PlayStation 3 was released a year later.
To read the rest of the story, either contact me directly or read more online at the WSJ: here. (subscription required)
(Published Nov 12, 2013, @ WSJ.com.)