Hirai talks Vita sales and Nvidia's new portable, Project Shield
"I wasn't as surprised as you might think."
Tell us, Sony top-dog Kaz Hirai, how's PlayStation Vita doing and what do you think about new portable on the block, Nvidia's Project Shield?
First: Vita sales. "I would say it's at the low end of what we expected," he remarked at CES, words caught by the Wall Street Journal.
But he wouldn't judge anything a success until it had been on sale for five-to-10 years, apparently. Take PlayStation 3: it faced similar questions when first released but now Hirai considers it a success.
"Long-term is what is important," insisted Hirai.
"Long-term is what is important."
Kaz Hirai
Sony doesn't breakout Vita sales now but lumps them together with PSP. That's been the case since 1st April. The only specific Vita number aired was 1.8 million sales as of May 2012. Kaz Hirai said that was "a good start".
Sony's target for PSP and Vita for the full financial year (ends 31st March) is 10 million sales. We'll hear about Sony's third quarter, the all important Christmas period, at the beginning of February.
Second: Nvidia's just-announced Project Shield, a portable Android console that resembles an oversized controller with a flip-up screen.
"I wasn't as surprised as you might think," Hirai would have us believe - these words caught by PCWorld.
"If you look back through the pages of history, there have been other attempts."
His point being that yes it's a competitor but getting a foothold in the market isn't easy. "It's difficult to break into," said Hirai. "I've managed this industry, so I know."
Cue Kaz Hirai's wild-eyed cackle-face.
