Latest news with #SonyInteractiveEntertainment
Techday NZ
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Techday NZ
Sony brings climate change education to PlayStation 5 & VR2
Sony Interactive Entertainment has launched Climate Station, an application designed to enhance understanding of climate change, now available for free on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation VR2. This initiative forms part of Sony Interactive Entertainment's wider commitment to the Playing for the Planet Alliance, which unites members of the gaming industry in working towards sustainability objectives, as initially presented at the United Nations Climate Summit in 2019. Climate Station invites users to delve into complex climate data through interactive and immersive technologies. The application features three primary modules: Weather Year, Observations, and Projections, as well as an Explainer Library. Application features Weather Year offers a visual journey through the meteorological events of 2019, highlighting the interconnected weather systems of Earth. Observations deliver access to 120 years of climate data, referencing temperature records from thousands of locations to illustrate long-term warming trends. Projections utilise data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)-approved models, enabling users to examine the impact of various future scenarios on the global climate up to the end of the 21st century. The Explainer Library complements these experiences with 90 minutes of multimedia content dedicated to clarifying the science underpinning climate change. This approach is designed to address the challenge of presenting scientific data in a way that is engaging for users of all ages. Data within Climate Station draws upon a range of expert sources, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Berkeley Earth, the Climate Research Unit, and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP). Expert involvement Veteran meteorologist Laura Tobin contributed as a consultant and narrator for the project. Discussing her involvement, she said: "As a meteorologist, I report on weather and climate and over the last 20 years I've seen the increased frequency and intensity of severe weather around the world. More and more records are being broken, often in remote parts of the globe but in recent years it's hitting closer to home. I'm immensely proud of our collaboration on Climate Station. We want audiences to learn more about our amazing planet, use the latest science to see what is really happening, and finally have a greater understanding and appreciation of why change is needed." Climate Station can be used in both private homes and educational or research contexts. The interactive nature of the application aims to make complex datasets more accessible and easier to understand for a broad audience. Kieren Mayers, Vice President of Environmental, Social, and Governance at Sony Interactive Entertainment, stated that the company's work with the Playing for the Planet Alliance and ongoing environmental commitments underpin this release. SIE continues to pursue the Road to Zero plan, targeting net-zero carbon emissions by 2040, and improving the energy efficiency of its hardware and data centres. Susan Gardner, Director of the Ecosystems Division at the United Nations Environment Programme, welcomed the launch, commenting: "Bringing climate awareness into the homes of millions through gaming will help build both knowledge and action to address the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste. The approach to adapt the science into a game format has been impressive. We look forward to seeing how players react to this new tool and also recognise the leadership of Sony Interactive Entertainment in bringing climate science to consoles across the planet." Educational focus Information from the IGEA NZ Plays (2023) report indicates a growing interest among New Zealanders in using gaming for educational purposes, a trend which SIE seeks to support through Climate Station. The company and project collaborators have expressed their aim to not only inform but also inspire players about the choices that can shape the future climate. The application aims to empower users with a sense of agency and a deeper understanding of current scientific perspectives on climate change.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Will PS Plus prices go up? Sony hints at possible hike as premium tiers gain more subscribers
Sony has released a new report for investors, highlighting the growth of the PlayStation 5's market presence and the continued rise in PlayStation Plus subscribers. The PlayStation Plus service has been particularly successful in attracting users to its higher subscription tiers, and as a result, Sony is now considering raising prices for PS Plus "to maximize profitability." After the report was made public, Hideaki Nishino, president and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, discussed the company's plans during a fireside chat. He confirmed that PlayStation Plus pricing is only expected to go up from here. Also Read: PlayStation 5's lifespan was accidentally revealed: Here's how long you have left before PS6 comes in "The PlayStation Plus service offers great value for our players, and we will continue to add more value and adjust our pricing strategy in a dynamic way to maximize profitability," Nishino said. At the moment, the Premium tier of PS Plus costs $160 per year in the US, while the Extra tier is priced at $135, and the Essential tier costs $80. Nishino's comments followed a presentation from Sony, which revealed that 38% of all PS Plus subscribers are currently subscribed to either the Premium or Extra tiers. The number of Extra tier subscribers has risen from 16% to 22% between Sony's 2022 and 2024 fiscal years. In the same period, Premium tier subscribers grew from 13% to 17%. Nishino also mentioned that Sony would "add more value" to PS Plus subscriptions to justify the potential price increase, though it's unclear what that will look like. Sony has so far avoided following Game Pass' model of launching AAA games on the service on day one. Last April, Sony raised PS Plus prices in several countries, though the US was not immediately affected. However, North American players may not be so fortunate next time.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Is PlayStation 6 Under Production? Sony Teases Next-Gen Plans
Sony has confirmed that PlayStation 6 (PS6) is "top of mind" of developers as the company plans its new console offering. During a June 13 Fireside Chat, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO and president Hideaki Nishino dropped the hint, making it the first time that the company admitted to PS5's successor. While PS5 was launched five years ago, Sony launched PS5 Pro in November last year with moderate improvements to gameplay. "Our console business has evolved into a multi-faceted platform, and we now have a large ecosystem of highly engaged players across both the PS5 and PS4 generations, so naturally therefore, there's a huge interest in our next generation console strategy," Mr Nishino said, as per IGN. "While we cannot share further details at this stage, the future of the platform is top of mind. We are committed to exploring a new and enhanced way for players to engage with our content and our services," he added. As for the future of gaming, particularly cloud gaming, Mr Nishino reaffirmed the importance of PlayStation consoles. "The business model for cloud gaming must be sustainable for the longer-term gross. Cloud gaming is progressing well from a technical standpoint, we have demonstrated with these offerings, but end-to-end network stability is not in our control. And the higher cost per playtime compared to the traditional console model remains a challenge," said Mr Nishino. "Cloud gaming is increasingly providing additional options for players to access content, but our belief is that the majority of players continue to want to experience gaming through local execution without dependency on local network conditions. And PS5 and PS5 Pro have validated this thesis, I believe." Social media reacts Reacting to the news of a potential PS6 in the works, social media users were divided, with some saying Sony had not provided enough PS5 exclusive games, while others said the console was still new. "PS5 has been out for less than 5 years, and now they wanna drop PS6???" said one user while another added: "PS5 has barely had any great PS5 ONLY games. It's been a remaster machine." A third commented: "Sony should seriously focus on bringing as many single-player titles as possible with PS6. No more remasters or live-service."
Metro
13-06-2025
- Business
- Metro
PS Plus and Game Pass price hikes loom as Sony looks to 'add more value'
PS Plus will be subject to more price hikes in the future, as Xbox players fear a possible increase to Game Pass as well. Almost two years after Sony increased the price of certain PS Plus subscriptions, the company has thrown out the possibility of adjusting its 'pricing strategy' once again. During a business conference, Sony was asked by investors about the reason behind the 2023 price increase, along with what factors may lead to another hike in the future. In response, Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Hideaki Nishino explained how the percentage of PlayStation Plus subscribers on the higher tiers had grown over the past few years. According to a chart which accompanied the Q&A, 17% of PS Plus subscribers were on the Premium tier and 13% were on the Extra tier in the 2022 fiscal year, which has increased to 22% and 16%, respectively, by the 2024 fiscal year. 'PlayStation Plus is highly valued by our players and continues to drive engagement,' Nishino said. 'We're already seen a trend toward the option of higher tiers within our service, as evidenced by the subscriber mix we achieved in fiscal year 2024, where approximately 38% of players are now subscribed to PlayStation Plus Premium or Extra tiers. 'This is even after the global price increases we implemented in fiscal year 2023, and more recently, the local price increases in selected countries, to improve our pricing strategy across certain market clusters, and also to account for [foreign exchange] movements.' Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. When discussing the factors which go into these price hikes, Nishino said the company will continue to change prices 'in a dynamic way' moving forward. He added: 'These price increases were partly a result of increasing value we bring to the players, through the quality and diversity of content we continue to add, as well as investment in the features to improve the service further, such as player personalisation and enhanced content discovery. 'The PlayStation Plus service offers great value for our players, and we will continue to add more value and adjust our pricing strategy in a dynamic way to maximise profitability.' While a price increase was inevitable at some point, it's certainly not a promising sign for anyone who thought PS Plus prices might be frozen for some time – even if Nishino doesn't give an explicit indication of when a price adjustment could happen. As prices of subscription services continue to rise across all of entertainment, players have also found evidence that Microsoft might be considering a price bump for Xbox Game Pass. More Trending Bluesky user redphx, an account dedicated to highlighting backend changes on Xbox Cloud Gaming, has claimed a new notification type called 'SubscriptionPriceIncrease' has been added to the xCloud website. While this in itself doesn't necessarily mean a price increase is imminent, Microsoft did the raise the price of Xbox Game Pass in July last year, and in June the year before that, so it's possible another is drifting down the pipeline for summer 2025. As for what upcoming games could justify the increase, The Outer Worlds 2 is set to arrive on October 29 priced at £69.99. Other titles on the horizon include Double Fine's Keeper, Ninja Gaiden 4, and this year's new Call Of Duty. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page.
Metro
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Sony dismisses Switch 2 because PS5 is a 'great experience on big screens'
Despite the Nintendo Switch 2's increase in power, Sony bosses believe the PS5 still provides a 'unique offering' to players. The Switch 2 has achieved record-breaking sales following its launch last week, but it seems Sony isn't phased by the console's appearance on the market. While the original Switch was far behind the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 in terms of power, the Switch 2 has closed the gap – with the console now running third-party titles like Cyberpunk 2077 to a level comparable to a PlayStation 4 and an Xbox Series S. The Switch 2 is still behind the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X in the graphical arms race, but coupled with its greater third party support, when compared to the original Switch, there's a stronger chance Nintendo's new console could eat into the PlayStation userbase. This is especially true when you consider many PlayStation players are still playing on last gen hardware. According to a new Sony presentation, there are 124 million monthly active users across PlayStation consoles, and only now, five years after the console launched, has the PlayStation 5 taken the lion's share – with the split last year being 50/50. There are no specific numbers of PlayStation 4 players now, but based on a graph shown in the presentation, it equates to around a third. Concerns around the Switch 2 were raised during an accompanying Q&A, where Sony Interactive Entertainment president and CEO Hideaki Nishino answered questions from Sony investors. Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. 'We closely monitor the overall gaming industry, including the actions of other market participants,' Nishino said. 'Additionally, catalysts in the market are great for the industry as a whole, as they invigorate the excitement and demand more broadly. So it's great to have people launching new things. 'However, as I mentioned previously, we have a differentiated strategy. PlayStation 5 is designed for an immersive gaming experience, and this includes the innovative DualSense controller features as well. We believe PS5-level performance is required to achieve a great experience on big screens. And in this way, we have provided a unique offering for players and creators in this current console generation.' Along with the 'big screen' experience, Sony is hoping the PlayStation 5 will remain the 'best place to play' games as more publishers go multi-platform. He added: 'However, publisher strategies are increasingly shifting towards being multi-platform, so more platforms can run the same game, which is great from a creator's perspective. Among those platforms, our mission is that we will continue to be the best place to play and publish. 'As such, we have empowered our creators to leverage our offering and services to create amazing, unique experiences for players with high engagement and great monetization opportunities. 'We have done this consistently as the industry and competitive dynamics have evolved. And of course, PlayStation Studios, our franchises, have a special role in showcasing the PlayStation experience and then strengthening the player's vision with us.' In the same Q&A, Nishino was asked if Sony is concerned about Nintendo's appeal to the younger generation, and if that could have a negative impact if these younger players don't 'graduate' to PlayStation consoles. 'The PlayStation brand has resonated with a wide range of players over three decades now,' Nishino replied. 'And the number of users engaged on the platform continues to grow. By supporting such a large number of creators, we're able to provide the largest range of content available, catering to all demographics, geographics, and playstyles, etc. 'So we believe that by constantly investing in player's relationship with the brand, and our relationship with creators, we will ensure we stay close to all player's hearts through their lifetime.' Additionally, Hermen Hulst, the CEO of PlayStation Studios, pointed towards titles like Spider-Man, Astro Bot, and Horizon as examples of games with broad appeal, along with their efforts to bring 'franchises to new formats', citing film, TV, and anime. However, the original Switch has outsold both the PlayStation 4 and 5, and while the Switch 2's overall success may be limited by its higher price, compared to the Switch 1, its superior power may end up being even more of a danger to Sony's business. Nintendo wasn't the only rival brought up during the presentation. Nishino was also asked about Xbox's pivot in strategy away from just home consoles, and whether this is a positive or a negative for PlayStation. More Trending 'So I think competition in the business is healthy and it pushes us to innovate,' Nishino replied. 'There are multiple participants who together drive the overall gaming industry, and while there are new engagement models being explored, we ultimately think this is a good thing. 'However, as I mentioned earlier, we are confident and committed on our current strategy. There isn't an urgent need for us to pivot, but we will continue to monitor play patterns, and invest appropriately as required.' While Sony is likely unperturbed by Microsoft's shift, the Switch 2's impact could pose a significant threat down the line – especially as Sony will likely have a difficult task in convincing players to migrate to the inevitable PlayStation 6. Email gamecentral@ leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader's Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. MORE: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition Switch 2 review – next gen gaming MORE: Where to buy the Nintendo Switch 2 in the UK right now MORE: Yakuza 0 Director's Cut review – Kiryu on the Nintendo Switch 2
