Even though Sony is clearly diving deeper into the digital realm with their recent purchase of Gaikai, it doesn’t look like they plan to ditch retailers any time soon. Fergal Gara, head of Sony UK recently spoke to the importance of support from retailers during the next generation.
Speaking to MCV, Gara explained:
We’d love to see as many retailers as possible maintain their interest in servicing the space. Clearly down the road many of us are going to be doing our best to give another injection into the market whenever the next cycle starts.
Coming down off that 2008 peak has been a steep ride for many and has involved fallout on many levels, not least of all retail. So what we’re seeing is not really a surprise, a bit of a readjustment if you like and it isn’t just happening to the specialists on the High Street. There is a bit of a reappraisal around space and the commitment from other retailers.
Both Sony and Microsoft will have to rely on retailers to sell new hardware – namely the next PlayStation and Xbox – so it is essential that these game companies maintain strong relations with these outlets. As we move closer to a digital-centric future, it will be interesting to see how the major players handle both the sale of hardware and software as the industry rapidly changes.
