Ina Fried

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Kaz Hirai: Sony PlayStation 4 Will Be First and Foremost a Game Player

Where Microsoft has positioned the Xbox One as much as an entertainment device as a game console, Sony plans to tout its PlayStation 4 as primarily a device for games.

“The most important thing we need to make sure we do at least initially is that we all agree and understand that the PS4 is a great videogame console that appeals to video gamers,” Hirai said in a briefing with reporters after his onstage appearance at D: All Things Digital. “If we miss that part then I don’t think we get the initial establishment of the console.”

Hirai said that formula has worked in the past, including with the PlayStation 3.

That said, there are capabilities in the device that will make it well suited to other uses, Hirai said, without giving details.

“We take a look at this first and foremost as a game console,” Hirai said. “We don’t want to end there. That’s an area we will obviously reveal and talk about in the coming months.”

Another important area for Sony is its retail store effort, something Hirai said is continuing and changing with the adoption of new retail formats including the addition of smaller-format stores and kiosks. The company is rolling out the approach it took in its Los Angeles-area store to other retail locations around the globe, he said.

“[Retail] is important in telling the Sony story in a compelling way,” Hirai said.

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