More Details on Stringer's report to Sony's shareholders.

TOKYO - Howard Stringer, the first foreigner to head Sony, tried to allay investor worries about the future of the Japanese electronics and entertainment company Thursday by pointing to a budding recovery in its core electronics business.

Stringer, wrapping up his first year at the helm of Sony, was facing shareholders for the first time as CEO at an annual meeting.

[TheMART]

This just says it all: the once mighty Sony...

Sony shares have lost nearly half their value over the last five years. On Thursday, the stock rose 3.6 percent to 4,940 yen ($43).

One shareholder, who identified herself only by her surname Kasahara, said she bought Sony shares at 14,000 yen ($120).

"I bought shares in mighty Sony," she said, stressing her unhappiness about their plunge. "What are you going to do about this?" she asked, drawing laughs from the crowd.

[The Real Deal]

Sony's losses have been largely due to massive restructuring costs, including job cuts, plant closures and dropping money-losing units, as well as research and development expenses for its usually profitable game division, were behind the red ink.

Uncertainties about Sony's video-game business have weighed on investor sentiments.

Sony has a lot banking on the PlayStation 3 video-game machine, the upgrade for the successful PlayStation 2, but delayed its introduction by several months to November.

[Moostache]

To say Sony has a lot banking on the success of the PS3 is kind of like saying the Titanic had a problem with iceburgs or water is wet.

They only have the entire future of the company and teh jobs of hundreds of thousands of people across the globe on the line.

I have not agreed with many of their moves leading up to the release of the PS3, and I still believe they are making a huge mistale in the pricing war at $600 for the fully-featured unit, but I will say this much for Sony - it takes some brass balls to go "all-in" like they are doing. I think almost any pro poker player would be intimidated at that kind of move in a game!

[mikeeno7]

Well, since PS3 will fail, i think we can safely say that Sony will either be
1. Bankrupt in 4 years
2. Or stay afloat but never return to its full glory as an electronics company.
3. Or (if the impossible happens) be bought out by another company or a merger takes place.

Let's face it, if ps3 sells more than 360 and Wii, it's not because the ps3 is better, it's just 100 million stupid people blindly buying the console because it has 'PS3 written on it'. Not once thinking if it is actually worse than competition that was released a year before it...

[shoota33]

you hate because more people like the ps's than your xbox 1.5 looser.Fact is no one want your stupid box their sitting around in every store.

[Jay da 2KBalla]

you hate because yo favorite company is going to go bankrupt and is getting its ass kicked by apple and samsung. lol

[shoota33]

you hate cause your xflop will not exsist after ps3 comes out and Ms gets its ass kicked by google

[joemutt]

You know Assasins Creed is coming to 360! Go look at the article on the homepage, your PS3 is going down, especially when little boys like you cant afford them, what are you going to do? Sell your bike? Wont be enough, lance armstrong couldnt even get enough by selling his bike. Your exclusives are getting smaller by the day, so is your fanbase.

[shoota33]

its pathetic how you xbot rejoyce like little girls.yay our prayers have been answered.xbox 1.5 has no good eclusive thats why no one buys xflop know.

[Marriot VP]

This guys occupation is to make sure stockholders have warm fuzzy feelings every month.

No matter how many exaggerations or twisting of the truth this guy always has good news. douche bag

[mikeeno7]

gametime it's time for your playtime. Look, all the little kids are going out to play, hurry, you'll catch them up! Seriously, Gametime, you are nothing short of a loser.

[mikeeno7]

oh, and spell loser like that not looser. Only a 1 year old makes these mistakes...

[pspchris]

listen, we are all backing up and supporting each other with ignorant flames and points that are irrelevent to the subject matter. the fact is, we dont know anything about the ps3 because it hasnt came out yet! nothing is official, why are we insulting/defending a console that hasnt even came out!? it's even more ignorant to COMPARE an existing console to a console that hasnt even came out yet, nor is completed. i just wish you guys could could have an intellegent conversation without babbling like idiots. but i guess thats a lot to ask for since most of you are probably 5 year olds. (im not saying everyone acts like an idiot) all im saying is, wait for the system to come out, then you can b!tch.

[TheMART]

We know that Sony is loosing almost 600 million dollars every quarter of the year, that´s quit scary ain´t it? Even with the PSZero coming... If it ever comes with these kind of losses

[The Real Deal]

Do yall sony Fanboys realize what will happen if the ps3 doesn't sell out? Is that why you guys are so edgy and constantly bashing Microsoft? I'm getting a ps3. But I know a lot of people who love sony but can't afford a 600 dollar plus system. They just can't do it. I think sony forgot that a good portion of the 100 million ps2's sold were at the 150 and 200 dollar price. People who love sony actually waited till the price dropped to 200 dollars or less. Those people will never take the plunge to get a ps3. All the people who bought a 300 dollar xbox can and will eventually get a 300 dollar xbox 360. Thats 30 million right there. The sad part is what made sony so successful was the games. Game developers will be very very cautious with sony's stock dropping by 50 percent and the incredible price jump to develope on the ps3 compared to the 360 for no improvement in graphics or gameplay. Thats why most games that are multi platform are made for the 360 and will be ported to the ps3. If the 360 has a 10 million consumer lead before the ps3 launches. Developers WILL flock to get a piece of that market. Remember thats a third of what the xbox did in 5 years. All within a year. Without a price cut yet. Things are looking bleek for sony. I now understand why sony fanboys seem so angry. We here who play the 360 are a happy bunch. We have a next gen system that is affordable and delivering premium performance. Like I have been saying. Why hate. Jump In. See what all the fuss is about. IGN ps3 even recommends sony fans to get a 360 to enjoy some of the exiting exclusive content coming out soon. Sure if you can afford it get a ps3. Just know you are taking a risk just like anyone who buys sony stock. Its not a sure bet like the ps2 was with a low price point and standard dvd player. No one says blu ray sucks. No one says hdmi sucks. We just say why? Why all the added cost with little or no performance gains. But high price gains. Who are they trying to sell this thing to? The high end gamer only? Cause even high end gamers are a little skeptical with no clear winner in the next gen formatt war. Most people don't even have hd tv's yet. Think about it. I have been gaming since gaming first started. I remember the first KIngs quest that was just all text. it ran in Dos. You had to type what to do and then it would tell you what happened. No graphix..just text. I have seen consoles come and go. There is a pattern. Sega dominated for a while then thought they could sell 500 dollars Saturn. That put them in the whole finacially and they never recovered. They had a dream machine with the dreamcast but they had already abandoned there core base and were never forgiven. Thus the failings of the dreamcast. IT wasn't because it couldn't compete graphically or content wise. Sega had ruined its name brand and couldn't financially recover. Sound familiar? Sony thought they were so big that people would spend 600 for a console. They have abandoned their core base. There brand name is loosing stock and interest. History repeats itself. Lets hope Microsoft keeps doing what they are doing. Cause thats the pattern to success that Sony once had.