“We know that Sony will introduce the PlayStation 4 globally in 2013,” said Michael Hogan, executive vice president of strategy business and brand development at GameStop, “but we are still waiting to see what Microsoft’s final plans are.”
This was said during a quarterly conference call with financial analysts this week, in which Hogan also said that the company has “scenarios with one console introduction, as well as with two.”
“Even a single launch in 2013 will drive double-digit console growth in 2014; and two launches would likely drive the console category north of 20% growth,” he added.
Robert Loyd, chief financial officer of GameStop, noted that “with Grand Theft Auto V and Battlefield 4 releasing in the third quarter, and the PlayStation 4 launching in the fourth quarter, we expect a return to growth for the back half of the year.”
With Sony keeping tight lipped over the launch of the console, many assumed the machine would only launch in Japan during 2013.
Of course, there’s the slim chance that Hogan meant “fiscal” 2013, which in GameStop’s case would run until February 2014. However, as XbitLabs notes, GameStop appear to be banking on the launch contributing to sales during a “high spend season” – Christmas, then.
Via XbitLabs.
DividSmythe
I did get a bit of a horn on when I saw headline. Then I saw the later bit about coming this year to EU and lost the horn. You can have my high spend Christmas as I had my money fors Ps4 for nearly 18 months come on Sony take my money :P
Starman
Can’t see it happening. Europe is always last priority for Sony. I’m guessing it the financial year thing.
damoxuk
I’d love it if they did. But GDDR5 mem is expensive and currently maxes out at 512mb a chip meaning 16 ram modules per ps4 = 100+ million ram modules alone..
However if it launches feb 2014 I can wait – longer then i’ll import it (hopefully region free ofc).
Also why not launch US/EU first then Japan? EU/US benefits from the xmas season – Japanese don’t have that xmas rush period.
But it’s not like EU is Sony’s biggest market is it? Oh yea it is. :D
At least launch in UK as xbox is same here as US – pretty dominant. Thye need to launch same as nextbox in the xbox dominant places.
SH Number 7/Mini-Lipscombe
That’s what I expected, segmented launches worked before because the world wasn’t so connected, but with how things are these days I think a global launch is the only reasonable option, even when this generation came out, things were still a lot different than they are today.