Sony 2007 Annual Report Download - page 26

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23
have a device they feel comfortable storing them on. There
are some obstacles to deal with, namely rights
management, price and other market issues, but this is a
huge opportunity for the future.
Strengthening collaboration with the
Electronics and Game divisions through
“Sony United”
Let’s turn our attention to “Sony United.” What are your
views on the Sony United initiatives?
Sony United is a vision of the company that has wide
support up and down the line within Sony.
Here’s one example of Sony United in action. When
PS3 was launched in the U.S., the first 500,000 buyers
received a free copy of our movie Talladega Nights: The
Ballad of Ricky Bobby on Blu-ray Disc weeks before it
was made available to the general public. We also made
Casino Royale on Blu-ray Disc available for free to the
first 500,000 buyers of PS3 in Europe who registered on
the PLAYSTATION®Network. That couldn’t have
happened without people across the company being
committed to the idea of Sony United. And it paid off.
When we polled PS3 customers in May 2007, we
discovered that nearly 90% intend to purchase at least
one Blu-ray Disc movie in the next 12 months, and the
average respondent already owns at least four movies
on Blu-ray Disc.
We also worked closely with other Sony divisions on
the latest installment of the James Bond franchise. Casino
Royale featured such Sony products as VAIO PCs,
BRAVIA televisions and Sony Ericsson mobile phones. In
addition, the Electronics division was extremely helpful in
helping us market the picture around the world. This
cooperation demonstrates both the viability and the
promise of Sony United.
Can you give me some more examples of SPE working
with the Electronics and Game divisions?
Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) helped develop the
PLAYSTATION®Networks’ infrastructure. SOE is a part of
Sony Pictures with a lot of technical expertise, especially
when it comes to building the backbone for multiplayer
game systems. So Sony Computer Entertainment turned
to the folks at SOE to help them out in this area, and this
arrangement proved to be highly successful.
Sony United also comes into play when Sony has a new
product like a professional-use camera or a digital projector.
We reach out to filmmakers and theater owners to help
explain how it can benefit their business to use Sony
equipment.
Utilizing the Sony Group’s technological
strength and global competitive edge
Does being part of Sony give Sony Pictures a unique
competitive advantage?
Yes, in two important ways. First, we can respond more
quickly to opportunities presented by technological
advances because we are part of one of the world’s great
technology companies. That’s why we’re leading the way
in digital cinema and the introduction of Blu-ray Disc
technology. It’s also evident in the success of our
Imageworks studio, which is producing some of the best
visual effects right now, as everyone can see in Spider-
Man 3. Sony represents the perfect blend of content and
technology, creating something great.
The second big advantage is that Sony is a truly
worldwide business, and that helps us recognize growth
opportunities in the international marketplace, especially
in terms of our international television and motion picture
businesses. We think and act globally.