Sony CEO Kaz Hirai Calls Pokemon Go a “Game-Changer”, Sony to Push into Mobile Gaming
Following the astronomical success of this summer’s surprise hit, Pokemon Go, Sony is now set to be “aggressively getting into” mobile gaming. Sony chief executive Kaz Hirai stated in an interview with the Financial Times at the IFA consumer electronics expo in Berlin that “it’s quite a shift from being just a console-based business to being on mobile phones as well”, but “[mobile gaming] is something we are aggressively getting into.”
Hirai’s reason for this renewed push into mobile is directly influenced by the success of Pokemon Go. “Pokemon Go is a real game-changer,” stated Hirai. “I’m very interested in the fact that it has the potential to really change the way people move, literally.” While Pokemon Go’s popularity is waning, it had at one point brought in over $1.6 million per day. Augmented reality is a huge draw for the Sony CEO, and Hirai wishes to add AR to his company’s games as it is a “great innovative idea that’s going to lift all boats for the video game industry.”
Sony has been in the handheld market since the launch of the PlayStation Portable in 2004, but its foray into mobile devices has been limited to companion apps for for its games and the PSN, as well as light spinoffs from its franchises, such as Uncharted: Fortune Hunter and Run Sackboy! Run!
Sony’s new mobile gaming division, ForwardWorks, will be dedicated to this new push. “Mobile gaming is a very important part of the Japanese market and therefore we’ve created a wholly-owned subsidiary that’s completely dedicated to mobile gaming,” stated Hirai. “They’ll be coming out with titles.”
What kind of AR mobile games do you want Sony to release? Leave a comment below!