It’s only been a month since the release of Playstation 5 but Sony Interactive Entertainment already has plans laid out for the plan. The publisher has new games releasing in the next months, enhancements to existing games and much much advertising. Even though a source statement stated that SIE doesn’t think of Japan as a “critical” area for its success with PS5, CEO Jim Ryan comes back to confirm that this is not true.
The original announcement, made by Bloomberg, wanted Sony Interactive Entertainment to declare Japan not present in its important targets. Jim Ryan, SIE CEO and boss, dismisses the claims, saying that Japan is “really important” for Sony and the release of PS5.
His statements can be found in Edge Magazine. The fact that the console released in the country alongside US proves further supports the statement. He says:
I’d also observe that we’re making a statement by launching in Japan day and date with the US. That is not what we did with PS4. So I read that stuff. A lot of that commentary is inaccurate, and Japan – as our second largest market and as Sony’s heartland – continues to be really important to us.
He goes on to express why Japan is such an important region by citing the success of Playstation 4:
We saw in the second half of the PS4 cycle a greater level of engagement from those Japanese publishers. That continues and strengthens yet again with PS5.
It would be almost a crime to expect Japan to not be critical for Sony Interactive Entertainment and PS5. Even more, since games like Final Fantasy 16 and Resident Evil 8: Village releasing in the next year. We can’t know exactly how important the region is, especially since the Playstation 5 units are in shortage right now. However, it will make sense for Sony to continue investing in it.
