Sony Playstation Touches Base In India

Sony India today announced the launch of the world's most popular brand of game console -- PlayStation -- in India, in association with Milestone Interactive.

With this launch, "PSone" becomes the first PlayStation console to be launched officially in the domestic market. Priced at Rs 7,990, a line-up of 26 game software titles that can be played on PSone are scheduled to hit retail stores through Milestone Interactive's distribution network across the country. While the hardware for PlayStation will be marketed by Sony India, Milestone Interactive will market the software titles. Milestone Interactive, in all, has 1,400 titles, ranging from sports and action to the Disney range of games and the likes.

The price range of these 26 game software titles will be around Rs 499-Rs 1,499. "We will have five different price points within this range," said Jayant Sharma, chairman and chief executive officer, Milestone Interactive.

Commenting on the marketing strategy for PSone, Teruo Ishii, managing director, Sony India, said, "We are planning to advertise and market our products more through promotions and below the line activities than above the line, which will form only about 10-20 per cent of our marketing and advertising exercise."

With the target audience of 18-21 year-olds, the company plans to take PlayStations to various schools and colleges in all the metros and semi-metros across the country. Other than this, display stations for PlayStation at all the Sony outlets would be set up. The company is also planning to conduct demonstrations in big shopping complexes.

Apparently, Sega, another gaming console major, in the past had introduced its console but failed to propel the market and finally pulled out of the market. When asked as to how Sony India is so confident of this market now, Sharma explained, "Sega was not able to do well even in the international markets as well and has withdrawn, unlike Sony which has a 80 per cent market share in the PlayStation and the gaming console market in many of the territories it is operating in."

"The Indian gaming market which only comprises of the software, currently stands at Rs 20 crore. The market is largely dominated by the PC games business which is likely to grow at a 30-40 per cent rate year-on-year. As compared with this, the computer video games business is likely to do better," Sharma added.