The firm reported a net loss of 456.7bn yen ($5.7bn; £3.5bn) for the year to the end of March, compared with a 259.6bn yen loss last year.

The company said falling demand from developed markets also affected its earnings.

However, it forecast a profit of 30bn yen for the current financial year.

But despite the company sounding upbeat, some analysts said the firm was likely to face tough times even in the year ahead.

“There is no respite in sight for them. Demand from Europe has been falling and the yen continues to remain strong,”

“These factors are contributing to the fall in profitability.”

- Nitin Soni of Fitch Ratings told the BBC.

Double whammy

Sony’s production and sales were severely affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March last year.

The twin disasters resulted in supply chain disruptions and a shortage in power supply in Japan, forcing Sony to curtail production.

Its fortunes were hurt further by floods in Thailand later in the year, which saw its factories in the country being affected.

A strong Japanese currency, which gained as much as 10% against the US dollar between April 2011 and February 2012, further added to its woes.

A strong yen hurts earnings of firms when they repatriate their foreign earnings back home and also affects sales as it makes their goods more expensive to foreign buyers.

Growing competition

Aside from the impact of the strong currency and natural disasters, analysts say the firm has also lost ground to its competitors in key areas.

Sony’s TV division has been making a loss for the past eight years, hurt by the likes of Samsung which has been steadily increasing its global market share.

At the same time, Sony’s video games unit has also been facing growing competition not just from other gaming console makers, but also from the rising popularity of smartphones and tablet PCs, and the improving quality of games available on those devices.

“The core issue is that Sony is fast losing its leadership in technology to rivals,”

“It is not coming out with any new products or devices which can combine all their assets such as music, entertainment and gaming and have a mass appeal.”

- said Mr Soni of Fitch Ratings.

[source: BBC]

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Golf Mania gives players the chance to master over 90 holes of pure gaming fun,alongside multiplayer mayhem for all ages!

With it’s gorgeous graphics and out-of this world locations, Golf Mania features 10 gravity-defying courses, each with its own set of weird and wonderful obstacles and hazards. Putt your way through floating skyscrapers, cave-carved landscapes, and other astounding architecture whilst unlocking a whole series of fun new challenges and ball types.

Here is a trailer showing you whats in store if you are looking for a great little golfing title on that shiny new PSVita of yours.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Golf Mania is available for £2.49/€2.99/$3.99 now, so grab a club and get golfing!

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In I Am Alive, players will be challenged by both the environment and the enemies. Stamina and resource management are key when being exposed to deadly atmospheres and scaling enormous buildings in search of supplies. The unique combat system requires players to utilize intimidation – cowards are easily swayed with an empty gun, while other enemies will put players to the test.

Also available is a FREE iOS companion App, which features:
·  A ‘photo mode’ that lets you create your own I Am Alive-themed photos;
·  Original game soundtrack, including 6 tracks exclusively composed for the App;
·  A street map of the main game area with exclusive hints from the developers;
·  List of all resources from the game detailing the level of rarity and effects on health, stamina and stamina capacity;
·  List of all Achievements and Trophies with check/uncheck tracking feature;
·  5 videos including a trailer, a making and the 3 “survivor tapes”;
·  Over 50 production concept arts, promotional artworks and screenshots.

To download the App, please visit: http://itun.es/iPS4s6

For more information on I Am Alive, please visit: http://iamalive-game.ubi.com/

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“PS Vita was designed to deliver the ultimate portable entertainment experience, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the reaction we’re seeing from consumers and the pace at which PS Vita is selling,” said Andrew House, President and Group CEO, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. “The market has responded and there is clear demand for a mobile device capable of providing a revolutionary combination of rich gaming and social connectivity within a real world context.  To sustain momentum, we’re working closely with 3^rd party developers and publishers to ensure the best games and franchises possible will be available on PS Vita, and our software line up for the remainder of 2012 will have something for everyone across the globe.”

PS Vita introduces new ways to play, delivering deep and immersive gameplay experiences that have never been offered on any other handheld gaming device. Equipped with dual analog sticks, a vibrant 5-inch high definition OLED multi-touch screen, powerful quad core processor, six-axis motion sensing system, built in microphone, and front and rear cameras, PS Vita is the ultimate portable entertainment system. In addition to the ultimate portable gaming experience, by having both Wi-Fi and 3G network connectivity, together with various applications, PS Vita will enable infinite possibilities for users to “encounter,” “connect,” “discover,” “share” and “play” with friends wherever they are.

With more than 25 titles currently available in North and Latin America, Europe and the PAL territories and Japan* respectively including EA SPORTS FIFA Football, Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom®3 from Capcom, UNCHARTED^TM: Golden Abyss, WipEout® 2048 and Escape Plan from SCE Worldwide Studios, as well as over 70 titles in development, PS Vita is poised to drive continued momentum across the globe.

SCE will vigorously promote PS Vita as the next generation portable entertainment platform and work towards expanding the portable gaming market.

*              Titles may differ by countries and regions.

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The console DLC Heroes & Heralds is a separate mode that is available as a free update.

The PS Vita system version of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 includes several new features specific to the system. Players can battle in exciting online matches using new touch screen controls, either locally or via wi-fi.

A Spectator Mode and Replay function lets players watch and share matches over wi-fi and the Replay analyzer allows downloads of replay data which can be evaluated to hone skills. The PS Vita system NEAR feature offers an exclusive Gold Herald colour option for all characters which can be obtained through trades with friends. For fans who also have the PlayStation3 computer entertainment system version, DLC purchased from the console can be shared and the PS Vita system can be used as the “Ultimate Controller” to play the PS3™ version of the game.  

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There was a great opportunity with Virtua Tennis to allow the player to personalise their experience as much as possible using the front and rear cameras.

You can put your face in the game using the front camera and rise up the World rankings as you progress through your very own World tour career, competing against top players along the way.

The face detection function of the front camera allows you to import your face onto the PlayStation Vita, before customising every aspect of your player. You can change your appearance, kit and tennis accessories to make your player as similar to you as possible. You can also go on World Tour as your favourite player.

For the rear camera we used augmented reality to allow you to take photos and input your favourite players into them. You could have a photo of you and your family at dinner with Roger Federer hitting shots on the table or Andy Murray posing on your desk at work. It’s a fun extra that I’m sure people will really enjoy playing with.

Virtua Tennis 4: World Tour Edition is out on 22nd February, 2012. Its currently less than £25 at ShopTo.net which also appears to be the cheapest around.

Source: http://blog.eu.playstation.com/

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The House of the Dead 3 added a number of key features to the series’ creature-shooting roots, including interactive “rescue events” and a ranking and grading system that tracks each agent’s shot accuracy. This new console version of The House of the Dead 3 can be played using a PlayStation Move controller or a standard PlayStation controller, and as a special bonus SEGA has also included a unique reward for players to earn in-game: their very own virtual The House of the Dead 3 arcade cabinet for their PlayStation®Home space!

Haruki Satomi, Senior Vice President of Digital Business at SEGA of America said:

“We know not everyone has easy access to an arcade with a House of the Dead cabinet, so we wanted to give players around the world the chance to have that same experience in their living rooms.”

“We hope everyone enjoys The House of the Dead 3’s classic gameplay and new features, and look forward to introducing console owners to the fourth, previously arcade-only, installment later this spring.”

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This account change is a change in name only. Which means that you do not have to do anything and your username and password will not change.

This transition is based on Sony’s goal to enhance its unique digital entertainment offering. As a series of these activities Sony started last September, PlayStation Network will be aligned with “Sony Entertainment Network”. This helps us get closer to our goal of establishing a global comprehensive network platform of services across games, movies, music and more, all accessible from one convenient account.

Your Sony Entertainment Network account also enables use of Sony’s non-game services such as Music Unlimited, Video Store of PlayStation®Store and PlayMemories Online (previously called Personal Space) across a variety of network-connected devices.

For FAQs and more detail on this change please visit http://eu.playstation.com/support orhttp://en.support.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/

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Both Portal 2 and Skyrim were nominated for Game Of The Year as one of their nods. The other Game Of The Year nominees are Rocksteady Studios’s dark superhero game sequel Batman: Arkham City, FromSoftware’s immersive hardcore RPG Dark Souls, and Eidos Montreal’s acclaimed franchise update Deus Ex: Human Revolution, also all multiple award-nominated.

Other titles with multiple nominations include Naughty Dog’s action adventure Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception, and Team Bondi’s detective title L.A.Noire. A diverse set of overall nominees include titles with digital-physical crossover (Toys for Bob’s Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure – for Innovation), free-to-play elements to the fore (NimbleBit’s Tiny Tower – for Best Handheld/Mobile Game), and even no visual display at all (Die Gute Fabrik’s Johann Sebastian Joust – for Innovation).

Overall, the Game Developers Choice Awards are open to any video game, with no restrictions or payment for game submission, with open nominations from a plethora of game professionals helping to choose this year’s finalists. Winners will now be selected by the Game Developers Choice Awards-specific International Choice Awards Network (ICAN), which is an invitation-only group comprised of 500 leading game creators from all parts of the video game industry.

The complete list of nominees for the 12th Annual Game Developers Choice Awards are as follows:

Best Game Design
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (Nintendo)
Portal 2 (Valve)
Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
Dark Souls (FromSoftware)

Innovation
Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure (Toys For Bob)
Portal 2 (Valve)
Bastion (Supergiant Games)
Johann Sebastian Joust (Die Gute Fabrik)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)

Best Technology
Battlefield 3 (DICE)
L.A. Noire (Team Bondi)
Crysis 2 (Crytek Frankfurt/UK)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Naughty Dog)

Best Handheld/Mobile Game
Tiny Tower (NimbleBit)
Super Mario 3D Land (Nintendo)
Jetpack Joyride (Halfbrick)
Infinity Blade II (Chair Entertainment)
Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Capy Games/Superbrothers)

Best Audio
Bastion (Supergiant Games)
LittleBigPlanet 2 (Media Molecule)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
Dead Space 2 (Visceral Games)
Portal 2 (Valve)

Best Downloadable Game
Stacking (Double Fine)
From Dust (Ubisoft Montpellier)
Bastion (Supergiant Games)
Outland (Housemarque)
Frozen Synapse (Mode 7)

Best Narrative
Portal 2 (Valve)
The Witcher 2 (CD Projekt RED)
Bastion (Supergiant Games)
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Naughty Dog)
Saints Row: The Third (Volition)

Best Debut 
Supergiant Games (Bastion)
Team Bondi (L.A. Noire)
Re-Logic (Terraria)
BioWare Austin (Star Wars: The Old Republic)
Eidos Montreal (Deus Ex: Human Revolution)

Best Visual Arts
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (Naughty Dog)
Rayman Origins (Ubisoft Montpellier)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron (Ignition Japan)
Battlefield 3 (DICE)

Game of the Year
Batman: Arkham City (Rocksteady Studios)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios)
Portal 2 (Valve)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal)
Dark Souls (FromSoftware)

In addition to the awards for individual games, the Game Developers Choice Awards committee will be announcing its Special Award recipients in the near future, including honorees for the Pioneer, Ambassador and Lifetime Achievement Special Awards – as well as revealing the identity of this year’s Game Developers Choice Awards host.

Winners in all major categories will be honored at the Game Developers Choice Awards show, attended by more than 3,000 of the world’s leading video game developers, and taking place Wednesday, March 7th at 6:30 pm at the Moscone Convention Center during the 2012 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

In 2010, the Game Developers Choice Awards added a sister ceremony, the Game Developers Choice Online Awards which honors online and connected games, held during Austin’s GDC Online . Highlights from the 2011 ceremony, which awarded Trion Worlds’ Rift as Best New Online Game and Mojang’s Minecraft as Best Live Game, will be shown during the main Choice Awards ceremony in March.

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