There’s no doubt that the PlayStation 3 will be in high demand at this year’s E3, but rumor has it that there will be limited hands-on access to the new console.  In an effort to soothe concerns, Ryan Bowling of Sony Computer Entertainment America explained that they “. . . are expecting big queues to see the PlayStation 3 and so will be taking great care to manage the crowds in the best way possible. All press will certainly have no problems seeing everything we are showing. This year is going to be huge for us. Not just in terms of what we’re showing, but in the major announcements we have planned.”  I think the biggest announcement that most gamers are likely to want at this juncture is a firm ship date of the PS3, as well as list prices that are palatable.

Bearing that in mind and with Nintendo planning a large production at E3 in regards to the Revolution, is there a chance they’ll steal Sony’s thunder?  They’ve already admitted that their hardware will be underpowered in relation to the Xbox 360 and PS3, yet it doesn’t seem to concern Nintendo execs in the slightest.  That seems a bit strange when you consider how much marketing muscle has been flexed in the past by Sony (and Microsoft), in regards to hardware specs, speed, and sheer power.  Nintendo is taking a different approach and has been for some time.  By all appearances they blend quietly into the background, yet they’re obviously doing something and doing it right.  To get an idea of how right, we’ll do a quick comparison of Sony and Nintendo’s bottom lines (as of March 2005) after the jump.

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	Revenue	Gross Profit	Total Net Income
Sony	$66.91 billion	$26.23 billion	$1.53 billion
Nintendo	$4.78 billion	$2.02 billion	$812.8 million

(All figures listed are courtesy of Hoover's and are in USD.)

 

Sony's figures are taken from the company as a whole, so the numbers also reflect revenue from sales of TVs, computers, etc., as well as any losses incurred by those divisions. Regardless, Nintendo comes away with 40% of their GP as income free and clear, whereas Sony only squeaks out 5.8%.

 

So Nintendo, as a much smaller company and one who undoubtedly doesn't get as much of the "limelight" as Sony, still manages to do quite well. Of course, fiscal figures are no indication of how well one company's product will do over another, but it is an indication that we can't ignore the potential problem the Revolution will cause Sony not just at E3, but also when their respective products launch.

 

To find out the true impact of both consoles be sure and join us as we venture forth to this year's E3, bringing you the latest scoops on Sony, Nintendo, and other key players in the industry.