Sony Pivots to Entertainment: Anime Growth Drives Strategic Vision

Tokyo, Japan - Sony Group Corp will continue prioritizing entertainment and content creation over traditional electronics manufacturing, the company said on Friday during its annual corporate strategy presentation alongside fiscal year 2024 earnings.

Chief Executive Hiroki Totoki told investors that Sony would focus on its "Creative Entertainment Vision," continuing a multi-year directional shift that has transformed the former electronics giant.

According to the presentation, Sony expects its PlayStation 5 gaming console to remain a steady profit generator. 

Network services, including PlayStation Plus subscriptions, will drive revenue growth as the installed user base expands.

The company plans to release new titles, including "Ghost of Yōtei" and the live service game "Marathon," while continuing to support existing games "HELLDIVERS 2" and "Destiny 2."

Sony Pictures Entertainment listed upcoming film projects, including "Spider-Man: Brand New Day," a new Jumanji film, "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse," and four theater-exclusive biopics about The Beatles.

The company identified anime as a significant growth area, reporting that its Crunchyroll streaming service had more than 17 million paid subscribers as of March 31. 

Future anime-related initiatives include adapting the game Ghost of Tsushima: Legends and establishing a new production company called HAYATE Inc.

Sony also announced a strategic alliance with Japanese publisher KADOKAWA CORPORATION, though financial details were not disclosed.

In its imaging and semiconductor divisions, Sony said it will focus on content creation tools, building on its Alpha camera line, and developing larger image sensors incorporating new technologies such as the two-layer transistor pixel "TRISTA."