Sony Kills off Aibo, Qrio, Qualia

Tomo-chan writes "It seems Sony's cost-cutting has made it a more pragmatic company. The new boss has weilded his mighty chopper and put an end to both Aibo and Qrio, as well as some other marginal product lines. Aibo -- we'll miss you..."

Truly bad product timing or economic pressure?

I think the proper title should be "the consumer market killed off some of Sony's fad products." Sony wouldn't kill off products that made them a profit. A profit is the only proof of a product's viability -- if people are willing to pay you to perform a service or build a product, your ability to profit proves if the product/service is worthy of your time.

I think we'll see more of these fad/trend items from other Asian manufacturers start to fall out of the production lines. The U.S. is one of the biggest consumers of these useless products, and personal debt is way too high to keep buying more stuff that depreciates 60% the minute it hits the house. With Americans buying less, Asian manufacturers have to reorganize their product lines for items that we do need.

Sony is already out of my buying schedule -- the rootkit and the overall low quality of products they've made in recent years have led me to decide to never buy their products again. I help a few cEOs and upper management types from my client base purchase home electronics and appliances -- I'll always tell them never buy Sony. I remember a few years ago how many of these 6+ figure income types were asking about Aibo and other eccentric toys, nowadays I hear nothing of the sort. Even worse, I don't even hear the wealthy elites asking about the latest flat panel TVs, high end GPS systems or the latest computer gadgets. If the wealthy are having a hard time staying on the 18 month upgrade cycle, what does that say about the economy?

Sony is probably smart to start slicing and dicing. The best thing they can do is refocus on their higher end line -- people who can afford the expense will want the best quality product available. I hate seeing a company I loved become a company I hate. They chased the common man, and their products suffered for it. They chased markets created out of force against consumer action (music, movies, etc) to give their previous customers even more reason to hate them.

Sony, if you're listening and you want to be pragmatic (meaning practical), chop it all out. Sell it all off. Return to Japan, make high end products with meticulous attention to detail and care. Love your customers again -- those willing to pay for the product quality and service. Don't chase the Best Buy guy (or the Circuit City kitty?) -- let the upper echelon come to you.

Billions in annual sales at a 2% margin makes less sense than hundreds of millions at a 20% margin. Here's a hint for all you future entrepreneurs: the only thing that will keep you profitable is to keep your customers happy and offer them a consistency in your performance -- product quality and customer service. Ignore the trends, the fads and trying to sell everything to everyone.

Re:Truly bad product timing or economic pressure?

I think the problem is that Sony is dropping their R&D products in favor of going for what will soon be commodity items. Not a smart thing to do, but it's the "safe" thing to do. The problem is, competition in Korea and Taiwan ate that lunch a long time ago. The more Sony retreats from the markets it currently occupies (Clies, for example), the more consumer mindshare it's giving up. At that point, they're competing pretty much just on price, and I'm afraid that all it's going to do it kill Sony, ESPECIALLY if they're still being hamstrung by directives from their Media Entertainment division.

Re:Truly bad product timing or economic pressure?

Yes, I believe you are right. I also believe that the Internet is starting to bring free market ideals into action. I don't believe mega-corporations can exist for very long without government subsidies or favoritism. Now we have instant information, re

Re:Truly bad product timing or economic pressure?

On the same vein, my dad's first TV was a Sony that lasted upwards of 15 years without a problem. Since then he always bought Sony TVs. Over the last decade he has come to me for advice on electronics.

I pointed him towards the iMac 21" G5. He will never

Put down the pipe...

Mexican plants are perfictly able to produce high quality products; Sony is not paying them to do so. The problem has nothing at all to do with Mexican labor vs. some other location.

Re:Put down the pipe...

Mexican plants are perfictly able to produce high quality products

I dunno about that. Last time I had anything produced from a Mexican plant, it was a bottle of Señor Borracho's Old Style Blue Agave Tequila, and next thing you know, I wake up in a Tijuana jail wearing nothing but a Mexican stripper's panties on my head. I'm never touching that shit again, man.

Re:US biggest buyer?

In Japan, if you want to display your financial superiority, you buy cool electronic toys - ultra-light laptops... In the US, you buy a big car

In short, in the U.S. if you have a small penis you buy big stuff. But in Japan, if you have a small penis you

I hope you're happy!

Sony's got to cut back to the bone to survive because you piratical sons-of-bitches aren't buying enough Ricky Martin CDs!!

Quick, someone call PETER!

PETER, you know, People for the Ethical Treatment of Entertaining Robots?

Rumour has it that these Sony products have rootkits in them that can be remotely accessed to initiate a horrific self-destruct sequence.

Re:Quick, someone call PETER!

Yes .. you called??

But sorry, the robots I support are http://www.realdoll.com/ [realdoll.com] :-)

What's left?

So they killed off their PDA line, the Clie...

Now they are killing off their research technologies...

I can see the headlines now:

"Sony to stop selling Televisions, Cameras, and Personal Computers! Moving to toothpick business!"

Here's Hoping!

Gee, let's hope that this makes Sony produce more quality products, with more functionality. Why are they ignoring their customers?

Seems wrong.......

That dog (so to speak) was practically an unofficial mascot to Sony and Japan to foreigners....... I know I thought of Japan/Sony when I saw one. I'm surprised they got rid of something that had become part of their identity. Maybe they will replace it with a low-cost model many can afford?

I misread it as "Sony Kills off Alito, Scalia".

Well, with Sony pushing DRM so hard, we'll soon see robotic judges, aka "digital rights managers" :-)

Sadly

... Sony have also announced they will be phasing out Kibo, an experimental artificial intelligence program that has been fooling the sophomoric inhabitants of alt.religion.kibology for over 20 years.

Summary

Aibo -- we'll miss you...

No, we won't.

... Nooo! Not Qrio! ...

I like those little guys.

Let's face it, Aibo was a dumb idea at a really high price point, but Qrio -- I mean, able to run and dance and throw stuff -- Qrio was cool. Cool enough for a Beck video, even.

I was hoping that Sony'd be able to make Qrios for

200? big spender..

are you aware of the price of aibo? and you'd shell out a whole 200 for qrio?

gads.

Whatup?

Well I'd say this was the wrong decision. Aibo and Qrio are in everyone's mouth. Everyone wants one, but they are just too darn expensive.

If they could keep developing it, several generations later they could rule the market for price efficient home robots. Still yet they were a great marketing tool.

I wonder what's their strategy, especially that RIGHT NOW, they need all the positive press they could get. Killing the world's favorite pet robots is a bad press coming after bad press.

Really?

Doggone.

Here Boy!

I used my Aibo to fetch my CD's, until he became infected by the Sony rootkit. Now all he does is chew them to pieces.

Sony isn't destroying everything

The line of Qualia televisions were actually replaced by the SXRD [sony.net] line.

SXRD's have better image quality, longer life, and are much much cheaper. I have one in my living room - they beat the hell out of Plasmas.

From Sony's Qrio site:

From Sony's Qrio site [sony.net]:

Qrio embodies Sony's dreams and most advanced technologies in recognition, motion control, communications, IT and AI. [...] resulting technologies will be applied to a wide range of products and services, beyond robots, to enhance the fun and joy of life.

Well, so much for Sony killing off its own dreams. More seriously, how can Sony hope to offer innovative products in the future, if it fails to pursue cutting-edge research now. Certainly, developing high-precision manufacturing techniques, etc. can only help in the future when such technologies will be required. -- Paul

Where's Aibo, Uncle Howard?

Sweetie, the shareholders and I took that product line off to a beautiful farm where it will be happy forever running through fields of Newtons on the banks of Crystal Pepsi River. Aibo is in a better place now.

Let's go get some ice cream.

Adios, amigos..

Sony Kills off Aibo, Qrio, Qualia.

I'm sorry, but who are these people, exactly? Bolivian immigrants working as janitors at Sony HQ?

Killing them seems awfully harsh -- I would think a wealthy company like Sony could just get them deported, or maybe beat up?

Vaya con dios, my Bolivian friends! There are no wastepaper baskets to empty in Heaven!! *sniff*