Retail Will Still Be Important for Next Generation Consoles, Sony Says

Even if retail distribution is losing ground in front of digital one, Sony believes that brick-and-mortar stores will be crucial to the success of the next generation consoles, when they’re, eventually, released onto the market.

The gaming industry isn't doing that great nowadays, with sharp declines registered by games and console sales, while digital distribution services are rapidly catching up to retail stores in terms of profits.

Even so, Sony believes that retail outlets will still be important in the future, especially once next generation consoles appear, like the oft-rumored PlayStation 4 or Xbox 720.

According to the company's UK boss, Fergal Gara, the current changes in the retail sector, like the shutdown of many stores, is just a readjustment to the present state of the industry.

“Coming down off that 2008 peak has been a steep ride for many and has involved fallout on many levels, not least of all retail. So what we’re seeing is not really a surprise, a bit of a readjustment if you like and it isn’t just happening to the specialists on the High Street. There is a bit of a reappraisal around space and the commitment from other retailers," he told MCV.

Everything will change when the next generation of consoles is released but, until then, Gara emphasizes that retailers should focus on staying afloat and on keeping their businesses as profitable as possible.

“We’d love to see as many of those retailers as possible maintain their interest in servicing the space because clearly down the road many of us are going to be doing our best to give another injection into the market whenever the next cycle starts.”

As of yet, however, the next big release for the gaming industry is the Nintendo Wii U, but it's still unclear if it's going to follow the successful footsteps of the original Wii.

Meanwhile, neither Microsoft nor Sony has mentioned anything concrete about next-gen consoles, the Xbox 720 and PS4, respectively.