At E3, Sony announced that the PS4 would arrive this year to America, Europe and the UK, but we got no information about where India stood in all this. So we got in touch with Sony to get all the details straight from Atindriya Bose, country manager of Playstation India.
The good news is that unlike the Xbox One, the PS4 will release in India this year, giving Sony the headstart this time around (Xbox 360 came to India a year before PS3.
Bose also touched upon various other topics in this exclusive interview, including PS4 pricing, bundles and launch line-up, as well as PSN, after-sales service, and more.
Here’s a brief rundown of some of the key points, but there’s a lot more in the full interview, which you can watch below.
- PS4 launch in India alongside Europe.
- Possible delay of up to a month due to logistics and certification processes, but will launch in 2013.
- Possibility of multiple SKUs and game bundles, but at launch, Sony India would like to keep it simple. So expect limited bundles at launch, if any.
- Indian price will be based on Rupee conversion of Euro price (399 Euro). Price still being evaluated due to currency exchange situations.
- Sony will announce India price for PS4 before Gamescom, which takes place in Germany in August. Preorders will begin soon after.
- All PS4 launch titles will be available in India alongside launch of the console.
- Sony still evaluating pricing for PS4 games. Will be finalised closer to launch.
- Sony planning high-profile launch for PS4 in India. Press and trade launches planned followed by multi-city tour.
- PS4 games can be technically manufactured in India, but that’s a decision Sony has to take internationally.
- No plans to offer trade-ins for PS3 users to get PS4 on exchange.
- No progress on PSN cards; unlikely to be available in India.
- Decision on adding more Indian debit card support on PSN rests with Sony Europe; cannot be done from India.
- PayPal support for adding funds to PSN account has to be permitted by local eBay office. Sony will discuss with eBay.
- PlayStation Mobile, and digital music and video services for PSN being evaluated, but not headed to India anytime soon.
- Sony will not offer an extended warranty service for PlayStation consoles.
- Still no servicing being done in India for PS3. Sony will continue with replacement policy.
- Sony looking to manufacture 95% of all first-party PS3 games in India.
- Still no progress on local manufacturing of third-party PS3 games.
- No current plans to reduce PS3 price.
- India has one of the highest PlayStation Move-PS3 attach ratios.
- PS3 will now target families and the mass market, while the PS4 will focus on gamers.
- PSP still going strong. Sony is looking to reinvigorate the PS Vita in India soon.