APRIL 10, 2012 ● Sony Corp. announced an annual net loss of $6.4 billion, which means its investors have not seen a profit in four years.  The company said sales of TVs were down almost 30%, with sales of home audio, video and digital imaging devices also down. Sony plans to lay off 10,000 of its 168,200 workers.

Impact: Sony’s new CEO Kaz Hirai faces some major challenges with the company.  However, it looks like a focus on games and mobile devices will be a key part of their strategy going forward.  Hirai is well versed in the game side of the business having served as the head of both Sony Computer Entertainment America and later its parent division Sony Computer Entertainment.  Clearly games have grown from a small niche in the organization to what they now call one of their core business areas, digital imaging and mobile are the other two.