CES® 2024, the world's largest technology event, commenced in Las Vegas on January 9, 2024 (PST). Sony's press conference held prior to the event, was based on the theme "People at the Heart of Creativity." CEO Kenichiro Yoshida, together with a diverse array of speakers, introduced Sony's various initiatives and technologies that empower creators. This article covers the key points from the press conference.

"Throughout our history as a creative entertainment company, Sony has placed people at the heart of creativity. We are here for creators."
Yoshida stated that Sony has always been committed to being a force for good by empowering creators to turn their creative sparks into stories, just as Columbia Pictures, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, has done throughout its history. He emphasized that Sony would continue to work alongside creators to "fill the world with emotion."

Boundless Creativity

Jon Platt, Chairman and CEO of Sony Music Publishing, and Neal Manowitz, President and COO of Sony Electronics, then took to the stage and discussed Sony's drive to collaborate with creators. They underlined the importance of supporting creators, touching on Sony's Kando Trip initiative, which provides creators with a place to build a community, and the Songwriting camps which are held to foster creativity for songwriters. In addition, they also shared their expectations for Sony's lineup of products that reflects the needs of creators, including "Alpha 9 III," the world's first full-frame mirrorless camera with a global shutter image sensor, and the new CineAlta camera "BURANO," which offers high mobility with its compact size and light weight, enabling outstanding cinematic images even when shooting with a small crew.

Yoshida then highlighted real-time creation as a means of making the most of creators' time, supporting them and enabling collaboration. As an example, he announced "Torchlight," a facility to empower filmmakers by giving them a space to explore and experiment with new concepts and unique ways of storytelling in real-time.

Following on from filmmaking, Katherine Pope, President of Sony Pictures Television Studios, then spoke on cooperation with creators in the television business. She mentioned the "Diverse Directors Program," which provides opportunities for filmmakers from diverse backgrounds to work in the industry, and also underlined the expansion of game IP, including the adaptation of popular game titles such as "Uncharted," "Gran Turismo" and "The Last of Us" into movies and TV series.

Yoshida then returned to the stage and introduced the live-action film adaptation of Nintendo's game franchise "The Legend of Zelda" which will be co-financed and distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Entertainment as a further step in IP expansion. He added that, in addition to creating powerful content, Sony is also focused on expanding creators' imaginative worlds to the physical world, and that Sony's first immersive entertainment destination "Wonderverse" would be opening in the Chicago area this January.

Community at our core

Stating that being committed to creators mean supporting a variety of communities, Yoshida then touched on anime, professional sports, and gaming as communities that Sony is supporting by being committed to creators. In the anime field, he introduced Aniplex and Crunchyroll's initiatives that include the mobile, PC game, and live-action film adaptation of "One Punch Man." In the professional sports field, he said that together with athletes and partners, Sony aims to evolve the sporting experience through efforts such as optimized officiating and animated matches for live streaming. In the area of gaming, he stated that the response to hit games has driven momentum for PlayStation®5, and introduced the racing AI agent "Gran Turismo Sophy™" as a way of enhancing the driving experience.

Spatial Creation

"Furthering our passion for creativity, we continue to find opportunities in both virtual and physical spaces."
After expressing Sony's aspirations for spatial creation, Yoshida introduced for the first time, a new solution for spatial content creation which includes a high-quality display, providing creators with intuitive interaction for 3D design. He stated Sony's intention to further empower spatial content creators to transcend boundaries between the physical and virtual realm for more immersive creative experiences.

Yoshida then stated that Sony considers mobility an entertainment space where Sony can enhance creativity, and contribute to the advancement of mobility through its entertainment expertise while providing safety through its CMOS image sensors. He then introduced Toshihiro Mibe, President and Representative Executive Officer, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., who outlined Honda's future vision and expectations for Sony Honda Mobility. Izumi Kawanishi, President and COO of Sony Honda Mobility, then spoke on AI for ADAS and the mobility as a creative entertainment space, with Jessica Hawk, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft joining him on stage.

People at the heart of creativity

"Sony's potential is unlimited when we work alongside creators. "
Yoshida introduced a photo of the Earth taken by young creators in Japan using Sony's nano-satellite, and stated that the STAR SPHERE™ project is expanding the creation space to the universe. He emphasized that the Kando experiences Sony hopes to create can also be a force for good.

"People are at the heart of creativity."
Yoshida concluded his speech by stating that Sony embraces peoples' ideas and elevates their stories as it continues to power creativity with technology.