5 ms·

Why is Sony crowdfunding? Surely they've got the money already being a massive corporation....

brokenkebab 7y ago
I suppose it indicates the project has only advertising goals.
DanHulton 7y ago
Yeah, that part infuriated me. I guess Sony - you know that scrappy little company trying to make it in this world - just can't put together the resources to build this world-changing gadget without OUR HELP, you know?
- daniel_reetz 7y ago
  The idea is to get market validation before launching new products.
  - imglorp 7y ago
    And hip social buzz. Oops, here we are talking about it now.
  - benbristow 7y ago
    Couldn't that be achieved with a 'like' button? I guess put your money where your mouth is...
    - Xylakant 7y ago
      Many people will like a product but not buy it later. This is more like preordering it with no promise that it’s built. Contains a stronger commitment.
  - krick 7y ago
    Right, because Sony doesn't already make almost any imaginable electronic device, many of which were introduced to the market for the first time by Sony. And it's not that good way to check anyway, I might realistically buy the device depending on the price and post-release real-user reviews, but no way I'm gonna fund it for Sony.
jotm 7y ago
Because they won't make it if not enough people are interested? I've long dreamed of a water cooled suit, but it would have too many disadvantages :D
giobox 7y ago
This is a thing larger companies do now too, and that we are here talking about the product which otherwise would likely never have graced the front page of hacker news is testament to the approach having some kind of marketing value. And of course, you validate the market for the product actually exists with real paying customers. Canon recently did the same thing for a new action style cam that’s a little outside their traditionally much more conservative camera products: > https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/7/3/20680982/canon-ivy-rec-camera-indiegogo https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/7/3/20680982/ca... In the case of Sony and Canon, one probably doesn’t need to worry too much about not getting a product if funding goals reached, or your money back in the event the project doesn’t reach its funding goals either.

I suppose it indicates the project has only advertising goals.

Yeah, that part infuriated me. I guess Sony - you know that scrappy little company trying to make it in this world - just can't put together the resources to build this world-changing gadget without OUR HELP, you know?

daniel_reetz 7y ago
The idea is to get market validation before launching new products.
- imglorp 7y ago
  And hip social buzz. Oops, here we are talking about it now.
- benbristow 7y ago
  Couldn't that be achieved with a 'like' button? I guess put your money where your mouth is...
  - Xylakant 7y ago
    Many people will like a product but not buy it later. This is more like preordering it with no promise that it’s built. Contains a stronger commitment.
- krick 7y ago
  Right, because Sony doesn't already make almost any imaginable electronic device, many of which were introduced to the market for the first time by Sony. And it's not that good way to check anyway, I might realistically buy the device depending on the price and post-release real-user reviews, but no way I'm gonna fund it for Sony.

jotm 7y ago

Because they won't make it if not enough people are interested? I've long dreamed of a water cooled suit, but it would have too many disadvantages :D

giobox 7y ago

This is a thing larger companies do now too, and that we are here talking about the product which otherwise would likely never have graced the front page of hacker news is testament to the approach having some kind of marketing value. And of course, you validate the market for the product actually exists with real paying customers. Canon recently did the same thing for a new action style cam that’s a little outside their traditionally much more conservative camera products: > https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/7/3/20680982/canon-ivy-rec-camera-indiegogo https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/7/3/20680982/ca... In the case of Sony and Canon, one probably doesn’t need to worry too much about not getting a product if funding goals reached, or your money back in the event the project doesn’t reach its funding goals either.