Sony's CEO says homework was behind PS4 winning hearts

Sony's half a decade of homework leading up to PlayStation 4's launch contributed heavily to consumers positive reaction to the console, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America Jack Tretton told CNN Money in a recent interview.

"We spent a lot of time talking to consumers," Tretton told CNN Money, where he outlined how Sony formulated its strategy for its next-generation console. "We also spent a lot of time talking with the development community, asking what they wanted. The E3 press conference in the spring and the rollout was a culmination of that vision. The reaction is a testament that we got the strategy right. It's a long, ongoing process."

"You've got to execute against a strategy. If you start second-guessing and looking over your shoulder, you open yourself up to mistakes. If you did your homework the consumer is going to respond."

According to Tretton, Sony's goal was to get the price as low as possible without breaking the bank. It achieved PlayStation 4's $399 price point by looking at the product's feature set first, then the manufacturing costs. The company believed consumers "would respond favorably" to the final cost, however, he claims, the company did not know if the PS4's price would be "more aggressive or less aggressive than competitors." CNN Money's question if Sony expects to turn a profit with the console's launch price was met by a no comment by Tretton.

At E3, Tretton was met with raucous applause when he unveiled the PlayStation 4 with a price tag of $399, $100 below Microsoft Xbox One's, and devoid of used game and game-swapping restrictions. The CEO said that he watched Microsoft's press conference announcements and post-E3 policy reversals, but only from a consumer perspective and couldn't offer insight to the corporation's strategy.