Lenovo’s Game Console — Yet Another Plan 联想：新推游戏机，这次能行吗？
It’s May in Shanghai and spring is finally in the air, which can only mean one thing: it’s time for Lenovo (HKEx: 992) to get into yet another new product area. First it was cellphones, then smartphones, then tablet PCs, and now the company is officially releasing its first gaming console. (Chinese article) I previously wrote that Lenovo’s new tablet PC, the LePad, could stand a good chance of success (previous post), given the company’s strong position in China which accounts for half of its sales. But I see very little to be gained from this latest gaming console plan, though admittedly details have been scarce so far. There’s a reason that Sony 
(Tokyo: 6758) and Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) have all largely avoided the China gaming console market so far. In a nutshell, rampant piracy makes selling legitimate gaming titles — the main profit source for the console business — virtually impossible in China. Perhaps Lenovo has found a way to beat the pirates as it’s certainly very familiar with the China market. But if it hasn’t, which I suspect will be the case, this could become yet another failure for the company and also a major distraction from products it should be pursuing.
Bottom line: Lenovo is showing a worrisome tendency to chase too many products outside its core PC business, which could prove both distracting and resource-wasting over the longer term.
到了五月份，上海终於有春天的气息了，不过它还可以有另外一层含义：联想<0992.HK>又要试水新产品了。先是手机、接着智能手机、再接着是平板电脑，现在联想正式发布首款游戏机了。此前我曾写道，鉴於联想在中国市场的地位，乐Pad应有成功机会。但是对於联想最近的游戏机计划，我实难看到多大好处，虽说迄今计划细节寥寥。目前为止，索尼<6758.T>、微软<MSFT.O>基本避开中国游戏主机市场，这麽做必定有其中的道理。简单说，中国市场盗版盛行，销售正版游戏非常困难，而卖游戏又是主机业务的主要收入来源。联想深知中国市场情况，也许有办法打击盗版。如果不是这样，联想可能又要失败收场了，而且还会对公司应该推行的产品造成重大干扰。
一句话：联想似乎出现核心PC业务外全线出击的忧心趋势，长远而言可能不仅干扰主业、而且浪费资源。
Related postings 相关文章:
◙ Apple Takes A Second Look at China for iPad 2 苹果重新考虑中国市场
◙ Lenovo’s LePad: Finally a Game Plan That Could Work 联想乐Pad：终於拿出了像样的东西
◙ Motorola Comes Xooming Into China 摩托罗拉平板电脑偏重中国市场
