5 Reasons The PlayStation Is Toast

DAN SEITZ:

I don’t enjoy writing articles like this. I own a PS3 and I actually think Sony did a lot right this console generation once they got past their disastrous launch. I was deeply skeptical of the PS3 when it first launched and then Sony turned around and made a console that was easy to fix and had a lot of streaming apps.

On the other hand, sometimes you have to read the writing on the wall. The PS Vita has officially become an albatross around the company’s neck, with it and the PSP combined selling a whopping 1.4 million units worldwide last quarter. That alone was enough to drag the gaming unit to a $45 million loss this quarter.

This is just the start: Here’s why.

[NastyLeftHook0]

How do you know the ps4 will be sold at a loss? Do you have a time machine? if so, can i borrow it? I would love to see a t rex and how gaming will be 3000 years from now. Not to mention our sun become a red giant, do you have access to that far in the future?/s

[Godmars290]

Sony's always worked on the basis of sell the razor at a loss, make it up on the razor blades. Something which generally worked with the PS1 and PS2, but has fallen flat with the PSP, PS3 and now the PSV apparently.

Still a fair even bet they'll, since in every case they did more than simply try and sell a game console, they'll do so again. Though they're just as likely to at least break even this time around with the PS4, given that tech in general isn't high priced or at a breakout stage.

[PoSTedUP]

idk why ppl waste their time on these articles still, they have been around for the PS3 since b4 it launched, now again with the PS4. this isn't journalism. just like fr0sty said below: " [they're just] grasping at straws"

[gaffyh]

The stupid thing about all these articles is that the PS Vita hasn't had a full holiday's worth of sales, and it is well known that Sony decided to go for a soft launch for the device in March.

If it doesn't sell well in the holiday period, with a big title such as COD, then it is in trouble.

Also, if we see a PS3 remodel at GamesCom, I don't think PlayStation will have much to worry about for the next year.

[BattleAxe]

My opinion is that this generation was a staging ground to get the PSN up and running and to make Blu-Ray a success. Also, this generation Sony has managed to purchase some of the best game studios the industry has to offer. The VITA hasn't been on sale during a Christmas season yet, so I don't think we've seen its potential yet.

When you look at the games coming out this holiday season for the VITA like Assassins Creed, Call of Duty, Playstation: All Stars, Madden NFL 13, FIFA 13, Little Big Planet, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time and Street Fighter vs. Tekken, its a no brainer that this system is going to sell. I haven't really liked the last two CoD games, but I am definitely intrigued by CoD on PS VITA.

Lastly, with services like GAIKAI and PS HOME, and the fact that Sony owns the rights to a massive library of music (Sony BMG) and TV shows/Movies (Sony Pictures Entertainment), Sony has got to be one of the best positioned companies in the world to be able to take advantage of the digital age. Sony actually led a group of investors and just purchased British owned EMI Music for $2.2 Billion. Once Kaz finishes what he has started, Sony will be the company that everyone is excited about as opposed to Apple.

[bintarok]

Gaming ecosystem has been changed drastically for the industry, so it's not constrained to Sony Playstation only.

Like it or not, we're in a transition from current traditional console gen to tablet gen. Just don't believe me now, but it'll be more obvious from 2013-2015 where 28nm multicore SoC GPUs coming up to finally reach Wii U/PS3/x360 graphic performances that leads to console/tablet hybrids (PS4,x720?)

From that point further, all "traditional" consoles/devices will be virtually R.I.P, cloud gaming and tablet wars will be the next big thing.

.02 cents

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

@bintarok

I hope you are wrong.

First because I like owning my physical copies which I can lend to friends, carry around, touch, smell and even sell if I no longer want 'em. And it requires online... Don't get me wrong, I buy stuff in the online services, I use online communits, play online, but I don't want to be required to be online all the time, signing a bunch of agreements to use every game... And I don't even think internet access is anywhere near what's needed yet, specially considering that many of us play for 3 to 4 hours a day and most internet services have a cap.

Secondly because I don't care all that much for portable gaming... In fact I believe we'll always want a home gaming solution despite portable devices eventually getting on the same performance level. I don't know if the console market model will work forever, maybe a more PC like (upgrades) solution take over in two or three generations... But tablets? I don't think they are even trying for the same market.

[ShinMaster]

We already heard this nonsense 6 years ago.

He contradicts himself by saying that Blu-ray didn't sell the PS3, when in fact PS3 helped win the HD format war and "theater nerds" as he calls them, got a PS3 for movies.

[QUOTE]: "This isn’t just Sony’s problem: Microsoft’s got this one even worse"

Yet the flamebait title says otherwise.

[knowyourstuff]

lol Apple has absolutely no reason or interest in console gaming, this author doesn't have a flying clue what he's talking about as per usual.
Also, who cares if you sell at a loss, it's called loss leader, it's a business model that razorblades use as well as tons of other industries, the author Dan Shitz doesn't know shitz about business.
Also, the entire reason Sony and Microsoft are waiting 8 years to release another console is so people would definitely be sick of their old console and be dying for an upgrade. Seeing as how Danny has a short term memory, all previous console cycles were 5 years, not 7 or 8.
Who is to say the next generation Playstation won't have heavy emphasis on digital media or cloud gaming? Danny use your brain, the increase in digital media won't render the PS4 dead, we already have digital media - it's called the PSN and XBL, where you can buy and download games at your whim. If you're a person looking for this service it is already available!
Also, publishers aren't "drying up". Japanese devs will continue to make the same games that turn huge numbers, like Resident Evil, Metal Gear Solid and Devil May Cry, they aren't going to ditch that business model and stick to mobile, that's just crazy and stupid.
Voted Down!

[jeseth]

Author probably doesn't even own a PS3, just trolling for hits.

No hit from me, just another crap article (practially an opinion blog) on N4G.

Next!

[Hisiru]

Why do we have articles like this? Who approves this kind of crap?

[jadenkorri]

who approves this crap, the 360 trolls, all I ever see on this stupid site is ps3 fail that, sony fail this, etc etc etc... I don't think i ever seen a 360/MS failed article, they just don't get approved. If sony was doing so bad as all these stupid articles, they would be outta business, but there not. PS3 owners are getting exclusive after exclusive, and we still play online for free. But i guess everyone wants to pay to play online, pay for your internet, power bill... Hey lets throw in some call of duty elite and bf3 premium, what more do you want to pay for too, halo4 online, Uncharted online, borderlands premium. If you had said no to MS live Gold, we probably wouldn't be dealing with all these subscriptions now.

[fr0sty]

So, let me get this straight, Sony releases PS3, it gets off to a slow start, and then goes on to sell as many units as the console that had a year long head start on it (behind by a couple mil, negligible when looking at the tens of millions of total units sold and still smaller than the gap when ps3 launched). Now they launch Vita off to a slow start, and now we have articles spelling out Sony's doom? The first Xbox lost over $4 billion. 360, while in itself profitable, has not generated the profit needed to get Xbox as a brand out of the red. Where are the doom and gloom articles for Microsoft, a company that just posted it's first ever loss as well?

The fact is, no successful console manufacturer (as in, one that has more than one generation behind them) has EVER gone out of business after one bad generation. Nintendo got spanked 2 gens in a row with N64 and Gamecube, and look what happened to them. Microsoft got beaten with it's own arm when it came to Xbox, and look where they're at.

This article is just grasping at straws.

[Razmossis]

I love it when companies/developers I like make mistakes... it means they LEARN from them!!

A few mistakes this gen will mean a lot of ironing their plan out so it's smooth sailing for next gen.

[HammadTheBeast]

These stupid authors fail to realize that we're dealing with companies that have billions of dollars, stocks, trades, and million dollar consultants and planners. If the guy in his room writing up an article about a company whose game console he bought can successfully predict the outcome of a companies future, than I will accept a perma-ban from the internets.

[thezeldadoth]

nintendo hasn't gotten "spanked" any generation. The n64 and GC did decent, all the while they were blowing away any console sales with their handhelds. The wii and DS both beat every other platform out there.

[thezeldadoth]

its ok, continue to disagree with facts. That'll get you places.

[Sgt_Slaughter]

@thezeldadoth The Gamecube getting beat by over 100 million units is pretty much getting spanked...

[dcbronco]

Frosty you're missing a ton of information. Sony has done a good job of selling consoles. But during most of those years they were sold at a loss. As late as 2010. MS lost a ton on the first Xbox. Some say over 5 billion. But the 360 has made up for that in combination with Live. Xbox as a product is definitely in the black. Plus if you look back through Sony annual reports, Playstation has lose around 6 billion. Xbox is in a division with a lot of other products. PS was in a division alone for until recently. So while the E & D division may show small profits, the revenue was over 4 billion the last quarter alone and the bulk of that is from the Xbox.

The doom and gloom for Sony is based on the companies health. I wouldn't contribute it to the PS brand at this point since that is a healthier division. But as a company Sony is on the verge of bankruptcy. And it is getting little help from gaming which used to be a very good source of income. If Sony continues to have a bad year it will mostly go into bankruptcy.

I disagree with a lot of the article. Blu-ray hurt, but on price in the beginning and it may be the cause of all of Sony's problems. But the PS3 streams too. Most consoles are sold at a loss. In the past. I don't believe that will be the case this generation. APUs, SoCs and small die sizes will change that. I believe the next consoles will be sold well under cost. Apples not a factor as that is a different market. Publishers are dying but indie, small developers and the availability of Live and PSN, plus things like Kickstarter will open new doors for more people. And the man users will move on because besides the Wii, people bought consoles for games like Halo, Gears, Uncharted and CoD. They are the games that sell the majority of systems and new versions will only be available on the next generation(for the most part).

The author might ultimately be right. But he has the wrong reasons.

oh, and there are no doom and gloom articles for Microsoft because they have around 50 billion sitting in an office somewhere.

[theWB27]

There aren't doom articles about Microsoft because as a company, they aren't in nearly a bad as state as Sony as a whole company. I think these articles are cropping up now because of that. I don't agree..cause I think they'll come out of it and Sony will recover. But their ground is alot shakier than Microsofts.

[Ryo-Hazuki]

The PS3 is toast but it outsold the competition last qtr....These articles are funny

[Jazz4108]

Microsoft expected loses on there very first console. Sony was a leader and was expected to smash the 360 and its still at the end of this gen not even caught up to if. Ms has not lossed money 17 qtrs in a row like sony has and ms as a company is still very profitable and wallstreet has confidence in ms to stay that way. You just cant say the same about sony as they are bleeding and dying from the powerhouse they once were and no one thay matters in the investing world including japan has confidence in them turning this around. Sorry to be negative but its a bad situation.

[nukeitall]

I think dcbronco, has a very good point. The Xbox 360 business is profiting MS hand over fist. Each console sold has provided a profit for years, not to mention accessories, games, DLC and Xbox Live memberships.

On the other hand, Sony has been reducing price on the PS3 to gain market share, but it's pretty much a standstill. Now their gaming division's situation is worsening due to slow PS Vita sales and major contraction on PS3 sales after a price cut.

Nintendo is also on a bad quarter, but theirs are due to future investment on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS not lagging sales. I'm pretty sure they too are making a profit on each Wii being sold and soon breaking even on 3DS.

[jeseth]

Good point Frosty,

Everyone conveniently forgets that PS3 has outsold 360 since it launched, and has been more expensive the whole time ... and 360 had a year head start.

PS3 also gave us free online gaming this gen, way better exclusive games (not even f'ing close now ... hell they even made our PS3's 3D F'ing Blu Ray players.

Sony is fine in the gaming dept. Still selling PS2s and PSPs for crying out loud.

[dcbronco]

360 outsold the PS3 last year so the since launch thing is wrong. And while Sony gaming had a loss this year I do think it is one of their stronger divisions. But the other divisions are so weak that they look like they are going to take the entire company down.

Though all of Sony's problem started with that Blu-ray player you love so much. That barely sells any copies. It sells movies to the gamer crowd because of all the summer action movies. But it is not big in the mainstream and that is what it needs. DVD still owns that by a ton.

And while the 360 was winning sales last year Sony released 6 of those big exclusives. No effect what so ever. Sony should probably break off Sony Entertainment(movies, music, gaming) and give people stock in that and take the rest private of sell it off.

[iamnsuperman]

The article can be applied to any console really. The big question is why focus on the PS3?

I don't want to be that guy but this "Microsoft is used to fighting Apple and you’ll notice they’re bracing for it with SmartGlass and the Surface. Sony, though, has no weapons and now that it owns Gaikai, making a dedicated gaming machine may be less compelling if you can just work your gaming into your TVs as a feature" is just plain dumb.

Sony are not going to implement their games in to their TVs as it would kill Sony's biggest division (Sony are not stupid). However Gaikai could be used in TVs to make a demand service similar to Netflixs that also can be introduced into their console. I am not sure what person buys a PS3 (or any console) just for its ability to download movies.

[HammadTheBeast]

Mini-games in tvs.

Priceless.

[joeorc]

"Sony are not going to implement their games in to their TVs as it would kill Sony's biggest division (Sony are not stupid). However Gaikai could be used in TVs to make a demand service similar to Netflixs that also can be introduced into their console. I am not sure what person buys a PS3 (or any console) just for its ability to download movies."

Sony is not just only going with "just the Playstation" to sell Playstation Game's now!

That's what the transition they started in 2007 is all about. Look at the Mobile chipset's are capable of, do people not get that?

Those chips are going into TV's, we are talking chipset's that handle DirectX 11+ shader Model 4+, The Idea of the Game console is to sell software for the Living room right?

That's exactly what many companies other than just Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft are going to be doing. At least all three and since we are talking about Sony , right now is being proactive in avoiding the fate like what happened to their dedicated PDA line of Handhelds that was Absorbed by SmartPhones, now dedicated PDA's are pretty much gone except in areas of store's for POS, shelf restocking, etc.

the main consumer went on to Smartphones, Look i doubt anyone really thinks deep down game consoles will completely go away, though what the game console in the future may not resemble what we would call a game console in the traditional sense.

in this 5 reason's he posted this:

"As I’ve mentioned elsewhere, there’s distinct financial pressure on Japanese publishers especially to abandon the console business to the West and just turn out mobile games. That pressure is just going to get more intense. If the Ouya or something like it takes off in Japan, that pressure will be overwhelming."

And Yet out of the 3 companies who is selling the most Smartphones right now?

Nintendo does not make any, Microsoft has not done very well, but that may change with Windows phone 8, but Sony has been selling over 7.2 Million Xperia line smartphone's per sales Quarter, they now Have the Playstation Mobile software platform. that not just only works on their own produced Hardware but also other companies hardware.

Sony for the first time ever will be making in house 1st party development studio's making mobile Playstation Games for the Playstation Mobile software!

That means Sony 1st party Games running on 3RD party Hardware not even made by Sony!..do people not get that?

they are doing that for a reason! the PSVita will run the Playstation Mobile software, that also means it will not only run those games but its own software.

[BrutallyBlunt]

"The article can be applied to any console really. The big question is why focus on the PS3? "

1 - Out of the big players who is doing the worst financially?
2 - Out of the big players who has lost the most out of their previous install base?

I personally don't see the Playstation division being toast. What i do see is a whole new restructuring process and the acquisition of Gaika is one area that will change their direction going forward. The days of creating a game console that is closed off and using exclusives to carry it is not where the growth is. These so called hardcore gamers who post on forums hating where things are heading are the minority now. That's why they are so vocal. What they fail to understand is both casuals and hardcore can co-exist. There shouldn't be these barriers where cloud gaming, social gaming, motion control gaming and so forth need to be categorized.

We've already seen console gaming adapt to things like adding Netflix, online multiplayer, online stores, indie titles and so on. So you either need to adapt to todays times or get left behind and the hardcore gamers are the hardest to convince that change is necessary.

[andibandit]

@iamnsuperman

i dont think you quite understood the article. The upcomming war is the fight for the living room, not for the core gamer. TV makers, Apple and MS are all vying for power by implementing the necessary technology. Sony are doing what theyve been doing the last decade, and tho i DO think it will work for them 1 more generation, i think theyll be hopelessly behind the generation after the next.

Casuals outweigh core gamers by ALOT. Software developers WILL follow them if a strong userbase is established by one of the aforementioned companies.

[GTRrocker666]

I want to meet Thomas Paine.....and bang cleopatra

[theWB27]

I always wondered if, despite history, Cleopatra was an ugly broad with a ton of charm and history treated her looks a little better.

[Zeixama]

Sony and PlayStation brands are belong to New World Order. They are not going anywhere, always behind you. You don't believe me ?!

[shutUpAndTakeMyMoney]

Why else would $99 consoles be talked about?

[Campy da Camper]

If you are on Earth when our sun turns into a red giant, you will see one serious red ring of death.

[dubt72]

Or it could explode as is and create a super Yellow Light of Destruction...

[novcze]

haha funny :)

[Eyeco]

why are people even commenting on this stupid article ?, all the points can be attributed to all the upcoming next gen consoles, only reason why Playstation is slapped on the title is for obvious flamebait.

And even still most of these points have been debunked several times some of them years ago (physical media is dead oh noes) Ignore people.

[StayStatic]

Consoles are always sold at a loss hence the licensing fees added to a console games price, "Well said" my ass , otherwise consoles would cost the same as PC hardware at launch , thought that would be blindly obvious , but I suppose ignorance is infectious when your favourite toy is criticised.

[dcbronco]

In past generations consoles usually were sold at a loss the first 12-18 month. Nintendo being an exception. The parts are cheaper than PC parts because the console maker usually helps design the parts(even though they are based on off the shelf parts), pays for the designing of them and then shops the production around to the lowest bidder. They also don't have to have a profit margin like a retailer or the manufacturer. AMD or Nvidia might sell a GPU for $400. It might cost them $200 to make or less. The retail markup is probably high because the prices drop so fast.

The other side of that is what happened to Microsoft with the first Xbox. Neither Nvidia or Intel would give them a break on the price of parts so the original Xbox cost MS more than it could sell it for later in the generation. The 360 has to be making well over a $100 per Premium unit now after the die shrinks, combining of parts, shrinking parts and removing parts.

[cee773]

blu ray was $200 in 2006
now its under $12

so not much loss in next gen

ok microsoft showed sony they could compete this gen after the spanking from last gen which was a huge lost for microsft over $4billy jeans this gen they lost over $3billion on xbox 360 but there always in the black but to sum it up microsoft adapted and turned those losses into investment which is what you see here today xbox 360

its now sony's turn to adapt and turns the losses to investment alot of losses were from r&d of the cell $4billi and the blu ray theve won a format war which everyone thought was gonna be beta all over again so thats good investment they get royalties for every blu ray sold now if they can do something with thw cell

[WeskerChildReborned]

Yea, it doesn't make sense to bash something that hasn't came out yet.

[LAZL0-Panaflex]

Sony is probably the only one who isn't toast, they got gaikai, Xperia, and they sided with Google. Windows is trying to do their own tablet. Nintendo will be like Sega just hanging there ....making games.

Tablets, smart TVs and streaming is the future. Deal with it.

What's the last thing Jack Denton said at the end of e3?...Sony is always looking for different ways to bring you games and media""
A month later gaikai. Bye bye hardware hello cloud.

[SonyWarrior]

how do you know our sun will turn into a red giant? do you have a time machine?

[smashcrashbash]

You mean like how the PS3 was supposed to be toast and the PS1 was supposed to be toast? Why the rush to say why the PlayStation will no longer exist? And why bring up Microsoft as a factor? Microsoft's products are always second to something else. What makes this person think that they could ever compete with Apple. They can't even make a decent phone or MP3

[blue7_7]

lol no one said the PS3 was toast it was suppose to dominate let alone the PS1 if your going to use examples at least use real ones not ones that you make up.

Anyways yeah Sony really is in bad shape but they can turn it all around I don't think the playstation brand is going anywhere at least not for one more gen and depending on how the PS4 does.

[edgeofsins]

Millions said PS3 was toast. Wii fanboys saying the Wii is the future using new controls and caring about gameplay more then graphics. XBox 360 fanboys were using the old Halo excuses and XBox Live excuse saying the PS3 was crap. This was before launch. No I don't think every fan or customer of any console is automatically a fanboy.

[MysticStrummer]

@blue and the people who agreed with blue - Welcome to N4G. It has to be your first day, maybe not just on N4G but on the internet itself. Many many many many many people said PS3 would fail. Not quite as many, but still a lot of people, said PS1 would fail.

PS will evolve, and maybe go in directions we won't like, but as a brand it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

[blue7_7]

what are you guys talking about above me. Yeah mysticstrummer welcome to N4G were blind fanboys like you exist. Are you also going to tell me everyone is expecting the Iphone 5 to fail as well lol.

So you are telling me after Sony dominated with the PS1 and obliterated the competition with the PS2 then everyone of course it just made sense for the PS3 to just fail outright like that right.....

It's not like Sony themselves didn't think they were going to dominate again right they just thought it would be fun to launch a year later and at a $600 price point right.

Of course not anyone with a brain predicted it would sell like hot cakes again seeing the fan base it had and how popular the playstation brand was. But like I said you can't talk sense to fanboys.

[Revolver_X_]

@Blue7_7
Its funny how you try to mock ppl and say they're wrong when its quite the opposite. The PS2 era I must admit was dominant, but thats the exception. You obviously dont know gaming history. Oh how they quickly forget Xbots running amuck with claims of the DVD9 destroying Blu-ray. Yet, Blu-ray dvds, players, etc. are in high demand. Even rumors of Xbox720 using Blu-ray is hilarious to me.

I remember similar situation with PS1. Nintendo laughed at the idea of disc based games. Questioning if it was cost effective, and making outrageous claims. BTW, who uses cartridges still? Exactly. PS has been the underdog quite a few times. I see these comments and I can see these trolls salavating out the mouth at the idea of Sony ending forever. Two words. Never Happening. Nintendo , PS, and now Xbox are not going anywhere. Each console has its pros and cons. N4G has always been a breeding ground for pompous trolls who make up so-called facts to help their argument. If ppl say Sony's through, I'll be here to post at the launch of PS5, Xbox1440,and Wii Them saying I told you so.

[thebudgetgamer]

I always love articles that start how much the person likes something only to turn around and smash it.

[HammadTheBeast]

I always love articles that use completely out of context metaphors.

Seriously, he uses the word "Albatross" at least 6 times.

[The Meerkat]

This will sound like heresy to most but Sony and Microsoft might do better together. Their combined pool of IPs on one console would be enough stop Apple from getting in on the act.

Nothing is more important than stopping Apple.

[fr0sty]

At least then we'd have a console that didn't catch on fire, but still let you chat online with your friends even if they're playing another game. As long as they don't start charging you to play it online, or sell you features and them remove them later, I think it'd be cool.

[attilayavuzer]

I think at the very least they should have a cross compatible achievement system. I think they both have too much pride to make a console together though, but I'd actually love for it to happen

[GTRrocker666]

No consoles need exclusives. Competition is a good thing in the market. That's what keeps companies striving for more and not settling .

[dorron]

Another "PS3 is dead" article? Very original... Not giving a hit to the author.

[12345bnm]

The article is almost as relevant as this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[NoGunz]

LOL, WTF?, it actually worked!
O.o

[Kran]

You mean this toast?

Cause as far as "toast" as in "doomed" goes, so not true.

[Tapioca Cold]

Sources Mr. Journalist?

no credible sources = didnt happen and no credibility.

Another garbage article written by 'some one' about 'some thing'

[Rock_On_PS4]

Play Station brand is the best thing since sliced bread. Play Station will live on.

[tiffac008]

Weird title, when all the examples given applies to all consoles. :/

[GTRrocker666]

I don't get how people are thinking this way. Gaming is becoming more mainstream and have more people gaming each year. You make it seem like the gaming industry is like the recording industry. Now if you want to write a doom and gloom article, write it about Cds.

You cant even buy Cds in stores anymore. If you listen to anything besides mainstream, like metal, you have to order them online now. Now that is pretty crazy. Walk into a best buy or target and see what I mean, because you cant walk into record stores anymore... because they don't exist now . And all the Indie stores that are still around will eventually be gone entirely.

Now take a look at all the gaming stores and gaming sections in big box stores. Gaming is doing fine. They just need to introduce a new console to get people excited.

[Silly gameAr]

Surprise surprise.

[sashimi]

Sony hate from the internet media? what else is new

[ApolloTheBoss]

1 reason the PS4 will be butter toast: because it will be absolutely delicious!

[worldwidegaming]

The hard truth is companies can no longer afford to operate at a loss.
With shareholders expecting more and more profit Sony is going to have to sell each system at profit to be successful.(Thank Apple for this problem...)
It would be great for the next PlayStation to be high tech and powerful but it also needs to be easy to work with.
(And cheap to make.)
As long as Sony has a mountain of fans the PlayStation will sell.
As for Apple, I think its not possible to stop them because they keep making profits and have already eaten as well as degraded gaming as a whole.

[PersonMan]

I love Sony, but I couldn't keep my Vita. It wasn't fun and it hurt my hands to play it (with the awkward position of the analogs and triggers).

Anyway... the PS3 is fine. Nothing wrong with it. It still has the best games.

[Nutsack]

Wasn't fun? What games did you buy? System is just out for what 6 months? It has over 40 games, there must be something there thats good...

Enough to buy thats fun IMO although Sony needs to get the games into higher gear and bring more exclusive content one wants to buy a PSVita for.

I can't understand how it hurts your hands to play it though, it feels really good, much better than the original PSP and close to a controller, except for the fact that obviously its not as ergonomically shaped as console controllers.

On the article though, Gaikai in combination with Sony TV's might be a way to escape the console cycles and have losses on it.

Microsoft doesn't have to, they have a better revenuemodel than Sony with XBL and are better in keeping costs down on 360 production. Plus 360 is profitable since a long time already. They got no own TV label to put some streaming service in.

PS4 most likely will get out there in 2013/2014. It might be the last real console for Sony though.

[PersonMan]

It wasn't fun because it hurt my hands to play. Also, I played Uncharted Golden Abyss and I got really sick of all the puzzles (literally puzzles) and wiping off stuff with the back touch panel. Also, swiping to cut stuff down was dumb.

I also played Rayman Origins and while that was fun, it hurt my hands extremely because I almost always had to have a trigger pushed down to run and it cramped my hands after only a few minutes of play.

I also played Gravity Rush, but it didn't float my boat. Sorry to disappoint you with my opinion, but the Vita just isn't the right system for me. PS3 is 10x better and I don't really need gaming on the go.

[Nutsack]

Oh no, your opinion is your opinion mate... If you don't like it, you don't like it.

The hand hurting thing the same, if you experience it, that sucks and is too bad. I have yet to experience my hands really hurting though. Although portable systems never has been as comfortable as home console controllers to me.

I do question myself if you make a good comparison though. You compare a PS3, out since 2006 with those hundreds of games to a handheld thats just out a few months. IMO one should wait a bit more to have the games come out. Maybe the system is nothing for you ATM, but will overtime. I mean... Things could change. Well not the hand hurting ofcourse, if that stays lol there is no use for PSVita for you.

Agreed on the swiping stuff in Uncharted and other games, this is always what one sees with launch games that use new functions of a device, its Sony that wanted it in there to show what all the touch could be used for too bad.

[worldwidegaming]

I say its best to wait until a quality title comes out before buying. I really wanted a Vita but with rehashes of whats on my PS3 there is no point. Something I could only get on said system would make me a buyer. Monster Hunter or Phantasy Star? They should have had better titles on launch date. Sony needs to think about the big picture instead of just pleasing the Japanese gaming population (the reason they are in this mess.) But then with the Dollar the way it is they are not making money over here in the States. A typical game in japan is like $80 meaning selling the same game here would be at a loss.

[Straightupbeastly]

Sony should just push out a new online service and start charging for it. They'd make good money and we'd get a better service.

[chrispen9]

NO! I do not want to charge for this service. Having no yearly charges for online is the reason why many buy a PS3 over the 360.

[Straightupbeastly]

It's also the reason Sony is in financial trouble. Trust me, you'd have no problem paying if the service was like live

[DeadSpaced]

Trust me, I've had live. PSN and Xbox Live are both decent. But I'd take PSN any day. I'd rather not pay for the service.

Honestly, I respect Sony for giving all the PS3 users free services.

[BelieveinGhosts]

I am pretty sure that Sony will charge money for online play on the PS4. Afterall, Sony eventually had to start charging for an online subscription for PSN which is called PS plus.

I can assure you that Sony are making a lot of money from PS Plus that is needed for the stability of their company.

PS Plus costs the same as Xbox Live, i got mine for a year which was about £40. The only difference is that PS Plus is not compulsory.

A significant percentage of PSN users probably have PSN by now. Its a good service.

[Edward75]

Yeah respect them when they go broke too. Do people understand what trouble Sony is in as a company? Loving a product blinds people.... With all the BS aside SONY IS IN SERIOUS TROUBLE. No one in here needs to be an accountant or business major to figure it out.

They NEED to charge for online soon.
They NEED to start being realistic with sales goals

THEY NEED TO MAKE MONEY....

This company is broke dick right now.

[TheBatman_Fanatic]

You should get a 360 if you want to pay for an online service instead of trying to make PSN users pay for PSN.

[TBM]

i already pay my cable subscriber to use online i'd be damned if i have to pay again to use my own online.

always amazes me how dumb people are throwing away money.

[representj]

this article is really stupid and btw if you fans are waiting for the ps4, it won't be here till holiday 2014 at very earliest......
haha suckas

[BelieveinGhosts]

These fan boys wouldn't use common sense until a Sony official releases a statement to confirm our suspicion that the PS4 will release in late 2014.

If we are unlucky, it will release in 2015. There is still quite a bit of power in these machines that can be squeezed out

[madjedi]

@rep "this article is really stupid and btw if you fans are waiting for the ps4, it won't be here till holiday 2014 at very earliest...... haha suckas"

So we are suckers for waiting on the ps4, anyone that watched sony's e3 conference and isn't a complete retard. Would easily see that the games are still looking better and the lineup isn't drying up anytime soon, so where does the gotcha part come in.

I guess i could make a dumbass statement calling nintendo fans or ms fans suckas for waiting till holiday 2012 and holiday 2013 for their respective consoles.

But you seem to have already proven how worthless such a statement like that is.

[ame22]

Slow day, no?

[joeorc]

or they are just ignoring the very change in this part of the Industry.

Remember when 3RD party Developer's only made their main game development for just the PC and Game console's only?

Well that's no longer going to be the Case!

Look the Game console market is not going to go away anytime soon, but the underlying problem is it's no longer like it was. The change is happening right now and Many companies are not going to ignore it.

you may not want to hear it but it's true.

when every company that makes TV, and Smartphones and Tablet's has Game engines from 3rd party development publisher's that were only mainly going to make their games only for PC's and Game console's are now making those very same Game Engines for Smart chipset's that are going into consumer electronic's that 10 years ago could never run a game so advanced! , what do you think is going to Happen?

the consumer will buy a smart TV soon which will have a game controller, that has chipset's in the YV that support Advanced APi's for Hardware that can run in every day TV's that produce result's that 10 year's ago could not have been done very cheaply, Now it can.

SMART TV's
SmartPhones
Tablet's

over 90% all are running the ARM Cortex chipset's
it's now developing into a platform all it's own for game development and distribution. You do not think DEVELOPER'S that make games are not going to flock to that?

Than you should not be shocked when you see every TV

http://blogs.arm.com/multim...

take a close look at this PIC a very close look

http://forums.arm.com/index...

who's now supporting Linux

http://www.escapistmagazine...

[dcbronco]

It's not so much that consoles are going away. It more that form of the consoles. All devices are doing more and with more varied content. And while consoles try to get smaller, phones want bigger screens. I think consoles will meet them in the middle.

I think as the parts get smaller, the consoles will too. I think the generation after the PS4 and 720 will be in tablet form. I think Surface is a test platform. To see what is viable in that form. Putting a i7 in a tablet will help them understand the heat demands, battery life and introduce MS as a tablet maker. There is no real reason to have a tablet if you're MS really. It's not like OEMs have been moving away from Windows and they need to push the OS.

Taking the leaked documents and different things they have been working on into account leads me to believe that is the direction they are going. They bought Skype, they design their own APUs, they hired writers for original content and are looking for an exec to run the department, they are working on VR goggles, they are working on cloud gaming and they added IPTV to Live. Add an HMDI out and your 1420 goes everywhere.

I think the Xbox 720 will

[JOHN_DOH]

Of course microsoft wants to get into the tablet business. Tablets have gotten popular and what do most tablets run? Android or Apple's OS. Windows is what made microsoft and if the average person just needs a tablet for surfing internet and email than ms wants them to be using windows

[InsaneGam3r]

LOL

[spok22]

Is anybody else getting tired of these articles yet? Its an obvious play for hits. Why do people keep clicking this sh**

[OmniSlashPT]

Here we go again. Back to 2007. PS3 has no gamez. PS3 power is inferior to the 360. PS3 graphics are the worse. PS3 is dead. How could such a zombie consola be the best selling console worldwide, have the highest rated exclusives and the best looking games of this generation?

[ChunkyLover53]

I don't remember a ton of what your saying to be what I heard. It did have a lackluster launch lineup, but the console is hard to develop for, and its cost them the third party superiority that they had with the PS1 and the PS2.

2011 actually saw the Xbox 360 as the number one world wide selling console, the Wii was number one a lot of the time world wide before that. The best looking games thing really is your opinion, though I think Uncharted 2 probably is the best looking game this generation.

Highest rated by whom? Nintendo actually has some really highly rated games this generation, Mario Galaxy is higher rated than Uncharted, so its really more opinion then anything else.

These types of articles are a little redundant though, we haven't even heard anything about any of the next gen consoles aside from Nintendo's Wii U.

[BrianC6234]

That's a myth by lazy developers that the PS3 is hard to develop for. It's been talked about for years now. Don't try porting 360 games to the PS3. That doesn't work. Make the PS3 game and port to the 360. That seems to make the 360 version better even. There's plenty of good tools for developers to use now to make PS3 games.

[ChunkyLover53]

@BrianC6234
If it were a myth, almost all the developers wouldn't be saying it. Sony intentionally made the PS3 more difficult to develop for so that at the end of its cycle, there could be more power squeezed out. The Xbox 360 is simple to program for, its using the same basic method as PC's use. Which is why its almost always the lead console.

If you've ever looked at the dev kit instructions for the Xbox 360, they are a hefty sized booklet, but the PS3 dev kit books take up a whole drawer. Its like saying the Sega Saturn wasn't difficult to program for, it was unknown to developers at the time.

Why would developers make a totally separate game for the PS3 version? It sounds like your saying its not Sony's fault for going with a more difficult piece of hardware to program for? Had Microsoft went with difficult hardware and the Xbox 360 fans complained as much as PS3 fans do, people would blame Microsoft.

The Cell was one of Sony's mistakes this generation, you cant expect third party developers to make a totally separate game for the PS3 versions of their games, especially when its so easy for them to make Xbox 360/PC versions.

Its the console makers responsibility to make a piece of hardware that is accessible. I don't know how else to say it, but the proof is in the pudding, the PS1 and PS2 were great consoles and lead consoles on 90% of games, because they were easier to program for.

Hopefully Sony learns from its past and makes the PS4 easy to program for. Then, there wont be a reason to complain about it.

[JOHN_DOH]

XBOX games are similar to pc because they use directx which is Microsoft's proprietary graphics api

[Sheikh Yerbouti]

These are industry issues, affecting XBox and Wii as well, and the author turns it into another PS doom issue. Just like the other article about sales. Again, industry problems...really our whole economy.

I don't know about Sony, but journalism is dead.

[jp_footy2]

1 Reason it isn't - Price.

PS3 and PS Vita are still $249+, it's my opinion that most of the sales will be made at under $200.

[franko]

Sony is not just playstation. They will cover any loss...

[Edward75]

Do you even follow up on Sony's stock, or what's going on with the company at all?

[BelieveinGhosts]

haha, he doesnt realise thee losses are coming mostly from Sony and not the Playstation brand

[ChunkyLover53]

Its too early to say the PS4 wont do well, Sony will have to go back to what made them successful with the PS1 and PS2. They made an affordable console that had games designed for everyone. The PS3 went on this hardcore kick, but alienated some of the other types of gamer's that used to love the Sony branded console.

The price point at launch deterred those types of gamer's as well. Hopefully Sony learned from this generation and can apply that to the next generation. Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft all need to be in the console business, people don't understand that what happens to one, will affect the others.

No matter how much you say you like one brand or hate another, you have to be intelligent enough to realize that we need all the console makers that are around right now.

[Campy da Camper]

Ahhh PlayStation is doomed articles....is it 2007 again?

[jujubee88]

The VITA is supposed to bring down Playstation.

'Member? You 'member!

[BrianC6234]

This article makes no sense. The PS3 is fine. And the Vita is starting to get some games finally. LBP Vita is coming out at the end of September. That game will help the Vita a lot.

[DivineAssault]

The day PS is toast is the day i turn my back on gaming.. I refuse to buy all cartoons & shooters..

[dubt72]

So long!

[DivineAssault]

Oh no no no.. Sony wont go down that easily buddy.. Theres alot of time before anything like that could happen.. PS4 & Vita can both fail & PS will still stand for another fight the following gen.. After that is when they will quit IF nintendo & microsoft finish em off.. It wont happen because the East will never accept the shooter box so dont get too excited

[OldSnakePS3]

nice trolling, this guy needs to GTFO and STFU

i lol'd @ the physical media part

[Dualshockers_Carlos]

gotta love this n4g tradition, doom articles of ps3, it happens at least twice every month.

oh well,
*pops in uncharted 3*

[MaximusPrime]

Yep..

Back to playing Wipeout on PS Vita. Gotta love this cross play

[BlaqMagiq24]

If this guy doesn't enjoy writing artciles like this, why is he writing this in the first place?

[thawind]

Doom & Gloom article lol really.

[IQUITN4G]

Delusion is always at it's finest when it's your favourite machine. People may be happy convinced that Sony isn't going anywhere or losing it's grip even, but none of us actually know either way

People bang on about so many exclusives or this and that about why Sony is King, but the superiority gamers claim from most of the ip's that just aren't selling incredibly well is in fact bad news for all. The only reason so much effort was thrown behind there being so many exclusives is because Sony were banking on this making the bigger difference- PS2 remember had a staggering huge library. The nature of of things in this industry has changed though and although fans claim they are deliriously happy at so many exclusives, Sony wont be able to maintain this if sales aren't there- and for a few big hitters they certainly are but many simply aren't making the difference

I can't see Sony disappearing any time soon but people really should stop kidding themselves that everything is fine and rosy in Sony land

[Puddlejumper75]

Its not anything to worry about honestly. The Vita is just starting out so its too soon to call it a failure.Just look at Virtual Boy, it didnt kill Nintendo.

BTW guys the BIG difference is that the GC was sold at a profit from day 1. Nintendo actually made money off of that even if they didnt reach number one. PS3 isnt number one right now but none of you would call it a failure by any means so give Nintendo the same credit.

Sad that I can give credit to both companies without being a tool yet most of you are using this as a reason to attack Nintendo and Nintendo has nothing to do with how good or bad the Vita is doing.

People might take you more seriously if you put your blind hatred aside and stuck to the facts that actually matter.

Notice I was able to defend Vita without attacking any other company in the process. I just pointed out Nintendo had its own failures and is still here. I didnt need to resort to attacking them or the author to get my point across

[Buff1044]

Sorry, Sony fans, but this isn't 2002, and it sure as hell isn't 1996. Sony has an expensive portable system nobody wants, a lack of exclusive third party support that helped drive PSOne and PS2 sales, a form of media in Blu-ray that'll never achieve DVD like numbers, and first party games that, while good, don't sell in high enough quantities. Are you really putting all your hopes in PlayStation All Stars and that game from Quantic Dream that'll move 2 million units, at best? It's all about The Last of Us, and even that is a new IP that could fail to attract enough eyeballs. This isn't about you. Sony already has your support. It's about convincing casual consumers tickled pink with their iPhones and Androids and 3DS systems to plunk down $250 for an overpriced Vita with few must have titles, and a PlayStation 3 with most of the games on Xbox 360. So yes, this is bigger than N4G's little Sony community. Things are bad enough that they literally had to give away a year of free PlayStation Plus to E3 press con attendees. They're in trouble, and we haven't even talked about their other divisions.

[P_Bomb]

Umm...MS was giving away free XBOX 360's to literally everyone at their E3 gig the other year, so Sony giving away some free $50 PS Plus vouchers that don't cost 'em any overhead is hardly something worth pointing out as "things are bad enough that..." http://technologizer.com/20...

Do you forget when MS was giving out free Kinects every 15 minutes with that BK promotion the other year as well? http://kotaku.com/5678430/b...

Heck, I got 3 free months of XBL with my 12 month subscription that was $20 off on top of that, just the other month. I take it you haven't seen all the "get 1-3 months of XBL for 1 dollar" promo ads on the XBL dashboard either.

You do also realise that MS' EDD division which encompasses gaming just recently had a $229 million operating LOSS as well selling only half the amount of 360s as the same quarter last year? Right? http://www.frictionlessinsi...

Oh look, Nintendo just suffered its first financial loss in years as well http://www.nintendolife.com... . That's two more doom and gloom articles we're due. One for MS and another for Nintendo. This isn't another Playstation exclusive. It's most assuredly gone multiplat. "Bigger than N4G's little Sony community" indeed.

[MaximusPrime]

.... Slow news day?

[Zha1tan]

Speaking from a PC players perspective if the PC is toast the xbox is already a raging inferno.

Atleast playstation offers free online, actually servers its games and actually spends money on getting new and inventive exlusives instead of squandering that money timed exclusive DLC like a certain other brand.

Its got so many great single player exlusives were as MS has settled into the routine of releasing the next forza, gears or Halo, all of which IMO have got progressively worse as their series went on (except gears 3 was an improvement over 2).

[Nafon]

The 360 has lead console sales in the US for like 18 months now.

[Zha1tan]

Yes because sales = quality, what a moronic statement.

And i meant to say PS3 above^

[Puddlejumper75]

I didnt see him say sales = quality anywhere in his post.He simply pointed out it has higher sales int he US. I see no reason to attack him or call him a moron for stating a fact.

I think the point he was trying to make there Sony fan pretending to be a PC fan is that while you might think that, you don't speak for everyone out there.

The point about servers is wrong though and shows you don't fully understand what you are talking about. Everyone(with common sense) knows MS has dedicated servers for its games. That is after all what 360 owners are paying for. I don't own a 360 and will never own a MS product and even I know that. Lots of PS3 games are peer2peer and do not use dedicated servers.

[Nafon]

I'm an Xbox 360 guy and disagree with everything this "writer" said. N4G is great, but a lot of the content is from garbage writers or sites.

[Acquiesc3]

Sounds more like all consoles are toast given the points outlined in this article, not just Sony.

I think the big 3 will do just as well next gen, they're gonna be just fine.

[Tsukuyomi]

more people with their idiotic assumptions

[chukamachine]

IF the PS3 is toast, then the 360 has been burnt to death.

PS3 is already 1.5million infront this year.

This guy is talking shite.

[Puddlejumper75]

And its still 40 million from being first. The fact that you are comparing MS and Sony as equals really shows how far Sony has fallen.

Also I am pretty sure 360 still leads PS3 over all. Its the entire race that matters not just the last 4 miles or a quarter mile in the middle.

Seriously PS3 beat the 360 1 quarter out of 40 but still lost the other 39 doesnt mean its winning anything.

You Sony guys are just getting desperate now in your attempts to jump PS3 to first place.

It won one year out of 6 so its the winning console of this gen. It's just absurd.

[PooEgg]

That's okay I like toast!! I like it a lot! Toast is very good! Toast with cinnamon, toast with jelly, toast with peanut butter.... darn now I want breakfast.

[Ulf]

Vita has been out 5 months in the US... not seen one holiday season yet... not sure how anyone can see 3M units sold at an over $250 average as being a "fail"

[isarai]

Apple? don't make me laugh

[nik666uk]

"This isn't just Sonys problem, Microsofts got this one even worse, if that's possible" Xbox fanboy!

[Game3s]

News for fanboys again >.>

[tonyhawkpshd]

first quarter of 2012:

ps3 1.9 million shipped
x360 1.4 million shipped
wii 0.8 million shipped

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

second quarter of 2012:

ps3 +ps2 2.8 million shipped
wii+x360 1.8 million shipped

http://www.neogaf.com/forum...

?

[RandomDude655]

Nah bro...SOny is da bankdrupt and don't have no pay online , so dey don't have Da betta online. I kno becaz I got an MBA form Harvart.

/lol

[DJ]

PS3 sold terribly its first year. Now it's evenly matched with 360. It's too early to call PS Vita a failure. It's got some amazing games coming out, and already available.

[Omnislash]

If by "toast" you mean "on fire" then you are absolutely right.

[2pacalypsenow]

"many home theater nerds" lol really? people with Home theaters are nerds now?? also a person with a true Home theater will never turn to Digital unless they provide BD quality and HD audio which they dont . This guy is a full blown PS3 hatter all these reasons would apply to the wii and xbox 360 but he doesnt mention any of them

[RandomDude655]

Nah, Video Game Nerds>Home Theater Nerds I guess. I guess he missed Microsoft stating that Entertainment/Apps is their main focus for the 360.

[IWentBrokeForGaming]

Last time I checked Playstations First Party dev. support rains supreme, their exclusives graphics are the best console graphics on the market, internet is still free, Playstations paid service gives gamers plentyful of free games to DL where as 360s paid service don't, PS3 still offers Blu-Ray where 360 still don't, etc...

To have to justify what makes PS3 the better purchase for your money... just boggles my mind.

I own both a 360 and PS3, in the long run as of today I've come to love my PS3 the most the past couple of years. The best graphics, the best dev. support, and the most out of box offerings... make it my must own/most recommended current gen console to own!

[ajax17]

This article is retarded.

[Mounce]

Articles like this are pathetically Begging for traffic and are from Nobodies, or it's from an opinionated nobody who's a biased twat who wants to feel empowered by speaking aloud as if what they think or feel is accurate when the reality is, they're just flawed and uneducated morons with an obnoxiously loud(And free) ability called The Internet and to be on a site that allows people like this article-maker to speak freely without being fired for incompetence.

[boybato]

yet another journalist "succeeding" after exploiting the sony brand. Shame on you guys(journalist) you are not real gamers.

[TruthbeTold]

Aaaand, winner of this month's 'Most inflammatory N4G title' award goes to...

Wait for iiiiit...

uproxx.com!

[Treian]

why is there so much hate on PlayStation this week? :P

[kent80082007]

There's always much hate on PS, because according to people's logic, MS, no matter how much they shit on their users, is a great company because they sell more and make more money

[ChipChipperson]

But I like toast.

[Treian]

"more like burnt toast"

[Alos88]

I hope the author enjoyed his moment in the sun, because with a dime a dozen article like this we won't be seeing his site on the front page again.

[nerdkiller]

i love my ps3 it is sad that sony took a big loss cuz they put so much into it but not to many including my self were going to pay 600 for it. i just hope this doesnt push them away from making a fully loaded console cuz they dont wanna take a loss again