Is this the beginning of the end for PlayStation?

GamePlanet: Sony has faced dwindling profits in its consumer electronics space in recent years, but the Japanese giant's PlayStation arm has usually been the bright spot in a gloomy forecast. However, as Dan Cheer discovers, Sony's poster division is now also floundering.

[prototypeknuckles]

i hope this isnt the end sony has some good developers under their belt and if sony goes down they are too, and if we lose them all ill have left is nintendo, microsoft on the other hand still hasnt proven themselves to me.

[-Mika-]

Really Niintendo? First off MS proven themselves to gamers. They really bought online to console gaming. Cross game chat, achievements, streaming media, XBLA, XNA. They really have done alot and alot of gamers really need to respect that.

If we was stuck with nintendo. We would be so far behind in the features we have now. Unlike MS Or Sony. Nintendo is afraid to take risks or try new things. There Ips have not been innovative or fresh in a long time and they don't want to invest in moving gaming forward. There isn't even a dvd player in the Wii or WiiU.

[bothebo]

BUT REGGIE SAID WE WERE INNOVATIVE. I'm only kidding. Everyone knows Nintendo is innovative and to be honest, I would never wanna be stuck with the crap they pass up as gaming systems.

[omarzy]

"Nintendo is afraid to take risks or try new things" Hate Nintendo all you want, but that is a bunch of crap. N64 was the first 64 bit console, DS with 2 screens and touch screen(new for the gaming world) Motion controls for Wii? glasses free 3D? The Wii U is a HUGE risk. Miiverse is something new to console gaming. What do you consider taking risks and trying new things to be in the gaming world? Don't even say online gaming because even the Dreamcast had online gaming.

[Captain Qwark 9]

actually they all have contributed, just off the top of my head......

nintendo
-saved console gaming with nes
-shoulder buttons with snes
-introduced analog stick with n64
-introduced motion with wii ( could be seen as good or bad )
-adding touch screen to the controller ( yet to see its impact but it looks interesting )
-practically created hand held gaming
-continued to push innovative hand held systems

sony
-introduced disc
-introduced double analog
-introduced dvds into our gaming systems, showed that the systems could do more than just game
-blu ray disc format

MS
-pushed online console gaming further and further, continues to do so ( introduction goes to sega )
-introduced wireless gaming as more or less the standard ( i am well aware it offered the wired edition in the shitty sku of the 360 )
-introduced hdd as standard in the system
-brought us controllerless gaming and navigation
-first to offer netflix
-only company that continues to update their dashboard ( for better or worse )
-cross game chat
-acheivements
-your own music playing while you game
-streaming media

thats just the big three but they have all contributed plenty. MS has absolutely proven themselves but while im not crazy abouot nintendo anymore, saying that they havent contributed would be rather ignorant, they most certainly have. if anything and i know ill get many disagrees since this site is pro-playstation but it seems sony has contributed the least

*edit* forgot the browser, i think that one goes to sony since they were out slightly before wiis browser plus you dont need to download it separately.

so thats
Big N - 7 ( tech 6 if saving gaming doesnt count )
sony - 6 ( boosted one more for bringing mmos to consoles )
MS - 10

[tehpees3]

I was going to point out the flaws in your comment -Mika- but the fact that you don't know Wii has Netflix and a browser (something 360 hasn't) proves you don't even own a Wii. Or you don't use it enough to know that.

At least if your posting about that stuff get the facts straight.

[hakis86]

@ Captain Qwark 9 :

The following three goes for SONY as well as MS:
-pushed online console gaming further and further, continues to do so ( introduction goes to sega )
Xbox Live is was clearly first and is slightly better, but remember that PSN is free AND the PS3 pushes most players online in a game.

-introduced wireless gaming as more or less the standard ( i am well aware it offered the wired edition in the shitty sku of the 360 )NOTE: PS3 always had Wifi built in (I hated that I had to buy an expensive adapter for my old 360 =( )
And thank god for the wireless controllers =)

-introduced hdd as standard in the system

Other than that I agree with a lot of what you say.

But who approved these DOOOM-articles??...sorry; opinion pieces.
With the PS3 and the 360 having sold about the same amount, none of them are getting out of gaming - THE END.

[Captain Qwark 9]

@hakis
-i could give you that sony is pushing online further and further as well with psn plus and offering the services for free. but i didnt give it to them becuase psn was modeled very closely after live and live was the first service of its kind on consoles ( dreamcast online was very weak )

-wireless gaming, i meant for the controllers lol. gamecube was the only one who offered first party wireless controller prior but it was bought after the fact. ms introduced it coming with the consoles.

-wifi goes to sony, good call i missed that one and now nintendo is in last.

-introduced hdd as standard in console. sony cant have that becuase ms did it first with the original xbox. im only including things one company did first, they are not innovating if they are just copying ( not that its a bad thing )

all that said, my comment is meant as pro-all three lol. console gaming would not be where it is today without all of them, each has contributed a lot to make the consoles as great as they are today and saying gaming would be better off without any of them is a very dumb thing to say.

[killerhog]

Captain your comparison is off by a lot, you missed some for Sony

Sony
First to introduce photo and video editing to consoles
Wireless and wired gaming
Rechargeable lithium batteries (no AA crap)
First to introduce wireless controllers that can turn on your system
Dual controller Pc and ps3
Blu-tooth 2.0 and up
first to introduce hulu +, crackle, amazon streaming, vudo
Will make upgradable non-priority HDD a standard
Introduce cloud storage before Ms (to consoles)
Introduce motion in Ps2 (eye toy)
Introduce six-axis
Media search
Dropbox
First to introduce customizable XMB and dynamic wallpapers (Ms doesn't count as doing this involves hacking and can get you banned)

FYI
There were handhelds before the gameboy
Idk how ms introduce controllerless play when eye toy and virtual boy were out before it (kinect)
Dreamcast offered dlc (skies of Arcadia), voice chat, and community (lobbies, party, etc.) so you can't give online to Ms.
I'm also sure Sony introduce 3-d gaming to consoles (not sure if before pc, but Ms got it later through some third party games

Sorry Sony wins

[wishingW3L]

you guys are forgetting that Sony was the first to introduce controlless gaming with the Eye-Toy. The L3 and R3 buttons that now even the Wii U has and how to forget the 4 shoulder buttons and and the cross shape of the face buttons which the Xbox copied. And that's without counting that Sony are the only company that push games that are more than just shooters or kiddy games like: Shadow of the Colossus, Heavy Rain, Ratchet & Clank, Starhawk, GT5, GOW, etc. Just look at that diversity. Sony is the only company between the 3 that dares to take risks with new IPs! How many more times Nintendo will keep rehashing Mario and Zelda? Or MS with Halo, GeoW and Forza? Soon there will be more Forza games than GT games.

Sony pushed online gaming too with Socom, one of the most popular online games of last gen and EverQuest. The PS2 had online video chat with the Eye-toy, something the XBOX never had until Kinect and and it was the first to introduce USB ports and digital optical audio out too. And what about the integrated bluetooth, wi-fi, 3D on the PS3?

Believe it or not Sony has shaped gaming just as much as Nintendo or maybe even more. For the past 2 gens the PS1 and PS2 where the only relevant gaming systems of their generation.

[Capt-FuzzyPants]

They're afraid to take risks? I would think being the first to do motion controls was risky and innovative.

[dubt72]

Wow, if I said about Sony what GazGriff says about MS, it would have already been taken down for trolling. This site is such a goddamn sony camp it's ridiculous, lol.

[DontShoot-Me-Bro]

All you gotta do is imagine.

If you were stuck on a island, and could have 1 current gen console game system, with all of its current game library, which would it be?, Remember its about games, not features.

I would choose Sony's PS3, I know that it could keep me entertained with its diverse range of games.

[stage88]

@dubt72 - Stop crying

[Mounce]

MS proven themselves to gamers? Yea, they proved Kinect is their and Our future.... rofl

Microsoft doesn't do anything to prove themselves, they do whatever they think will get them the profit, that of which is the popularity of COD, Shooters, Halo and to slap monthly subscriptions on everything that they desire.

Sony would be the only ones out of the 'Big 3' who cater to 'Gamers', that and PC. Nintendo sticks to their drones with their copy-pasta IP's never anything new, their last 'New IP' was fucking Pikmen, when was that launched? 2004-2005 on Gamecube? Nothing new to the table, only Hardware attempts, gimmicks, and similar to Sonys' efforts with PSV and Move.

MS has done nothing but honestly bottleneck the industry, Nintendo doesn't put enough effort into taking risks or doing anything new beyond their hardware/tech gimmick foundations and hoping it brings change, where things like Wii-explosions can happen, or things like 3DS can happen, which bombed.

Sony caters at the VERY least, to both casual and hardcore, so from myself as a Gamer and not a fanboy, I have more respect to Sony out of the big 3. Only thing I want is more info, and more games for the Vita, haven't even heard any information regarding Warrior's Lair(Diablo clone) which looked fun :l So yes, My Vita 'IS' collecting dust, but I am patient, purchases are Investments, Sony tells everyone blatantly that they invest to make consoles/hardware that should last 7-10 years, so within that time frame you should get your moneys worth, is what it means, while everyone whines within the 3-5 months of Vitas' release and they complain about the lack of games, the only problem ABOUT the lack of games, is then the lack of sales, Sales #'s of which Gamers shouldn't give a rats ass unless they're fanboys looking to do a cock-measuring contest. Patience, is needed. Sony will be fine.

[miyamoto]

M$ is nothing without 3rd party developers. It has no backbone in terms of game creation. All they want is to copy & more money.

Where as Sonyintendo are true gaming companies which can hold their own in terms of game development and publication. Sonyintendo have tradition & innovation to back them up.

[Mustang300C2012]

@ axelstone

Yet the Vita is struggling trying to get third party support. All the talk about exclusives doesn't hold weight. Kinda ironic how fanboys claim exclusives carry the Sony systems yet the company which we all knew knows it is struggling without 3rd parties.

[Qrphe]

@Captain Qwark 9

Nintendo

>introduced analog stick with n64
Vectrex

>practically created hand held gaming
Microvision

Sony

>introduced disc
PC Engine

Microsoft

>introduced wireless gaming as more or less the standard
Apple Pippin, then the GC did it later as well

>brought us controllerless gaming
EyeToy

[TotalHitman]

Lol! Sega brought online to consoles with the Dreamcast.

[hkgamer]

100% true with Microsoft comments.

Nintendo however has played a big part last generation, they opened up new markets by taking a massive risk. If the wii wasn't so successful then Nintendo would have gone under.
Wii opened up the market to the general public who possibly never even imagined to play video games. Obviously for gamers who like to play proper traditional video games like ucharted, Gears, Halo were screwed if they bought the Wii.

I do believe that Apple would probably have to thank Nintendo and that the iphone apps would probably not have that many games if the Wii didn't open gaming to the general public.

However, I could care less what the general public wants. I like to play games like FF, uncharted, Heavy Rain & all story driven games.

@TotalHitman
Console gamers don't like spending as much money as PC gamers. People didn't like to pay for online gaming/min. DC came out when not everyone had internet and only had a 56k modem. You would have to pay /min charges to your ISP and your telephone bill. Console gamers would never pay that amount.
Xbox came out at the right time with online console gaming. Broadband connections and internet where you do not pay your ISP per min.

[GrandTheftZamboni]

There were skillshots before achievements.

[prototypeknuckles]

cross gaqme chat, streaming media, and achievements, dont mean nothing if i dont like the game sony and nintendo have a variety of games ranging from platformers, racing, adction/adventure, shooter,rpg, but a majority of microsofts games are shotters and you cant deny that, sure they have some different genres but when they try to make something different besides a shooter it sucks.

[homer]

How can you say Nintendo is afraid to take risks? Nintendo is the premier risk taker. Motion controls was a huge gamble. Two screened handheld was a huge gamble. Sony doesn't take gambles. They even have had the same controller three gens in a row. Tell me who plays it safe now. -_-

[SephirothX21]

@Killerhog
You are picking at straws there. All three have contributed a lot but MS have had the least number of consoles and have done quite a bit. For example, where is Sony's or Nintendo's XNA? Starting developers can create games on windows with XNA using C# and then easily port to 360 and earn money from them. XNA provides a layer of abstraction over DirectX 9 and is easy to use. MSDN also provide a wealth of good code samples for people to use. C# is also a fantastic programming language. Its good to know that you can create a game yourself with XNA using your own or someone else's game engine and put it up on Xbox Live for people to play and even make a bit of money from it. You cannot do that on PSN and you cannot do it on a Nintendo platform.

[gta2800]

If Playstation went down then I'm going down with them. No way I'm sticking around to be a part of Microsofts and Nintendos casual gaming market.

[skyblue14213]

@Captain Qwark 9:

FYI: The original model ps2 had an expansion bay which allowed an hdd to be installed, and correct me if I am wrong but the original model ps2 came out at least a full year or more before the xbox. I just thought that I would point that out before you start spouting out anymore untrue facts.

[ShinMaster]

Vectrex:
http://picturehoster.info/i...
Neo Geo CD:
http://media.gdgt.com/img/p...

They also didn't introduce rumble.
The PlayStation "Dual-Analog Controller", before the first DualShock, had BUILT-IN rumble. Nintendo released the Rumble-Pak, an add-on, the same month.

Nintendo "saved" gaming only in North America. That's why it's called the North American Video Game Crash".
____

No one wants to give Sony credit for the smart choice of DUAL-analog sticks and 4 shoulder buttons which Nintendo has started using. Or controller-less motion gaming with the EyeToy.
HDMI, wireless and rechargeable controllers.

Microsoft "pushing" something that has already been introduced on other systems, such as online, is not "innovation" or a "contribution". Same with Nintendo and analog sticks.
How the hell is NETFLIX a contribution?

[_-EDMIX-_]

I think what a lot of you seem to be forgetting is Sony's format with the PS1.

That was one of the biggest jumps in all of gaming history. STILL to this date, there has yet to ever be such a huge jump.

From 8mb last gen to 700mb the next (mind you Nintendo's format only pushed 64mb) FFVII, MGS etc where NEVER going to make there TRUE 3D jump with this gimped, and dated tech.

Now thats over 87 times the space SNES used. Thats pretty much like Sony next gen making a format using 4TB disk and developers making games that literally take up 3 disk in its launch window. THATS AN ENORMOUS LEAP!

To say Sony didn't save the game industry at that time is a huge joke. They took gaming from a kids novelty toy to a true actual, respectable medium.

Games like GT, MGS1, FFVII etc where ALL the biggest jumps in there genres at that time. The N64 was only showing just a small fraction of what 3D gaming could bring, but it was the PS1 that truly gave way to revolutionize gaming. There small format would had never made those games possible not to mention there approach to gaming as a medium and not as a children's device.

Sony looked at the PS1 like a TV so to speak, why limit your market to children.....adults play games too. Nintendo didn't seem to care too much about that and lost big time, Sony gained and won that gen and pretty much paved the way for a lot of publishers and developers to make more adult oriented games.

Being first means nothing, being the best means everything. I'm sorry but Nintendo being "first" at something means little to nothing. Dreamcast was first with online gaming for consoles....means nothing compared to XBL in 2002. Lets not look at the "whose FIRST" lets look at who changed gaming SO much that games can never be looked at the same way again.

I believe Sony has paved to way for all of what we see today as modern gaming. Remember folks, in an alternate universe, FFVII WAS NEVER GOING TO BE MADE THE WAY IT WAS ON PS1 (ie it was never going to be what it was on that system on N64...i mean unless we want to say it was going to be on 32 cartridges LOL) PS1 was the future of what gaming is today, in fact if you just make PS1 games with better graphics THEY STILL hold up and could fool any gamer as to being a new game, take a N64 game and do the same, its pretty clear something is limited or hindering the game. Not to say they where bad, but N64 games never had the large scope that PS1 games had, PS1 gamers where the future of what all gaming would become, N64 was just a system and that was all it was.

PS1 (future of all modern gaming)

N64 (a system that released in 1996...)

[VTKC]

"Nintendo afraid of trying new things?" Have you not noticed what the new way of controlling things are on the Nintendo Wii this recent generation? You know? the Remote looking thing that accepts motion commands? Instead of a joypad which accepts only button/direction presses?
Did they not introduce touch screen gaming? DId they not introduce 2 screens at once gaming?
Did they not introduce their own version of optical discs for the Gamecube?
You ignore all the things Nintendo have introduced.

There is no possibility in "if we were stuck with Nintendo" You have forgotten about Sega Saturn and Sonys first Playstation-which did you know was suppose to be some sort of add-on for the SNES but Sony opted out and so the Playstation was born-which eventually led to Segas defeat in the console wars as the Playstation 2 emerged.

[Spydiggity]

nintendo also introduced the rumble pack! and before that, on super nintendo, they had the force feedback backpack. i don't remember what it was called. it was essentially a subwoofer on your back, but it was an interesting idea for the time. i remember using it as a kid with Super Punch Out

as for sony dropping out. i seriously doubt it. though i think they do need to retool. they are spreading themselves too thin in an economy that can't support it. maybe give up their laptop division? i don't know the answer, but i do know that they are bleeding money and their market cap has been on a steady decline. i don't want them to leave gaming though. ps3 isn't my favorite system, but without it, everything else would probably stagnate. it's clear that, without wii u bringing anything substantial to the table, MS is willing to hold out as long as Sony is. we need the competition.

EDIT: i'd like to add that i constantly hear the sony side on this site playing the victim card and saying that ms fanboys troll and blah blah blah. but here we have gazgriff2k12 with twice as many agrees as disagrees for being a hateful idiot. such hypocrisy. can't ppl just appreciate both?
after i get back from getting dragged to the club tonight, i'll be playing Gears 3 with friends on 360 OR MGS4 of ps3 with my new trophy patch. cuz you know...real gamers appreciate good things no matter where they come from.

[kaozgamer]

nintendo afraid to take risks?????
nintendo took the biggest risk with motion controllers!!!

[Kin23g]

If so .. It'd be the greatest loss we've ever had in the gaming industry.

[Rhythmattic]

omarzy
"N64 was the first 64 bit console"

It may not have been a success but the Atari Jaguar was released in 1993.
The N64 in 1996

[GuyBanks]

@Captain Qwark 9

Sony didn't base PSN off XBL... and XBL wasn't the first of it's kind on consoles - especially when you contradict that statement with mentioning Dreamcast and forgetting to mention PS2's multiplayer ability.

[GuyBanks]

@Captain Qwark 9

Sony didn't base PSN off XBL... and XBL wasn't the first of it's kind on consoles - especially when you contradict that statement with mentioning Dreamcast and forgetting to mention PS2's multiplayer ability.

[Leviathan]

Really, Nintendo? First off, Microsoft has proven themselves to gamers. They really brought Online gaming to consoles including: cross game chat, achievements, streaming media, XBLA and XNA.They really have done a lot, and a lot of gamers need to respect that.

If we would have been stuck with Nintendo, we would be so far behind in features we have now currently on other consoles. Unlike Microsoft or Sony, Nintendo is afraid to take risk or try new things. Their Ip's have not been innovative or "fresh" in a long time and they don't want to invest in moving gaming forward. There is not even a DVD player in the Wii or Wii-u!

[zekk]

i could be wrong quark but i thought the ps2 was hdd ready since day one but never really used it till ff xi was released. cuz i got one of the old fat ps2 and it has the expandable hdd cradle slot in the back of it. like i said i could be wrong.

[AWBrawler]

Let the guy have his opinion. I personally don'tlike well over half of the 360 library, so i understand what he means. its Wii, PS3, and PC for me

[AWBrawler]

@QWark

Why does everyone give Playstation Credit for introducing CD format to consoles?? Does nobody remember SEGA? SEGA CD and Saturn were first

[UltraVegito]

dont act as if your support is the entire world for MS and nintendo.
Though i do agree sony pulling out will only have a negative impact in the gaming industry innovation and market wise.
without competition we the gamers lose why can't people understand?

[Jazz4108]

If sony was so great they would not be going bankrupt. Ms killed sony at there own game and this article right here is more proof of this sites bias for sony who i could easily not give a crap abouf if they leave.

[hkgamer]

@Jazz4108
True, When Sony came along they was the massive corporation going against small japanese gaming companies like Sega and Nintendo.
Microsoft were the bigger giants with unlimited cash, Xbox was pretty succesful considering that the competition was the PS2. Although microsoft was not as succesful as Sony in releasing their first console, their brand recognition helped with the released for the 360 and that was amazingly successful.

[jadenkorri]

@ Jazz4108
wow dumbest comment ever, you've taken an opinion piece and think its actually news. Good job you fail.

[morganfell]

Ultra, that is not necessarily true. The idea that an industry needs competition or else innovation stagnates is one of the biggest lies told concerning the free enterprise/free market system. It sounds good and has been repeated so many times that people just take it as fact...when it isn't.

Sony ran slap over everyone last generation and they never stopped pushing the envelope. The free market is rife with people that had the corner of a market to themselves and they never stop trying to grow and innovate.

It all comes down to the mentality and nature of the company holding that corner. Not all of them will continue to run like the competition is breathing down their neck. However a good portion of them will act as if they are in for the fight of their lives and though they have no real competitor they forage ahead with new ideas.

[Spydiggity]

The truth is (and nobody wants to admit it), but sony beat themselves at their own game.

hear me out here. sony locked down the last gen with ps2 (despite the system failure rate). they knew that going into this generation that would have a massive upper hand with their guaranteed 3rd party support. so some "genius" at the company thought of a way to give them even more leverage in the industry. they would redesign the architecture so that all the 3rd party companies would have to design a game in such a way that to port it to another console would be costly and time consuming. hence...the Cell.

the problem came about when MS came out a year early with architecture everyone was already familiar with. when Sony finally came out the next year, people were still comfortable with the way they were doing things. in fact, gabe newell put it best when he said (and i'm paraphrasing here) "sony gave us new hardware that nobody was asking for."

sony assumed they had the industry locked down, and it completely backfired. sure, the cell was really impressive tech in 2006, but it took years for developers to catch on to it. in the mean time, 360 is selling like hotcakes and more ppl were buying 3rd party games for that console. this completely killed incentive early on to develop for the cell.

the truth is, Sony, while a great gaming company, shot themselves in the foot by being too greedy. they flew a little too close to the sun. this is why i think it's unlikely we'll see another cell processor system. you have to listen to your developers. if you know they are comfortable with a certain type of tech, you can't just suddenly change it up on them and assume they'll follow suit. they just might not.

if they had played it safe and just gave us improved hardware over the previous generation the same way MS did, we'd probably see much MUCH closer numbers. hell, they'd probably have dominated MS in the long run since they have so much brand loyalty.

[GuyBanks]

@Jazz4108

That's the most ignorant comment I've read, so far - and, I refuse to go into detail, since others have already stated the reason this is bad for all of us... even if you "hate" Sony.

[insomnium2]

@spy

Great comment. QFT!

[joab777]

It's time to go next Gen and be the first out of the gate. And I knew that they should have partnered with Google and made the vita an android device. But this Gen has had it's hard times with a bad economy. Well, the economy is still bad. It may imperative to get their console in gamers hands first.

[dasbeer88]

What do you expect? Mr. Barrack Obama and his Obamacare is going to destroy businesses and further increase the unemployment rate.

[joab777]

It s funny. I have asked many people what innovate actually is and no one really knows. It isn't healthcare, It isn't a tax or is it? It isn't constitutional to force consumers to buy something so it must be a tax. If it's a tax, it's the single largest tax hike in American history and we don't even know what it is. There have been commercials showing Paul Ryan throwing grandma off a cliff because he wants to adjust unfunded liabilities for those under age 40 & yet obamacare has already cut Medicare $500 billion, the largest cut ever. It's astonishing what is happening to our country. Hey, at least we have another debt ceiling to argue over 1 month after America really elects the first president ever who oversaw 8.3% unemployment for almost 4 years, the longest stretch in our history. The doom and gloom may not b a fairy tale. It's just hard for Americans to understand that bad things can happen.

[Thatguy-310]

Let's hold off on these Doom articles. I mean yea they had one bad Generation but lets see how they do on the next one. I think they learned a lot from this Gen. Hopefully they don't end because they basically provide us with A lot of games and i really enjoy the brand ever since i was a kid. But in honesty I highly doubt the playstation brand will die out.

[Bigkurz85]

For a company that's just hemorrhaging money, "next generation" is no guarantee. If Sony was doing well in their other divisions it'd be one thing, but Sony as a company might not be able to afford it. They might have to consolidate their business and focus on just a few areas. And who knows if gaming will get the vote.

[N4g_null]

It would be sad to see Sony go, NEC, snk and sega where great also. Loved those systems..... Yet this is not sonys first bad gen...

Psp go and now vita. The ps3 was barely saved... 3 strikes almost. The next miss step could've fatal. Yet who knows they could have a wii moment.

Sony has only ever had one flaw, they never represented what gaming was they started changing that and it is becoming a dead end for them. The end game leads to pc gaming which plays right in to ms hands.

I'm sure ms could fund those Sony studios if it came down to it.

Also no one see what ms is doing lol. Windows 8 is a gaming os and the ms surface could easily be their next Xbox. Which also runs all of my ms power game dev tools. If Sony had never claimed they were targeting ms we wouldn't even see ms lol.

Next gen is going to be fun. More companies will fail but that only makes way for new games as long as nintendo is around. Maybe sega will come back?

Next gen is a very dangerous jump for Sony. Mostly western companies hold the keys to the true next gen engines since amd and nvidia are based here. No one knows the tech that lurks out there better than ms unfortunately.

The question is who can afford it?

[Thatguy-310]

Isn't playstation basically the only division they benefit from? I mean their other divisions are stuggling worst than the gaming one so yea Next Gen will come.

[blue7_7]

Why do people think if Sony decides to get out of the console business they will take their developers with them. Of course not they will do what sega did and go third party and their games will most likely just be multiplatform or they would sell them to the competition their studios and games.

[hkgamer]

It's different for Sony, Sony is a hardware company and their first party developers only help to support their hardware. Unless the structure of Sony as a whole changes drastically, they will continue producing Playstation and if they stop they will probably sell off all their studios to other companies.
The only other way out Sony has is to slowly turn into something like Steam. Maybe the Playstation Mobile is the first step into that direction.

[cee773]

@quark

Nintendo did not introduce analog in fact the n64 pad is al digital even the stick

Sony introduced dual analog and pressure sensitve buttons since ps1

[givemeshelter]

@killerhog

"I'm also sure Sony introduce 3-d gaming to consoles (not sure if before pc, but Ms got it later through some third party games"

Actually Sega did 3D gaming before Sony and motionless controllers with the Sega Activator and the Dream Eye well before Sony.
Nintendo was rocking the Power Glove before MS and SONY did motion controls...Atari started motion controls before them all with the Le Stick.
PC had 3D gaming before Sony with Nvidia's 3D solution for FULL 3D.
Sony was not first...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

http://classicgames.about.c...

[_-EDMIX-_]

Indeed they where not first. But they made the largest impact in all of gaming's history with the PS1.

First system to push those type of numbers (which indeed showed Sony was not only getting customers, they where creating them) 100 million units later.

Sony had the format to make those games really happen. Without them you would not have ever got a FFVII.

Mind you, whose to say Nintendo was ever going to add a disk as a format? For all we know, The GameCube could had just used a larger cartridge if Sony never made the PS1.

Nintendo knew if they wanted to make games of that scope they needed the space. period. Thus got a bigger format. They may have just used a larger cartridge (Clearly not a 700mb one) meaning FFVII WAS STILL not going to be made in the same respect it was on PS1.

from 8mb to 700mb. a 87 times jump is what the PS1 was.

[N4g_null]

Wow you kids are young huh?

The pc engine disk drive, pippin, sega cd drive even laser disk games all came before Sony. Sony wasn't even into making a game console then. Nintendo had a satellite system along with a disk type zip drive like system.

Sony was simply given a monopoly by third parties because of the profit margins and paid exclusive money. Also Sony simply added cd play back then DVD play back and currently blu ray play back to a gaming device to boost install base. It was a great idea but blu ray isn't catching on like DVD did. So does Sony do good when they only have a gaming device to offer? The psp go, vita and the ps4 may not have that new format to go with them. Two out of those 3 failed or are failing right now. True their studios are better but we all know that those games are barely pc good. Gamers are also asking for an almost unreachable jump in visual power too. It's not looking good for team Sony. I really hope they pull thur.

If Sony finished becoming a real gaming company they would be unstoppable right now. Ps fan willed the ps3 to where it is now. I'm wondering if they will do this again?

[Eyeco]

here we go again

[xXBlondieVanHarlowXx]

If Sony dies,,, We'll be stuck with both generic shooters, yelling at cameras, and saving the same two princesses for the rest of eternity at the hands of a monkey and a turtle. FML :c

[Megaton]

Sony could just become a software dev like Sega did, although I don't like the idea of having Microsoft dictate the direction of console hardware. I think they do enough wrong as it is, and giving them more power is just asking for trouble.

Nintendo doesn't really count, as they're kind of doing their own thing. They went off the beaten path years ago, forging/fumbling their own through the woods.

Sony certainly isn't perfect. I've got more than my fair share of gripes with them as hardware makers, especially since I had to deal with 2 YLODs and a DRE, but I think the industry would suffer without them in the grand scheme of things.

[cuddlemonkey]

@killer hog, keep scraping bro, there's more at the bottom of that barrel! Um first console with a curved top, first to use the same controller 3 gen in a row, first to use a microwave beep when turned on, first to have touch buttons, oh vertical stands.

[NovusTerminus]

*Sigh*

It's not the beginning of the end for Sony. Everyone was saying the same thing when the PS3 came out. Calm down, the company just did a CEO shuffle, which causes chaos... AND they are restructuring their entire company, which also causes chaos.

Give them some time, they will sort it out. Also, as for the Vita... Remember the PS3's first year? It was slooooooooooow. But look at it now.

[Blankman85]

But the chaos has been around for years, way before the shuffle and restructuring. In fact the chaos is the direct cause for the shuffle and restructuring, not the other way around as you're suggesting.
Having said that, it isn't the end for anyone except maybe a few hundred more employees. RIP Zipper.
Side note: PS3 needed a price cut, several, to get to where it's @now. Something you sony fans seem to be very against for some weird reason.

[Anon1974]

Ridiculous article. First off, how does Sony's sales declines fit in with what's going on in the rest of the industry? That's the question you should be asking before focusing all your doom and gloom on one company. If you looked at the recent data from all company's, you'd see that Sony's looks to be in the best shape of all of them. 360 sales declined 43% for the first half of 2012 and Nintendo Wii sales dropped 55% in their last reported quarter. Certainly puts a drop of 14% in sales into perspective, doesn't it. And even though they mention the real revenue problem, the rise of the yen versus western currencies, they dismiss it completely despite the fact that every analyst on the planet has correctly noted that it's one of the main cause of sliding revenue for all Japanese electronics makers. But of course they dismiss the yen. That kind of logic would ruin their whole "Playstation is doomed" vibe they've got going on.

Secondly, how much does Sony rely on portable sales to drive revenue in their gaming division? This article spends so much time hand wringing because Vita hasn't set the world on fire but never once stops to consider that mobile sales are but a very small part of the gaming division in comparison to PS3 and PS2 hardware and software sales. It's also funny how quickly they write off Move sales or 3d integration, knowing absolutely nothing about how much revenue Move is generating for Sony nor how much the PS3 has helped 3D TV sales.

All in all, just a poorly researched and illogical article, but hey. Negative press brings the hits, doesn't it now?

[ApolloAdams]

Well it wasn't poorly researched as what he all said was official numbers nor was it illogical because he just painted the picture.

When you refer to Sony doing the best of all companies I hope you are referring to in gaming divisions which is still hard to figure considering Live banks in over $1B in sales and profit.

3D integration is at 4% while Move is hard to track due to all those peripherals but over 9 million move controllers have been pushed.

All I'm saying is that the information is right now whether you agree that PlayStation is going to leave or not is different and I expect them not to.

[Knight_Crawler]

" you looked at the recent data from all company's, you'd see that Sony's looks to be in the best shape of all of them."

Not sure where you are pulling your data from but Moody is thinking of doewgrading Sony and Standards and Poors has already downgraded them.

http://www.variety.com/arti...
Credit ratings agency Standard and Poor's downgraded struggling Sony Corp.'s credit on doubts the giant company can nurse its ailing electronics businesses back to health anytime soon.
"Massive pressure on the prices of Sony's key products, such as flat-panel TVs and mobile handsets, is likely to continue, and the company's position in the global market is under strong pressure amid severe competition from Korean manufacturers and emerging Chinese companies," S&P said in a statement.

http://www.bloomberg.com/ne...
the Japanese electronics maker which cut its profit-forecast, had its credit ratings put on review for a possible downgrade by Moody’s Investors Service because of weak consumer demand and a stronger yen.

Sony’s Baa1 long-term rating and Prime-2 short-term rating may be lowered after assessing the Tokyo-based company’s ability to restore its earnings and financial strategy, Moody’s said in a statement today. Baa1 is the third lowest among Moody’s 10 measures of long-term investment grades and Prime-2 is the middle of its three short-term investment scales.

People like you Dark Ride is the reason Sony is in this mess, its called denial and as much as you may love Sony they are in deep red right now and are at risk of a major meltdown if they dnot get there stuff together.

I love Sony becuase they know what customers want and they tend to play fair in this dog eat dog world but there is a reason why Apple and Samsung are on top and its called playing dirty - Sony needs to stop being the good guys and get back to the top where the belong.