For profits for Sony during PS3's lifespan, clearly no. Primarily Sony's fault, small part is due to GFC.

Relative to the total units sold of its 1st 2 entries in the console market no, but it's ended up doing much better than many would have expected after years 1 and 2.

Relative to total units sold of all other consoles ever released, it would be called a success.

In terms of being the globally dominant console, esp in the USA, no, not a success.

In terms of the Playstation brand remaining viable in the home console market, so they can successfully launch PS4 if they make the right technology and pricing decisions, yes, it's a success without doubt.

Chalk this generation up to experience, learn from the mistakes, move on and do better with the next console.

Actually finacially it has been. It drove the cost of BD players down considerably. They make a lot of money on stand alone players right now in large part to the success of the PS3.

Also have to take in a number of things into consideration. But the term "successful" can have a lot of interpretations. Business wise, Im not sure, but it would boil down to this:

+ Add up all the R/D
+ Operating expenses+
+ Manufacturing costs
+ Additional Expenses

- Subtract all the any hardware profits (if any)
- All royalties from each piece of software sold (game and BR)
- Playstation + subcriptions

Is the total sum a negative number or a positive number?

Sony F'd up their head start, nobody can dispute that. Sony also F'd up their market-share with their rocky start. But as a business, have they broken even? I don't know their financials so I don't know, but something makes me feel if they are positive, its not by a lot.

Enough to offset 5 billion in losses? (probably lot more as PS2/PSP hided some losses)

I think most companies could sell 60 million consoles if they sacrificed 7 billion dollars.

No, to go from selling 150 million ps2's and having nearly complete market dominance to being the lowest selling home console this gen is a failure. If the ps3 started at a lower price and had some more compelling exclusives, it would've been huge. Alas, whats done is done.

Just in terms of sales, yes. It did remarkably well for being $600 and releasing a year after its main rival.

But for Sony, no, it was a failure. It bled money the first few years, and they lost massive market share.

That brings up the question: What kind of sales were Sony expecting?

it is only a success to Sony if it has made an overall profit on the PS3. It may be success from the gamers point of view, but at the end of the day the investors do not care about gamers they care about profits. This is what will impact on what the PS4 will be.

GCN sold 25million or so yet it made Nintendo huge profit still.therefore it was a success. For gamers the GCN may have been a let down.

Does anyone kno wif GCNmade more profit (not revenue) then GCN? if not then GCN wa smore successful from a companies perspective.

I'm a PlayStation fan, but I have to say it's not a success, relative to what was expected of it before the gen and financially. However, it's not the failure that it could have been either, at least the brand is well and alive, and it has made a comeback, so Sony actually has a chance at redeeming themselves with PS4.