To gauge interest. They're not asking people to cover their entire $5b R&D annual budget (lol).They're trying to make that invested money go where the market's interest is. Meaning they will end up investing in ideas that people are actually interested to buy, instead of wasting it all on stuff that never go passed the concept form.

why so personal? Is sony your girlfriend?

Moderated for this post, and others - Miguel_Zorro & Tachikoma

The downside is that the consumer is footing the bill. This is great for sony.

You have labeled everyone here who's ok with it as zombies. 

You have always continually flamed people on VGC when they don't see things your way.

So this means that if a project or idea doesn't reach its funding level, Sony get to keep the cash and the project is scrapped? Have I understood it correctly then?

Welcome to the game industry, where consumers pay to be beta testers of F2P games, buy products months before they can actually know what they are buying and now, last but not least, fund multi millionaire companys for them.

And here's an other one who hasn't read the OP.

lol of course not.  I'm talking about a product by product basis.

The risk that the consumer is taking on is more than just gauging interest.  Projects get delayed, they change course, and yes they fail, it happens.  There is nothing wrong with that...except in this case its the consumers money going down the drain instead of the big corporations.

EDIT: Made my points clearer

what? it's my opinion about those who fund things for billionaire companies, not about those who disagree with my opinion at vgchartz. continually flaming? really? just wow, the internet is more dramatic than a relationship.

Most companies already do this. It is called marketing research and they fund it themselves.