Is the PS3 a failure in America?(Compared to the PS2 &PS1)

[Skeeuk]

VGKing said:

I was just looking over hardware totals and realized the PS3 only has an install base of 20.78million in America. Now compare that with the PS2 at 56.12milion and the PS1 at 40.78million. 

Let's compare it to the Xbox which launched in late 2001 and got discontinued in late 2006. So that's about 5 years on the market.  The PS3 launched in late 2006 and it is now 2011 so that's about 5 years and counting.

Xbox - 16.34 million
PS3 - 20.78 million

Aren't these numbers dissapointing? The PS3 install base in America is barely ahead of the original Xbox which was considered a flop. 
Of course the PS3 still has years left so it'll sell another 5-10 million lifetime. But in the same time period of 5 years the PS3 barely outsold the original Xbox. 
Where did Sony go wrong? Is the Xbox 360 too much to handle? What can be done to change things next generation?

(Fun fact: if you combine the PS3 and Xbox 360 sales in America you get 53.97 million which is slightly less than the PS2 at 56.12)

your forgetting ps3 launched at the most ridiculous price ever, and cost sony heavily this gen in america. theres simply nothing else to say thats the only answer. i believe sonys next console will not launch at 599