The PS720

[Reasonable]

TheRealMafoo said:

Reasonable said:
MS cannot buy Sony - that's just a dumb rumour. Sony is simply too large and MS ain't gonna takeover a major Japanese business. As for merger - given their twin styles couldn't be more different - I doubt it.

Besides, this gaming view ignores the fact that both MS and Sony are much larger in other areas. MS is going to be too busy trying to get Yahoo to compete with companies to worry about its tiny entertainment division.

Also, to original post - on evidence to date (which incudes PS1, PS2 and Xbox) Sony clearly know how to sell software even if they've struggled a little with PS3. MS has still to prove it can win a generation with both SW and HW. Heck, Nintendo HW and SW has caught up with MS in 12 months and time adjusted Sony is matching MS so one of your two basic points is completely wrong - mind you the other is correct :)

 I must have written that wrong, because it looks like you misunderstood everything I said :)

 I never meant the companies would ever merge, just they could parter on the next console.

Sony has no problems selling software. It's making it where they have issues (at least compared to MS). There Dev kits pail in comparison. There online experience sucks compared to XBL. Although Sony did compete with MS with online gaming and won (Everquest vs Acheron's Call), they have yet to prove they can do it here. I don't know what Home is really going to be like, but I bet as cool as it will be, for pure online gaming with friends, it's still going to fall short.

MS is working hard on IPTV. Sony is not working so hard in that arena. Merging would bring Sony into that market, and provide MS with a set top box that they don't have to produce.

It's a win for everyone really. At things that each company is good at, nothing really overlaps. Sony would still make the same profit they make now, with systems and game sales, so it's no loss to them. MS would make billions on XBL an IPTV without having to make a piece of hardware (Perfect for them).

It might never happen, but it should.

 Oh and @Morgyn. Sony works with partners all the time. 

Actually, I think I read too fast originally.  Yes, in some ways a simplified HW market would be easier and enable a stronger focus on the games, but I just don't see it happening.

In many ways MS themselves threw a big spanner in the works when they decided to jump into the fray with Sony & Nintendo, and in an industry that looks set to grow it's probably likely we could see more entrants rather than consolidation although the cost of entry is clearly something that would cut down just how many others could decide to try and take a pop at the marketplace.