Sony did suffer from pride, but it was a pride in their craftsmanship that bordered on artistic arrogance. The reality is that Sony has treated its engineers like sports superstars or celebrities, and to be honest about it engineers aren't the most pragmatic of people. Basically they were so consumed with trying to create perfection. That they rarely even bothered to consider whether the design was practical, or that it was something consumers really wanted. Sure this is the kind of thinking that made Sony into a powerhouse in the past.
In a stand alone world over engineering electronics equates to quality in the eyes of consumers, but doing so in a world that is cross connected. Where consumers accept day one obsolescence, and are thus highly conscious about price points. Such a design philosophy is a pure eye sore. People don't want to waste the money on a piece of art. When they are just going to replace it in two years anyway.
That isn't to say there isn't a market for over engineered goods, but that market isn't super sized by any stretch of the imagination. The point being that the pride wasn't so much in themselves. As it was in the products that they were creating. I am not even sure that Sony understands this. Firing employees, and moving the manufacturing out to other markets. Won't fundamentally change the fact that they are using a hundred pieces when ten will do almost as well. The problem wasn't on the factory floor. It was in the design specifications.
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