You can do bad in a couple and still be a success if you do well where it really counts!  Those where just rhetorical questions for people to consider.  I'm sure there were other questions like "Did the PS3 help you get laid" or something.  Take what's important to you--games, graphics, profit, sales, sexification, whatever--and decide if the PS3 succeeded in your eyes.

My point of view:  It lost money and it didn't sell as well as expected but it bounced back strong, provided some great games, and some impressive features.  Was it an overall success or a failure?  Well......I did vote.

*edit*  You know what?  I just looked at the OP and I NEVER DID VOTE in this thread!  I don't even know who's winning!

From a pure sales perspective? Yes, it is a successful console selling 63m+.
For a Playstation console? No. It is a failure comparted to Ps1 and PS2.

Profit for Sony? failure.
Marketshare? Failure compared to the PS2, but Success for being in 3rd place.

Mmmmh...It's difficult to call, because the PS3 was my console of choice, but if I have to be totally sincere....I must admit that I think it is a failure on both financial and game quality sides.

Financial It was an economical hole for Sony for a few years, and It's not going to recover all the lost money any more. We could agree that Sony, in the end, did something right, as the Slim model and some good games, not to lose too much marketshare against Microsoft and Nintendo.

On the gaming side, I'm disappointed by the library, in my opinion it's better that the 360's one, but there are a few jrpg and platforms, while in the last generation we had new platforms franchise as Ratchet&Clank, Jak and Sly, new jrpg as Rogue Galaxy, but this time we have InFamous and other soulless games....the only new franchise that I really like is Uncharted.

i know you didn't this post seriously, did you D? i voted no for both by the way. well i think i did. go check and see what i said in your 360 thread.

the big 3 consoles did what they did, and that's all they needed to do. 

Less mindshare, and lost money as a whole project, so it can't be considered a success.

It's definitely a success, but not as successful people thought it would turn out to be.

It is not a success but nor is it a failure. 360 and wii on the other hand are successful in achieving their respective creator's expectations and also the users / consumer's expectations

Critically? Yes, it has good games (some) and it introduced a 'affordable' BD drive.

Financially and marketshare wise? Bloody disaster.

As far as for the Playstation name No way.

Financially? Hell no.

A good machine? Yes.

yes and no ... compared to the previous generation, no. But over time, the PS3 has received a lot of great games.
in terms of sales, it depends where in the world .... for example if you live in the usa, it seems clear that no ... in europe we can say that yes. we see in many Americans articles, that the PS3 is fucked up, and many people in the usa feels like to believe that the PS3 is a dead console in third place ... in France (and Europe in general) the ps3 is THE favorite console and that is 360 is in the "background" ... So, what I mean is that the success of a console is relative and changes with the country ...