Economic stagnation started in 1998 for the US, it just wasn't seen by everyone until after 9/11.  9/11 was like a blood clot that passed through the heart.  A painfull wake-up call that something was seriously wrong and needed immediate attention.

Sony tried desperately to break into the high-end TV business with inferior LCD TVs.  I'm not saying Sony's TVs were inferior, I'm saying LCDs versus plasma TVs were.  As someone in the market at the time for a high-end TV, Sony's attempt to market LCD when compred against plasma TVs from Pioneer proved laughable.

It would be years before LCDs were able to match the picture quality of plasma.  In the mean time Sony wasted money trying to win in a segment it couldn't because the tech was simply inferior.  Meanwhile, Samsung and LG were able to come up from bhind selling cheap LCDs, investing into the technology making it better.  It made Sony look like it was behind the ball and as an also-ran player, instead of being the market leader.

of course its a strategy... losing money was never their plan... but its how they use their strategy and how they see the customer as a part of the strategy that i think is different.

"... Sony being a bit too over-confident ..." sorry but that does exist... they were confident in their product... if they didn't show that who would? MS? nint? imo gamers are very sensitive persons that can spin what ever they want to feed their agenda.

"... No console is worth $600 ..." if it cost 800$ to make how can't it be worth 600? that does not make sense... you couldn't see the value in it, i accept that... i don't see it too in a 12.000$ wrist watch but some other find, and buy them.

i see what you mean, if kitler53 sees that he's going to chew me out and derail the thread.  plus he's a grammer nazi so my post will get double whammied.  i guess now's the time to request a permaban.

Show me this chart. Because I live here, and economy has been bad for a long long time.

And what's this <2% from?

Is that really their profit margin on tvs? JFC.

2004 2005 were failed stimulus plans. They boosted buying but not in any meaningful way, and created more problems in the long run.

While Sony does choose to take higher initial hardware losses, they have also been involved in increasing the margin on accessories to extreme levels, increasing the cost of hardware to fairly outrageous levels, driving up the cost of games for consumers, and promoting for-pay digital downloads in games that seem over-priced. On top of that, how they were hacked demonstrates a complete lack of consideration for the basic security of their customer's private information.

Certainly, all three companies are guilty of many of these things, but it is hard to say that any company that acts this way cares at all about their consumers.


To be blunt though, I don't care whether a company "cares" about me as a consumer; I only want them to produce products I desire at prices I'm willing to pay for.

No. Losing money was their plan because they planned to recoup those losses from other sections of there company. For example, they used PS3/PS2 to push adoption of blu-ray/DVD even though they had to take losses for it. But they made back those losses from Blu-ray/DVD players becoming more popular and selling.

If both were gaming-only companies, they wouldn't sell at losses like they do because it wouldn't be feasible and would drive them into bankruptcy. They don't lose money for their fans' sake.

I did not say Sony were confident in their product. I said they were over-confident (there's a difference) from their previous domination and brand name power.  Sony messed up with the PS3 pricing, it's as simple as that. There is no 'agenda spinning' there.

The console market, not just me, doesn't care if it costs you $800 to manufacture a console. Only a small minority of hardcore fans are going going to see the value in spending $600  to buy it.

LOL There is zero proof of this. Of course every business wants profit so they will do what it takes to get it, but obviously Sony showed the least heart in marketing to casuals and the most heart when proving themselves as the true gaming system. Who had the marketing commercial paying homage to gamers? Sony. Who has the least casual friendly peripherals? Sony. Who has the most first and second party games? Sony. Thats just how it goes. Microsoft only attributes itself to casuals and online and Nintendo attributes itself to casuals and nostalgia titles this gen. Its most hardcore titles are all third party, but I love myself some Zelda and Super Smash Bros (Thats called nostalgia).

What the hell does this mean? True gaming system. MS extending their appeal to more than just the core gamers means 360 isn't a 'true gaming system'?

Hardcore/Core gamers aren't the only gamers in the market despite some of you trying to convince yourselves other-wise.

I bet Sony would have loved PS3 to be more like PS2 was where they attracted not just core gamers but casual gamers as well and made them so hugely successful. I guess PS2 wasn't a 'true' gaming system.

And lol at nintendo = casuals and nostalgia.

Some of you self-proclaimed 'hardcores' are such a joke sometimes.

Sure. And we must not forget that videogaming is only part of Sony business. I believe that they don´t care as much for videogaming as they care about their sound & image product lineup. The same can be said about Microsoft, which main market is and always will be computer software.

In this sense, the only company which is a true videogaming-devoted company today is Nintendo.

Well let's face the true... SONE, Microsoft and nintendo's intention are to make profit, gain money... This is a Buisness, right?  and in this buisness they try to gain money trought make us have fun...So who I think give more fun by my Money? Right NOW Sony with it's PS3... a lot of games to play and all very FUN.. Concerning PS3 vs Wii vs X360, RIGHT NOW, Sony wins... Concerning 3DS vs. PSVita we'll when Vita release at western market and have at least 6 months Worldwide...

That's what I think.. I don't give a Sh*t about their intentions... If they make mehave FUN then it's OK...