Once PS3 is selling for current $ps2 prices we can worry about that. If today's price hike is any indication we've got a long while to wait. The ps2 is still new for some places outside America and Europe. 

How could you say that? Vita is the easist to develop for most vanilla off the shelf hardware console Sony has ever made. Its only a few months ahead or about equal when comparing it with hardware launching this year. Most of them asking for far higher price tags. Other than memory price gouges I thought that was a great path for them to follow with ps4 should it ever exist. 

So basically one dead system, one system that will get its typical 1st party exclusive that gets fanatical support by less than half the gaming populace with some gimick 3rd ports, and a 3rd system with horrible hardware and medocre 1st and 3rd party games.

Great.

What do you mean by that?

Just an observation of the generations Nintendo has been in competition with Sony ...

With the Playstation, Sony launched much earlier than than Nintendo and took advantage of third party dissatisfaction with Nintendo and Sega to build a strong library and dominate the generation.

With the PS2, Sony launched much earlier than Nintendo and took advantage of the third party publisher relationships built with the Playstation to build a strong library and dominate the generation.

With the PSP, Sony launched at roughly the same time as Nintendo. Nintendo focused on a new user interface element (touch screen) that few saw as being an important, while Sony produced a more powerful system. Sony leveraged their strong third party relationships, and Nintendo leveraged their strong first party development, and Nintendo "won" the generation while Sony was one of the most successful "runner up" consoles.

With the PS3, Sony and Nintendo launched at roughly the same time. Nintendo focused on a new user interface device which was seen as revolutionary, while Sony produced a more powerful system. Sony leveraged their strong third party relationships and benefited from multiplatform development with the XBox 360 and PC, and Nintendo leveraged their strong first party development. Nintendo "won" the generation but their initial amazing sales lost steam allowing Sony to be one of the most successful "runner up" consoles.

With the 3DS Nintendo launched much earlier than Sony did and focused on a new user interface element that few saw as being important. Sony focused on processing power but was unable to get an upper hand in third party published games due to a weaker relationship with publishers (due to more modest sales of PS3 and PSP software compared to PS2 software). While the generation has yet to be decided, Nintendo has a massive lead and is selling very well while the PS-Vita is struggling.



Heading into the next generation Nintendo will be launching first, is focusing on a new user interface element that few see as being important, still has strong first party development, and Sony will likely have a weaker relationship with third party publishers due to poor performance of the PS-Vita. The Wii U hasn't launched yet so we don't know how it will sell, and we don't know whether Sony will focus on processing power again, but the current set-up for the generation doesn't seem to benefit Sony.

The big wildcard (in my opinion) is Microsoft ...

The strategy Microsoft chooses could easily help or hurt either Sony or Nintendo, and they may or may not actively try to do either.

I largely agree with this, particularly on Nintendo setting themselves up for dominance in Japan - not only on the handheld front - but also becasue I think WiiU will provide a bit of a much needed resurgence for the console market there.  I believe that Japan will be Nintendoland for the 8th gen.

but your wrong. I know this is a nintendo fan forum, but the ps4/xbox will be away ahead of the wiiu. the only way it won't happen is if MS and sony both decide to put out much weaker consoles then the norm at the same time. all indications point to at least Sony haveing a large upgrade in power,  MS is a toss up ( will they basically make a kinect box 2.0 or will it be a true successor)


 

@bold How do you know that? Give some reasons as to why you think that.

And what indications have Sony shown? other than Jack Tretton's PR talk

They didn't strive to make it extra powerful. Vita is comparable in power to other mobile personal electronics devices launching this year. I believe one thread is using iPhone 5. 

There's no telling at this point who will have the most 3rd party support.  But I have a feeling that during the next generation of console it will have a lot to do with how much success each one will have.  As you can see above, I never suggested that they will have the most.

At this point in time I would say that it is remarkably dangerous to make predictions about what Sony will or will not do ...

Of all things that can be said about the PS-Vita I think how poorly it is performing is mostly related to Sony having run out of "good will" from third party publishers and consumers to compensate for their strategic errors. In my opinion, Sony has to be very careful in how they position the PS4 because Sony's survival as a console manufacturer may depend on it.

I doubt Sony sees their position in the same way I do, but I'm certain they've noticed that the PSP, PS3 and PS-Vita didn't quite work out as they expected them to; and I'm certain this means that they are considering modifying their strategy. How they will modify their strategy is unknown, but this makes it difficult to say that they will or will not produce a powerful system.