well like you said that is unusual given COD and Halo numbers (online centric games although Halo less so).  Also PSN+ and live are completely different addictions.  I'm addicted to Plus yet have played SP games from it only.  I mean RE5 (co-op I guess), Darksider, Walking Dead, Infamous 2, etc. all feed my SP wants in between releases.  Not to mention so many people bought PS360 for multiplats this gen that being less expensive helped 360 a lot this gen especially in NA where GT isn't as popular and Uncharted didn't get popular till later in the gen (U2 in 09).  Halo and Gears and being less expensive (as well as early) got 360 a 15m lead in NA.  I don't see Sony botching it even worse than they did this gen.  They have a lead in Europe despite being even LATER than the other territories and being more expensive so their lead there is probably smaller than it will be this coming gen.  It's just logic that if they don't make this MONUMENTAL compilation of errors (more expensive and late should be tombstone for any console) they will do better marketshare wise next gen.

Even better: they'll charge Americans for online and give it for free everywhere else, so they'll take America and the rest of the world too!

I just don't see any way they could "win" the U.S. Does anyone here really believe that they'll spend more in advertising in the U.S. than Microsoft? That they will come out with a new IP that will be more popular than Halo? If they couldn't even do it near the end of this generation when Microsoft was basically saving the bulk of their games for next generation why would they be able to do it with the PS4?

Anyone that thinks the PS4 is going to take the the U.S. is just wishful thinking and hoping for some miracle game or that the strategy that hasn't worked for Sony in the past might suddenly start working now. If anything I think Sony is going to lose more ground in Europe to Microsoft than Microsoft would ever lose to Sony in the U.S.

The reason why is because unlike North America where both the Xbox and Playstation brands are very mature there are some European countries where the Xbox brand has almost no presence and as Microsoft establishes the brand more in those countries their sales in them will increase.

Like I said in a previous post i'm from the U.K, so I don't know for certain. But what you describe sounds similar to what I've experienced over here.

The thing is, even though they may claim that they're "Xbox for life". I don't believe it's brand loyalty, rather it's just loyalty to being socially relevant as you put it. I heard people say the same thing about the Playstation brand back in the PS2 era, but when this gen started they all went with the 360. (I see it happen a lot with these kinds of people, not just with games, but with music and films as well ). 

However just like how it all changed for Sony at the start of this gen. I doubt Microsoft are immune to it. If they were to make all the same mistakes that Sony made, (Crazy high price, no games etc)  then it would hurt them. The thing is these type of people don't usually form their own opinion, they wait for the general consensus, so they can echo it, again to remain socially relevant. Like the "PS3 has no games argument". It was true when it came out, but when Sony had fixed it, it was too late, the decision had been made. However when it comes down to buying the next console, I do believe they will probably wait to find out what the "socially relevant" option is before jumping in. If Sony has a much better launch then Microsoft then they could do better in the long run.

With that being said, Microsoft have the advantage going in. If both launches are equally as good then the Xbox brand name will probably help Microsoft win. Sony are the ones who really have to get the launch right and I don't think they can rely on Microsoft to mess up as badly as they did with the PS3 launch (Microsoft don't seem as arrogant, and they haven't dominated the market like Sony did with the PS2. So there's probably still a sense of threat to keep them in line).