With all due respect: I don´t think so. Sony main focus should be NEVER LOSE money again, sell everything with a little profit. Doesn´t matter if they sell more than MS or the big N, they JUST HAVE TO SURVIVE.

I wasn't really thinking about selling at a loss, but more keeping the manufacturing costs down. (Basically I don't think they should be concerned with having a more powerful console than the nextBox, just get it roughly in the same ball park so that third parties won't have much trouble releasing games on both)

They have to be careful, otherwise they will lose Europe in the process.

I diagree  then you only had two companies  both Japanese but with differing public images when it came to gaming  then came MS seeing  how big the video market had become since Sony entered the market and the fact that it was still growing , they wanted some of that pie and it came the bonus of controlling a closed system , so what happened was you had a US company doing a Sony and that with online that really took off with the 360 is more a reason for success rather than being cool , so while the head start by itself helped it was LIVE and the boom in popularity of online multiplayer especially shooters in the US  that maximized this head start , with people playing with their mates whether at home or in dorms across the country they did so on 360 and this led to when the PS3 came along a lot of users looking for a new console went with the one their mates where on .

Great point. Also, they shouldn´t put a CELL in it, trow backward compatibility out the window, most of people who desire a PS4 has a PS3. ALSO, THESE PEOPLE WILL BUY THE PS4 TO PLAY next gen games, mostly.

If sony does it right they can take back America and the rest of the world

Yes I agree with this. If the rumours about having some sort of add on that provides backwards compatibility are true, then I think that would be a good solution. But it'd be a mistake to put a cell in all PS4's and force everyone to pay extra for it (or make more of a loss on the console). Though I do wonder if having seperate models could work (cheap PS4 without backwards compatability and a more expensive one with it).

The other important thing is timing. If the Nextbox releases substantially earlier and gets a head start building an online community, then I'm not sure if even a cheaper price could beat it.

True, very true. Sony probably realised by now that it is not about putting Nintendo os Microsoft on the corner, it is only about turning a good profit and surviving, being a healthy company again.

Sony probably isn't going to win America over Microsoft next generation. Halo sells about 7-8 million units there, while the PS3's biggest American game only sold 3 million there - a huge difference. The PS4 is going to need a franchise that can compete with Halo (or hope that Halo dies down). Unfortunately, at the moment, there's nothing that suggests Sony has the ability to make such a title. Or, instead of one big  7-8 million-selling game, they could try and push several games that sell 4-6 million units in NA each, but that still seems unlikely.

Sony should really try to go after Europe next generation. They have two franchises bigger than anything Microsoft has in Europe - Uncharted and Gran Turismo. These last few years have shown that the Playstation brand is still bigger than the Xbox brand in Europe. If Sony plays there cards right, they could expand the lead they had this generation. They need a good price, get Uncharted and Gran Turismo out early, and hope for a new IP to blow up. Perhaps their lead in Europe could even surpass the Xbox's lead in America.

Havn't been able to reply for awhile. The thing is the people who bought the Wii because it was trendy are not the same type of people who bought a 360 because it's trendy. They are both a different demographic. (in my opinion)

The way I see it the people who bought a Wii (besides the actual hardcore Nintendo fans) were soccer moms and people wanting to buy something fun for their families. Most of these people really don't care all that much about console wars or anything like that. These people won't be seen attacking the other two consoles because they honestly don't care.

The people who bought a 360 were the same people who made fun of the Wii because it was too childish, and they believe they have a "mature" console. These guys hate anything from the other two (especially Sony) with an absolute passion. In the US it's not just "360 is better" but "360 is better and PS3 sucks". These people are the ones who will buy something even if they aren't too interested in it just to stay socially relevant.

I often hear the whole "360 is better and PS3 has no gaemz" from people who admittedly don't even play games! That's how strong and popular the 360 brand here is. People who have absolutely no interest in either system will still not only defend the 360 but also openly attack the PS3. These types of people will continue to support the Xbox brand no matter what direction it tries to take.

How often do you see soccer moms going "Lol the other two systems have no gaemz"? Never because, the demographic that fell in love with the Wii motion controls is not the same demographic that bought a 360. Most of the people who bought a 360 are younger (not kids, just younger than soccer moms :p) and are more likely to love/hate on something based purely on the trendiness of it.

Those people who bought a Wii are the ones who don't have any loyalty. They are the ones who would buy a different console based on buzz (if they were even going to buy a new console at all). The 360 fans though no matter how hardcore or casual they may be will NOT buy a new console. They actually do have really strong loyalty to the Xbox brand and most of the people I've talked to seriously don't have any interest in anything Sony or Nintendo, regardless of any quality games from both. They simply don't care, they just want an Xbox because of the popularity of it. The brand name alone will push them to get one next gen with all their friends.

Now obviously there are not any facts to back up anything I say and it's all purely my opinion based on many people in real life i've talked to or have heard talking about games over this entire gen here in the US.