Success and failure are relative to circumstances. There is financial success/failure, historical success/failure and market share success/failure

Sales:
If it sells more than competition prior to release of PS4 = success
If it is outsold by the X360 prior to release of PS4 = failure


Historical:
If it sells relatively near the PS/PS2 prior to release of PS4 = success
If it sells far less than the PS/PS2 prior to release of PS4 = failure


Revenue:
If Sony profits from the PS3 during its life cycle = success
If Sony draws debt from the PS3 during its life cycle = failure

i guess a little at 50 b.c they s[ent so much $ putting in the good grpahics and processors and the bluray dvd player


i guess
it is sum what of a failure
but sony will live
like nintendo lived through the GC console nightmare

People might call the PS3 a failure for the following reasons: IF...

1. PS3 doesn't beat the Wii out in terms of sales. Hardware esp. or revenue.

2. PS3 doesn't sell LTD better than GameCube or even XBox.

3. PS3 doesn't make a profit (worse case) or the profit is marginal (say 2% on their investment)

4. Number 3 happens and somehow BluRay doesn't become the standard for HD.

5. Sony comes out with a new box 2 years from now, and discontinues the PS3.

My guess?

1 will happen but that doesn't make PS3 a failure. Just means it wasn't perceived as the best console by the buying public for the money.

2 would be a failure, I think all would agree, since it would imply 3. But 2 won't happen.

3 has the highest possibility I think. Though they did a great job of cutting cost so far.

4 looks very unlikely, and will probably be cited as PS3 best success story.

5 very unlikely as well.

no. it sold more then the vitrual boy

every console, which pass 100 mln. can`t be called failure. =)
so, NO. =]

A console should be called a failure if they sell conciderably less then what the makers wanted it to sell. (DreamCast)

Or sometimes a console will be called a failure if it sells the worst in it's gen, and/or only appeals to a certain audiance (Gamecube)

It depends on how well sony expected it to do...

Well, Sony isn't calling the shots like they did the last two generations. I think the PS3 will go down as the biggest recovery from near-absolute failure (losing all 3rd parties, or being withdrawn). They were dangerously close this last year. After seeing the quarterly reports, there is enough evidence that Sony is here to stay and good games will continue to be made for it.

Well it depends. If it makes a profit then it is technically a success. But dropping from almost 80% market domination to a most likely 30% in the end is kinda going to seem a failure to the outside.

That wouldn't make it a failure. Using that logic, Nintendo hasn't succeeded since the NES era, and we know that's not the case. From Sony's perspective, a success would obviously mean making a profit off the console. From the gamers' perspective, a success would mean that there are several good games on the platform.

 it wasn't that bad.Even if they lost all 3rd parties, PS would still be alive easily today.