Well, not having Sony in the loop could be a disaster :

Even if I abandonned Sony because of the delay, ridiculous price tag and lack of good game to justify that (at the beginning), I don't trust Microsoft to give us a next gen console (XBOX720) for hardcore gamer.

I'm very worried that Microsoft will aim at  the Wii market for its next generation.

We might end up with a gimick console with a strong family offer (like the Wii).

And I'm not interested in that ...

the did say if the wii failed, they would ahev gone handheld only 

There is absolutely no chance in hell that PS3 will be sony's last console. The Playstation brand name is just to powerful for that to happen. Granted Sony did all it could this gen to kill the brand but it has managed to survive and they will probably learn from their mistakes and come back stronger next gen.

But if they stick to their so called 10 year strategy (which only exists in the head of Sony fanboys) the brand will be of no significance by the year 2016 when the PS4 is coming and they might as well not bother getting in the game unless they are offering something five times more revolutionary than the Wii.

 Did they?  This is the first I am hearing of this.  What I know they said is they will never go software only.

Comparing Sony to Sega is like comparing the groceries store at the corner of the street and Wall-Mart....

1/10 for originality...

YAWN!! read half the thread then moved down to the comments, another ridiculous thread IMO.

Also at no point did Sega do even nearly as well as Sony has done in two of its three generations.

Manufacturing prices will get lower, statistics are showing it will finish in second place, Sony will learn from their mistakes and release the PS4 much like the PS2- good technology without being extremely expensive and more money being spent on third party support. Oh and the PS4 will have a blu-ray player. But then Microsoft may plead to join the BDA and get a blu-ray drive in the X720 or X1080, whatever it's called.

That's my prediction.

ah well so far all ive found is itawa saying, that if the wii failed it would be his last console, i might have misread that, so for now i apologies, unless i find the article i swear i read

The biggest mistake with the article, is that the 65% drop in profits has almost nothing to do with the PS3.

PS3 is doing "ok" (although not close to expectations from 3-4 years ago), PS2 still going strong - and PSP doing better than expected.

They (Sony) simply face the same challenges that any consumer electronics focused company does these days.

According to this Mr. Usher, every company whose profits were stroke by the crisis should end production, or at least development of future version of the products they currently sell... A true genius, we've found the next Nobel prize in Economics! Somebody tell him that at more immediate risk are producers of goods most often paid through loans, like cars and houses. Also: most states in the world have monstrous public debts: they should stop producing citizens and enforce mass sterilization!
And Mr. Genius doesn't look realizing that at least Sony is still making profits, despite the crisis.