@Retrasado
I have always found that the framework of natural selection is a fantastic concept for understanding seemingly unrelated things. In such a frame work Nintendo would be the generalist somewhat like the rat. A rat is simplistic both in design in nature. A rat will eat anything. Will occupy any niche available to it. Finally it wastes nothing. This is why you find rats everywhere, and no matter how you try your not going to ever get rid of them.
Sony in the natural selection model would be an alpha predator such as a lion. The lion is a particular eater. It only wants to eat red meat. The lion will predate only areas to its advantage, and if it is forced to predate in areas not to its advantage it suffers greatly. The lion is a lean mean waster of resources. It kills eats the choice parts, and then moves on until it is hungry. It wastes massive amounts of energy in hunting difficult prey.
The one thing that nature teaches us is this. Generalists survive and specialists like the alpha predator are in line for extinction. They may be at the top, but they have a hard time with adversity. They cannot change while the generalists have no need to change.
Nintendo could survive under foot. The company made money on everything it sold, and was hardly wasteful. Nintendo is simply not particular as to how they get what they need. That is why they can come up with radical strategies they are independent of having to perform in a certain fashion.
Sony is not Nintendo it is simply not designed to function in any role outside of an alpha predator. The company must be on top dominating to make a living. They have dozens of game studios to maintain. Their model is built around waste. Then they have the entire issue of being reliant upon reputation.
You take Sony out of the alpha position, and their strategy falls completely apart, and you may say well they need to change their strategy. Well that is easier said then done it is very difficult to imagine Sony putting their gaming division on a starvation diet. Not with the fact that the division is used to scavenging off of its brethren steeling as it were their pots of gold. Sony needs to gut the entire division, and I have seen no demonstration by Sony that they understand this.
