With lest than two weeks before the new year, it looks like Sony will achieve their own 08 PS3 sales projection.  So what is the problem?  The problem is everyone else is out performing while Sony is just performing!   It is still hard to imagine that the formidable console King of last generation may have to settle for last place this generation.  Not so fast!  Sony may be a beaten down King, but they still have a few lethal punches waiting to be unleashed. 

Great Brand Equity. 
Sony as a brand has accumulated a huge amount of equity in it.  This is like a huge rocket just waiting for the right fire button to be pushed.   

2nd to none 1st Party Fire Power 
It is Sony that owns more AAA 1st party studios then either Nintendo or MS.  Granted, so far many of these 1st party did not produce the hits that helped move systems, but they all have the potential to do so.  Imagine if, by some miracle, 80%  of Sony 1st party make AAA hits next year.  Sony would have so many exclusive hits that Microsoft would not know what to do to counter the onslaught.

$249 PS3
$299 won't be the mass system mover in this market.   $249 is where the PS3 will need to be.  Because of the BlueRay factor coupled with brand equity, public perceived value of the PS3 at $249 will be greater than whatever price point the 360 or Wii be at that point.

Lol @ thread. :p

I don't agree if by "knock out punches" you mean leaving the 360 in the dust or ever becoming a threat to the Wii. True killer apps are few and far between, and while AAA games do help sales, I don't think they're going to be enough to create a seismic shift. Squilliam has a point; the only games that matter are the ones you don't have. Once most people are locked into a console, I don't think they care to acquire a second one even if it has some attractive games, so long as their current console continues to entertain them.

As for price, we're not even at $299 yet, so there's no telling how long it will take for the PS3 to reach $249. By this time, standalone Blu-Ray players will be dirt cheap, and meanwhile, more and more people are making their selection for this generation of consoles. Sony can improve its position, but it hasn't a hope in hell at first place, and the longer it takes for "the year of the PS3" to finally arrive, the slimmer its chance of even taking second.

I'd just like to say that Sony is a Queen...

And.. that is all.

1. At this point the Sony/Playstation brand is not a selling point.
2. What is expected of this 1st party fire power doing for the PS3. If anything with all of the financial issues Sony is having the development teams are probably under pressure to cut costs and get software released. This may result in less than stellar efforts.
3. What is this 2-3 years off. By this time Blu-Ray players will be sub $100, next gen consoles will be announced and the PS3 will be fully entrenched as 3rd.

I use "knockout punches" as figurative speech, meaning that if Sony can properly utilizes these assets strength in a timely manner (quick!), they stand a good chance of beating back their current slide in last place and at least reclaim a respectable amount of lost ground. If this happen, the 360 will not by any means left in the dust. The way the 360 is performing sales wise, it should have install base of at least 60 millions by the end of the generation. No matter what PS3 install base will be by then, 60 millions 360 is an astounding sucess for MS by any measure.

when did we allow SDF in here :P

@ thx: about your second point: Sony has already come out and stated that their development teams are in no danger, and that they will continue to do what they have always done.

OK, Shane Battenhausen, is that you?

I think that pretty much sums it up.....