Opinion: Should Sony Exit Hardware?

Industry Gamers writes:

"Sony's struggles in this current console generation have been well documented. The company limped out of the gate with PS3 at $599 and is still struggling to hit a price point more palatable for consumers. Recently, Sony Computer Entertainment boss Kaz Hirai also admitted that the simultaneous global launch was a mistake. Now, here we are a few years later and the PS3 trails the Xbox 360 in worldwide installed base by 8 million and the Wii by 28 million. We'd be surprised to see Sony ever leave third place (we disagree with Mr. Pachter), even with Sony's much touted 10-year plan. And at some point as a company you have to consider cutting your losses. Perhaps it's just time for Sony to exit hardware, much like Sega, and go the route of software publisher?

IndustryGamers recently spoke to ngmoco founder Neil Young, who also seemed to think Sony's days in hardware could be numbered. 'It seems to me that if you're competing for the living room, and there are three companies competing for it, then one of them is going to have to be on the ropes.'

Please keep in mind, we're not saying this is necessarily going to happen, nor should this be viewed as "Sony bashing." We happen to think the PS3 is a fantastic machine with some great horsepower and an increasingly solid software lineup. That said, here are six reasons for Sony to exit hardware."

[meepmoopmeep]

no, MSFT should leave

:)

[snaz27]

With such rediculous articles as "should sony exit hardware?", which doesnt actually take in the facts such as MS having a whole year head start and the fact that PS3 has sold MORE systems in the same timeframe than xbox360, and that the wii is targetted at a completely DIFFERENT demographic than both the PS3 and XBOX360. Should industrygamer.com just crawl back under the rock they came from and start writing childrens stories instead? Seen as they are so good at making up fairytales!

[Sev]

No. This is a terrible article.

[The_Darkest_Red]

Even though this article is complete flamebait I will still answer the question.

No.

Sony is the only reason I still care about gaming (other than a nice little surge of DS RPGs lately), and if they left the hardware world I would be more than disappointed.

It's like asking if McDonald's should stop selling burgers.

[InfectedDK]

Ridiculous
Move on

[ultimolu]

...What the hell is this sh*t?

That's my question.

Why would anyone, and I mean *anyone* be THIS foolish to ask a question like that? I swear, the minute the economy hit rock bottom...these articles have been non-stop. How many times have I said that Sony will cut the price when they are ready? How many times have I said that? People are more focused on a damn console war than the fact that Sony has been pushing quality games like crazy. Yes, let's just ignore that. Focus on the damn price because the economy is so...so...soooooo bad.

No, Sony should not exit hardware. Sony, along with Nintendo are the reasons why we play games today!

[edhe]

MSFT doesn't make hardware.

although this is a pissant article i'll drop my opinion anyway - no Sony shouldn't stop making hardware, because they do make quality stuff, just misguided.

If they'd not tried so hard with the hardware, and made it so expensive and difficult [and ugly] then it'd be much better. The market would be very very different if they'd pushed their hardware like their competitors, Sony didn't need to try to cut new cloth to 'win' all they had to do was spank up the system specs to compete with the 360, and sell for half the price.

In a perfect world it'd be a single system, with Sony's rearguard quality, but MS's proven vision for a product that people will want and use.

[Genesis5]

No and they won't. Must be one of bruceongames friends. About the same level of intelligence. Which is not a whole lot.

[NOOBKILLA]

I disagree. Yes Sony will finish in third place. However, I think Sony has learned their lesson. Sony thought that people would pay anything for a PS3 just because it was the new playstation. Even if the PS3 launch with the same firmware it has now, it still would have bombed at $599. Only hardcore people were willing to spend that type of money.

In my opinion what Sony needs to do is try to make it until the bell rings in the 12th round. Learn from the a$$ whopping that has handed to them. Don't think that just because the word "Sony" is in front of the PS means people will buy it no matter the price. Also make two systems, 1 that is for people that just want to play games (no bells and whistles) for like $299 and if you want a balls out system (with a built in microwave) then price that at $599 if you want. Give consumers more of an economic choice. Don't depend on 3rd parties to sell your system, you will get burned everytime. Get twice the amount of first party games out and make 3rd parties want to be apart of the great sales.

Man I can go all day about this. Sony just needs to go back to the drawing board. Listen to what the developers and consumers tell you what they want. They are the ones paying your bills Sony!! Looking at the PSP Go price point they still haven’t learned their lesson.

[rockleex]

A hardware company should exit hardware?

Yea, and Microsoft should stop making software.

Stupid article. -_-

[Mike134nl]

Lame ps3 has been very succesfull for sony in seccurring a new disc format plus,I do assume no numbers to proof it, that the ps3 is also boosting Hdtv (sony brand) sales.

[LoVeRSaMa]

Should Microsoft Quit Software?

Tha answer to all these are NO.

Sony are a giant company because they are good with Hardware and MS is good as Software, so why should they quit?

In my opinion they should team up, Sony with the best Hardware, Ms with the best software and networking.

Live would have to be made free though ;P

[MEsoJD]

Sony's always been about quality and that still shows today.

[Real Gambler]

Once more: This is "NEWS" 4 Gamers. Not "STUPID OPINIONS" 4 Gamers.

I sincerly wish N4G would add a new category: "Stupid Opinions" and we could simply bypass it in our profile!

Most stupid opinion ever? "“It seems to me that if you're competing for the living room, and there are three companies competing for it, then one of them is going to have to be on the ropes."

Sony: Makes a great media center (PS3), BluRay Players, HDTVs, Home Theathers, DVD players, etc, etc.
Microsoft and Nintendo: Make game consoles. Makes you wonder what competition for the living room they are talking about! LOL

[4pocalyps3]

dumbass opinion...is dumbass -_-'

[xwabbit]

Wow this guys know their stuff huh Lol.

EPIC PHAIL

[Veneno]

The PS3 will sell more units than xbox 1 or gamecube could ever have dreamed of last generation.

[Boody-Bandit]

why is this even being debated by some?
There are some pretty lame articles approved here on N4G but I think this one is a new low. At least for 09.

[sofresh200]

Should Burger King quit because they are behind McDonalds?
Should Target call it quits since Wal-Mart sells millions more?

*sigh*

[ABizzel1]

Everyone is quick to say No it should be Microsoft, and I agree, but they aren't leaving the right reasons behind.

1. Microsoft should go, because it will NEVER penetrate the Japanese market. Japan just doesn't want an American gaming product, and no matter how hard Microsoft tries (buying up all JRPG's, $200 cheaper price tag, making games with the Japanese audience in mind, Adding a ton of Japanese content to current games like Forza 3, Changing Gears from a game about brutes in a war for their planet to compassion and friendship for the Japanese, Master Chief and Cortana's loveless love in Halo 3 was for the Japanese.) Hence they can't get Japan seeing how their still in a very distant 3rd place their (not including the handhelds).

2. The Xbox 360 STILL suffers from the Red Ring of Death. While they all didn't die at one time, meaning you can't pinpoint an exact percentage until much later, I am willing to go out on a limb and say that the 360 early on had a failure rate of at least 33%. Systems were just dropping dead a 1 1/2 years. That is not good business, nor good hardware. And the program they put into play to fix the systems was a life saver, but still it should not have happened on such a massive scale to being with. When the next generation comes Microsoft needs to make sure this doesn't happen again, because those who remember this fiasco will drop them instantly next time.

3. The 3rd reason I can think of is, because Microsoft is a much better software company than a hardware company. Microsoft has the best online features, and many apps (I call facebook, twitter, and everything else apps) that the PS3 doesn't have (and I know you can get on them with the PS3 browser, but it's not the same). Microsoft's gaming division is practically gone. They are paying 3rd parties to make exclusive games, and exclusive content for their system. With the Red Ring of Death, Paying for exclusives and content, Microsoft has to be adding up to one major bill. When instead they could be developing games and apps for PSN (I want MS and Sony alliance over Nintendo and MS) or the Wii and make money instead of losing it.

4. Finally this could give Microsoft a chance to focus on getting PC's back in the game. I see Cloud gaming coming soon, but for PC first as the testing grounds. Microsoft would be wise to jump on it and let Sony have the last generation of consoles (Yes I think there will be only one more console generation, before companies move on to Cloud gaming).

So there you have it. Good reasons backed by logic and facts on why Microsoft should be the one to exit the hardware business. But with that being said I doubt they'll leave. If in the end they make a profit (more so pass their goals) then they're in it for the long run. And I think Microsoft's here to stay. Hopefully they do join forces with Sony and take down Nintendo, before it's too late and we're doomed to e casual gaming future. And if they joined forces the PS360 would be leading in hardware sells against the Wii by 1 million, and the PSP MS Go would probably have a 25% increase in sells with games like Halo Go, Forza Go, Fable Go and whatever else MS would put on the system.

[socomnick]

Would somebody please read the daam article before you post. :/ jesus its quite simple open the link read the 7 page article and then you come here and discuss the article, but perhaps im asking too much of ps3 fanboys, they are not capable of reading long passages or having an intelligent discussion.

[Boody-Bandit]

because it's a dumb topic that should not even be debated. Articles like this is what is wrong with the media today. It's absolute nonsense.

BTW give me a break with the whole Sony fanboys blah, blah, blah dumb, blah, blah crap. If this title read "Should Microsoft Exit Hardware?" you would have a fit as would most other MS fans.

Regardless of which side of the fence you are on a garbage article is a garbage article.

[rucky]

Yes some of us read the article and yes I can certainly say the points are as ridiculous as the title. Just because the 360 is lacking original games doesn't mean Sony should quit hardware and push their IPs to other consoles. Remember without Sony we might all still be using CDs to play our games.

[snaz27]

it is peoples choice as to what they read and dont read, in my case i read the intro posted here on n4g if i consider that the article has something good to say or interests me i click the link and read on... however the intro for this article did neither for me, and if they get facts wrong in the intro what the hell is the rest gonna be like? to me its pretty obvious. so i chose not to read on, this a good enough reason for you?

[ABizzel1]

@ Socomnick

I take it your comment was towards me, and I for one did read the article as I do EVERY article before I comment. They say the PS3 is a great console, but Sony is losing money, and there's an opportunity for Sony to go the way of Sega and have their amazing first party make their games for other consoles. And I agree Sony is a great developer and would be a great publisher, and by focusing on games and not games and hardware Sony would easily become one of if not the best publisher/developers in the gaming industry.

But that doesn't change the fact that I feel it should be Microsoft who should drop out. Not to bash the 360, but the hardware isn't up to par. A console the breaks that much isn't a good console. Not to say they don't have great games, because they do. But the hardware is the problem. Which is where my comment came from, not to defend the PS3, because they are right. As a matter of fact all 3 developers could stop making hardware and focus on games and app and do just fine.

[IntelligentAj]

Am I only one who remembers that Sony is still making a s*** load of money on the PS2, which is helping to soften the blow of the PS3? And this articles is ridiculous. On Live isn't even proven yet, how can that be one of the reasons given? Be serious

[a_squirrel]

this article is dumb

Microsoft shouldn't leave
RROD (33%)
E7blah blah error
Disc Scratching

Sony should leave
YLOD (3-5%?)

Sony has issues, i mean come on, they can't even live up to Microsoft's bad quality hardware that is overpriced.

lol

/hides in a bunker

[Serg]

Seriously where the hell did this Sony hate come from. Microsoft has a reputation for playing dirty and ripping off consumers, but then they produce a console with 33% failure rate and suddenly people love them? Give me a break. Sony is responsible for 15 years of second to none quality entertainment, now along comes Microsoft and suddenly people spit all over Sony. They drive technical innovation, new IPs, greenlight projects other publishers would not even consider because they are too risky. What's wrong with people nowadays. I can understand the price of the PS3 is high and it's value aside, not everybody can afford it, but does the high price justify rolling over them like that?

Personally I associate the name Sony with quality. The TV I bought in 1994 still works like a charm, not a single flaw. It belongs to my nephew now and he is playing my 2002 PS2 on it. This is just one little example of how reliable the hardware is they produce. Ask a 40 year old what a good TV is, I guarantee 80% of the time they will say Sony. They lost momentum in the TV market because Samsung is actually better now, doesn't mean Sony has no good TVs, quite the contrary.

Seriously I can't understand what is going on in peoples minds. All the articles how Sony is this and that and why they should quit are such nonsense. Opinions from morons everywhere, and poorly researched ones, I even think I read somewhere that the PS3 is selling faster than the PS2 back in the day. The PS2, the console that sold 140~ million if I recall correctly, and still selling like hotcakes. How the hell does an "opinion" like that even come to mind knowing that. The author obviously is a moron, pure and simple. I mean, Sony is not the PS3, Sony is a multi billion dollar company based almost entirely on the hardware market, so now Sony should simply scrap 95% of their company because of a 33% failure rate competitor and concentrate on software so Microsoft doesn't need to throw money at developers. I know he meant just the PS3, but he should specify it.

PS: For the record: I wouldn't buy a 20 euro toaster with 5 year warranty if it would have a 33% failure rate, let alone a console for 300 euros. The arcade is cheaper, but thats what it is, cheap.

[FamilyGuy]

This article really reminds me of that review that gave a negative point to the fact that a game was a PS3 exclusive. Saying Sonys games would be better if they weren't exclusive is the main theme of this article. And nothing is holding back Kratos from being in Soul Calibur (on the PS3) other than Badai asking, he's on the psp version.

All their reasons are backed in flimsy ways. First they say sonys little big planet would do better sales on the wii with it's 50mil (world wide) install base (true enough but different market anyway) but THEN go on to say that no PS3 exclusive has sold over 1 mil in the US... Why does it have to be in the US all of a sudden? They're writing things in whatever way seems favorable to their arguments, mentioning certain specifics at times and ignoring them when they become inconvenient.

The PS3 is selling at a fast enough pace compared to M$s pace and at a higher price point so what's with the doom and gloom article?
I honestly believe that M$ HAD to release the $200 arcade model (and yes i DO know people with them) after seeing Sony start to catch up last year. They HAD to buy titles away from sony exclusivity or there'd be too many reasons to get a PS3 over a 360 and they had to do many of the other things they've done just to stop sony from out selling them.

M$ constant hardware problems, year-time with out notable exclusives and basic catch-up/me too personality make it seem like it's more like the one struggling. They're making money, duh, but they have to copy, pay for and take risk after risk to do it. (example of a risk was paying for GTA exclusive DLC) What's Sony risking? They just release great games and free additional features that keep their owners (who know what the systems capable of) happy. A $100 price drop would be a huge risk without something making it possible.

Not one of these consoles seem to be where sega was with the dreamcast so it would be best if these type of articles just stop.

BTW, I really don't understand why M$ hasn't released a web browser for the 360, maybe they're trying to find a way of charging for the thing without upsetting consumers. It couldn't be a patent-based reason or nintendo wouldn't have one.

The Iphone/pod are not even worth mentioning as a psp comparison, just no. And the DS comparison is also invalid, why let nintendo monopolize when you current console is doing so well and about to get better (for the devs and publishers profit-wise) because of the PspGo and more so selling more download-able games? I just wish i could skip the psp altogether and play psp games on my PS3.

End the end, if you want sony exclusives, buy the sony product that plays them, they're ALL worth the money so you won't regret the purchase, even without a price drop. One of the biggest reasons it's sales aren't higher is the fear that "a price drop might happen a month after i buy one"

[pixelsword]

It brings up a point that's not really valid disguised as a "what if" question without considering all factors involved.

[jmare]

Another Sony is doomed article. I have come up with an analogy to help people remember that it isn't over yet. 18-1. Go Giants. Anything can happen and the generation is going to continue for at least a few more years so everyone needs to just calm down.

[winlonghorn]

The problem with Sony is not their hardware at all. They have wonderful hardware for gaming, movies, music, etc, but they do not develop the software fully to realize the potential of the hardware most times. :) I am not saying they are a bad company at all, but they should be more focused on software. Do that and they can bring themselves back to #1 status easily! :)

[ABizzel1]

There's nothing wrong with Sony's hardware or software. The PS3's first party games are the best among any console. The things holding the PS3 back are:

1. Price
2. Delays
3. Services

The Number reason the PS3 is in last place is the price, and that can't be argued. Launch at $600 pushed too many people away, and even now $400 is still a little steep for most people. The PS3 cost to much for the average person to buy. Now for those people who bought a 360 at launch you can't say that the PS3 is too expensive, because you paid the same price for your console. Now those who feel they paid too much for the 360 at launch and the PS3 are the only ones who can say anything. But in the end the PS3 is too much to gain mass appeal at this time. A price cut to $299 would be a huge boost, but the $250 mark is mass market territory so $299 will sell a tons of consoles, but lesser families may still be on the fence.

2. While not much has been delayed for the PS3 since Sony usually doesn't give a release date. There is a certain expectations that gamers look to once something has been announced. It's fine to show games, tech, and services, but don't show them if they're not going to be ready until 2 years or later. Sony needs to cut the fat, and become more focused on the task at hand, while being able to focus on the future as well.

3. MS has more services than the PS3. Sony needs to add more and get contracts with more partners to establish their consoles as the best place to go for all your entertainment needs. They need their very own iTunes Store. Home needs to be built upon, and other things that give MS the online advantage need to be up to par with MS.

[jerethdagryphon]

sony leaves had ware i leave gaming

i was annoyied when sega killed the saturn, and i am not switching companys to ms for gaming ever

[Ryudo]

Sony Defence Force in full swing here I see.

Can I be the voice of reason and say.

Neither console should leave the market stop being retarded monkey fudgers.

@Below
I guess your a PS3 community member tell me again which community has the whiny 12 year olds no one wants to know. Yourself and half the comments above ain't making a good case for the PS3 community. Crying like little baby's over something that has nothing to do with Microsoft.

About an article written by some chimp that will not affect Sony in any way shape or form. In fact your cry baby comments only help advertise this doing more damage then it should.

And btw this ain't a court of law resting your case doesn't actually do anything........ Moron.

[Game13a13y]

1) poor first party studio
2) poor hardware (RROD)
3) poor innovation (still use DVD9, some consoles without HD output)
4) poor PR people (Aaron Greencheeseberger, Turn 10)
5) poor sales in japan (even PS 2 outsold it from time to time)
6) poor deal making decisions (GTA 4 DLC, Fallout 3 DLC, Rare)
7) poor product naming skill (come on, xbox 360?? a gaming box slapped with an "X")
8) poor community (12 yr old whinny kids)
9) poor customer service (good luck calling their support line)
10) poor storage medium (DVD 9? can it hold out in 2010?)

i rest my case.

[JD_Shadow]

For God sakes, this has NOTHING to do with the SDF, and the SDF was made by a Nintendo fanboy to make fun of Sony fanboys, anyway (I can prove it, too). My GOD, you guys say that to defend ANY article like this (and you're using the same goddamn quote anymore: "They work fast" or "in full swing"). Every time we see a "Sony is doomed" article that's coupled with tons of comments saying that it's sh!t, we are guaranteed to see SOMEONE go straight to that SDF conspieracy. Yet there ISN'T a controversy when a "360 is doomed" article pops up that's bogged by a zillion "this article is sh!t" comments? Is everyone who ever writes crap like this never wrong?

Can we just face it? This is a sh!t article written by absolute tools that know nothing about the gaming industry. No amount of reading the entire article between or through the lines will make us change our minds. Sony should not exit the hardware industry, and this question should've never been brought up. Period!

[Ryudo]

So your agreeing with me? Maybe you should take a deep breath your beloved PS3 ain't going anywhere. But seriously take the fanboy goggles off for a second clearly half the comments here are written by Sony extremists..

Stuff like, No Microsoft should go instead there community is full of whiny 12 year olds...

I own both consoles I prefer the 360 but I would be pissed if the PS3 went anywhere. It just annoys me off to see complete and utter tools responding to this obviously flame bait. And some people blaming it on Microsoft I mean seriously where do you find half the people that post on this site. The bloody jerry springer show they live in a world totally void of reality most of the time the people with the most bubbles. are insane halfwits.

[randomwiz]

no, neither should leave. Without msft or sony, there's no competition, and without competition you get lackluster consoles and services.

"Kaz Hirai also admitted that the simultaneous global launch was a mistake."

since when did 11/06 and 3/07 mean simultaneous? But people from London got their money's worth.
"At the London launch everyone who bought a PS3 also received a free 46-inch HD television and a taxi home."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/...

[JD_Shadow]

Since you obviously didn't get the point:

1. I own all three and LIKE all three, so shut your mouth about me being a fanboy.
2. You used the "SDF" line (which is basically telling all of us "attack me" since people like the Mart, Why Dis, and POG always want to use the line) and continue to bash "Sony extremists" as if they are the only ones that ever act like that. You're grouping everyone with the few and saying that EVERYONE who prefers the PS3 over the 360 is an extremist that would always act like that.
3. This was a sh!t article that doesn't deserve to be defended by anyone. Why it got approved boggles my mind? Maybe it was because of those "Sony extremists" that run this site, right? They just LOVE these useless articles that pop up every other day!
4. I never said I disagreed with you saying that no company should leave (not sure where you thought I would). I'm disagreeing with your piss poor choice of words.

[FlameBaitGod]

YEAH just like MS should stop selling software huh ? This people SUPA smarts, no wonder they don't got traffic.

[ultimolu]

I think 360 fanboys love playing follow the leader. The minute they har someone use SDF, they start using it as well as if it's supposed to sway someone into changing their comments.

Nice going Ryudo, keep it up. darkpower has all three consoles so he's far from being a fanboy. He just has different viewpoints about things.

I think you should be a little mature and leave "SDF" at the door.

[Thugbot187]

Completely Crazy... Again not sure how these crazy stories are getting approved.

[AAACE5]

Sony is the leader at pushing cutting edge technology! They are experiencing a bit of a rough spot right now, but the industry needs them.

All 3 companies bring their own things to the table and I like seeing them compete with each other. When they compete, us gamers win!

[thesummerofgeorge]

God no... If my only choice for a gaming system was the piece of sh!t hardware Microsoft pedals (I repeat: the hardware, not the games) I'd go back to playing computer games.

The article is fckin retarded, take the wii out of the equation first off, cause it's a different animal altogether, and Sony's doing just fine. It's still early, and to say that because microsoft rushed out their console a year early (which only screwed we the customer) and got a larger install base earlier is no reason to say Sony should stop selling hardware altogether. I guess Microsoft should have quit when they got dominated by the Ps2 (which also still sells well). Who here really wants Microsoft to get even lazier with their products cause there's no competition? That tells them that a 33% failure rate is just fine, why do better, there's no competition, and that's bad for everyone. Sony needs to stay in the game to keep up the integrity of the industry. Whomever wrote this article should NEVER EVER enter the business world if he thinks that not being first place ALL the time means you should just quit altogether, that's asinine, if every company did that monopolies would take over. RETARDED article.... RETARDED!!!

[Game13a13y]

first off, all of my points are pretty legit, well, may be except the 12 yr old whinny community. now make that 30 yr old virgin who live in their parant's basement.
second, there wouldn't be any DEFENCING if there wasn't any ATTACKING.
when is the last time you see an article "XBOX is doomed" even though its selling like crap in japan, first party sucks, 33% failure rate, etc... well, you get my point.

[Syronicus]

I wonder what would come of articles like this if they did not in fact generate hits on websites. Perhaps they would go where they belong... In the trash.

This article has "fail" written all over it and fanboy flames coming out of it's sphincter.

[morganfell]

Since launch, the PS3 has sold more units than the 360 did at the same point in time from their launch.

Add the fact that Sony has not 1 but 3 major hardware game devices on the market that are selling and the answer to the idiotic article title question is a resounding no.

[likedamaster]

Yes, they should discontinue the ps3, ect. but no they should at least design some for other companies and maybe join forces with the software giant Microsoft for a super console platform. My opinion.

[Shadow Flare]

Im getting so sick of the piss poor quality of some articles on n4g. Should ps3 get rid of the xmb? Should sony leave the hardware market? Wii HD to have ps3/ 360 level graphics? These people are not journalists. They're people who must have flunked school. Anybody in n4g could write a better article then these retards, even whydis. 'next ps3 sku to not have bluray'. Seriously, anyone can write better articles then these. These "journalists" should be freakin ashamed of themselves.

[crazyclown]

if anything Microsoft should leave with there piece of crap hardware that breaks continuously with a ratio of 1/3. They are slowing down technology with their systems, and they copy everyone.

[Anon1974]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but selling 23 million consoles in 2 1/2 years at the highest price point on the market with stiff competition hardly seems like "limping out of the gate" to me.

Funny, I don't remember these articles when the Xbox 360 hit 19 million in it's first 2 1/2 years. They must have really thought the 360 was doomed at the point.

[NickIni]

So, after doing extremely well in generations gone by, Sony get a poor start, and suddenly they should stop making hardware?

I want whatever game journalists are smoking these days.

[morganfell]

^^^There are no journalists at Examiner.com...

[FamilyGuy]

There's been some abuse somewhere on this site, i had 9 bubbles yesterday and today i have 5. How does that happen?

[thesummerofgeorge]

Join the club... there's been an assault on my bubbles for a while. I stopped posting for a month, came back and somehow my 6 bubbles were down to 4..... and then I lost a bubble for my last comment which only has 1 disagree... Go figure.

[morganfell]

Same here. 8 to 5 in an hour.

On top of that, look at the comment by XDF here:

http://www.n4g.com/NewsPend...

He quotes me exactly. Yet the mods deleted that comment. Why? No reason for that either as those remarks were hardly above board compared to some others I have seen here. I think it is obvious certain people are being targeted and not just by the other posters.

[Anon1974]

From 9 down to 5 in a week. I'm up to six now, but I thought it was just me this was happening to.

[FamilyGuy]

I look at my bubbles, ignored by and tracked by status ALL the time. My bubbles took less than a day to drop from 9 to 5, it might've happened in under an hour but yesterday was the last time im positive i looked at it.

I wish there was a way to investigate this because that's bs.
I had the idea that maybe you loose a bubble every time a mod deletes your post but that doesn't make sense because tons of people (trolls) get multiple deletions daily and they aren't all at 0.

This sucks

[MaximusPrime]

No

[iHEARTboobs]

They're making everyone else's hardware look bad.

[Raz]

6 reasons why Sony should exit hardware?

Why not 6 reasons Microsoft should stop making software?
Or 6 reasons why Nintendo should stop making motion-controlled games?

Either of those would make about as much sense. Which is one reason why Industry Gamers should stop writing articles.

[TapiocaMilkTea]

I think with Sony out, the hardware built quality from all the gaming companies will go downhill.

[Party Boy]

nvm

[KingItachi]

They just keep coming don't they :) and no Sony should not exit.

[Black Maverick]

It's that time of the year. The Summer heat becomes to much for them and they write the first dumb thing that comes to their mind.

[OGharryjoysticks]

The day Sony stops making hardware the world loses.

[Pennywise]

Couldnt of said it better. Some people need to not write their opinions.

[Perjoss]

Or, perhaps you could learn not to take opinions so personally, after all, they are just that. If you allow yourself to get wound up by articles like this its your own fault.

This articles wins (regardless of its content), why? because it did exactly what it set out to do, generate hits.

[snaz27]

reading the intro was more than enough to make me see this site doesnt deserve my hit, so i would say if that was the sites goal they failed miserably!

[PiTCHBLaCK]

I Never hit the link either, It's the stupidest
Title I Ever saw, at first I thought this was a
old 2007 article.

[joeyisback2585]

wtf no microsoft should since they suck at hardware and most 360s have fail

[Shaka2K6]

.

[Model]

who approved this garbage ? whydis ?

[meepmoopmeep]

i approved it.

haven't laughed much this week.

[blackbeld]

Sony is here!! ....... and it will stay for ten years with Playstation 3......

So what about 360 RROD crap... Microsoft should stick to they're software crap Windows BSOD...

[Sir Ken_Kutaragi]

"Opinion: Micro$oft Should Exit Hardware" ;-D
(And take your bum-loving internet sites with you!!!) ;-D

[Guitarded]

They are nothing but a bunch of arrogant egotistical morons without a clue, much like their most ardent fansboys. All they have done is slow creative development of games by forcing their stupid complicated architecture on dev's. Making them spend more time and money on the technical side of programming and less on the creative side. As is evidensed by their first party line up. Technically amazing games that play like garbage.(Looking at Killzone2) So yeah, GO AWAY SONY! Take your fanboys with you.

[infekt]

pass me that bag of weed, buddy. This must be what all the xb!tches are smoking.

[N4g_null]

I know many friends and co workers that have suffered RROD yet I hate to say MS has out done SONy since they are in the red right now. Which means they don't have fanboy screaming they are going to win this gen they have bank accounts that will help get games made and support the next gen.

The funny thing about the sony fans they remind me of country people talking about ford vs chevy... Most of their hate is because of broken down cars and lame designs maybe. Then GMC comes in and starts buying up every one and making giant SUVs and luxury cars. Every one loves it but sales tank and your work force wants to get paid.

I know many of you know SONY is huge and so was GMC yet how long can SONy take these loses? The fans will all say hey Nintendo was 3rd for so long but look even they came back... their is a difference they where a profitable 3rd. Had SONY first party titles sold better they would maybe be in the red. SONY needs a profit and some 3rd parties do need the system selling you a younger more open minded crowd.

Yet some how the very people that support SONY are holding it hostage by not buying more of SONY's 1st party games. If every one here with a PS3 has all of SONY 1st games then please let me know hell if you have half of them let me know but that is what nintendo was accomplishing during the N64 and GC days yet they couldn't get other peopl to buy the damn things.

It would suck to see them leave and they have support many great guys in this industry but the arrogance of a few have to be corrected some how. It's really too bad that SONy believed that they could just bogard people into getting the new system though.

[ghostface]

I guess they thought nintendo should have exit hardware after looking at the gamecube sales.

[user3915800]

They should quit before they loose a few more billions and the shares continues to decline.

Lets said it like it is Sony has created the most unreliable gaming system in the world, always have and always will, those are facts www.consumersreport.com, by the way even the 360 its more reliable now than the PS3 since october of last year, just take your time and look it up.

Sony just sucks and the only thing they have are droids that wont buy their video games anyways, their attach rates are the lowest of all the console system this generation.

[Pennywise]

Yeah lets suggest the only HD console MFG with a good reliable record bows out so we can make room for the machine that breaks all the time.

I hate opinion pieces. ITS NOT NEWS.

[vagisil]

CORRECTION: you hate opinion pieces that are negative to YOUR console of choice, every other OPINION PIECE that gets approved on n4g that are negative about the other CONSOLES, you and the sony fanatics do not hate.

p.s yes i consider the wii a console, even though you and the hypocritical sony group on n4g do not consider it a console.

[Pennywise]

LOL- Am I supposed to even read your comment with a name like that? Vag rash cream... nice.

[Omega4]

If they keep loosing money from the PS3 they wont have much choice.

But if they do leave someone will need to take their place or MS might start charging ridiculous prices.

[PotNoodle]

They were on $45 each console late last year, by the end of this year, they should be near enough breaking even.

[The_Darkest_Red]

They won't have a choice? You do realize the PS2 and PSP exist right? You also realize that Sony is a rather large company right?

Whenever I see your name the first thing that comes to mind is, "how will this comment attack the PS3?" You never cease to amaze me.

[Max Power]

if microsoft didn't leave after losing 4 billion dollars with the first xbox, and Sony had two highly successful systems, and a pretty decent venture into the handheld. Why would they leave after their current system is still selling well, maybe not to the standards they are used to, but still selling?

[Greywulf]

Since MS failed after the Xbox1, they think its 1 electronic per company.

Sony has been doomed since launch, and it keeps releasing better games than the 360. So hell by the time sony is bankrupt, we will have AAAAA's by then!

[ultimolu]

Sony has been cutting their losses on the PS3 lately. Did you read the memo dearest Omega 4? Or are you painting the doom and gloom picture all over again?

They're not losing as much money as they were losing before.

Go do your research please.

Yes fanboys, disagree with facts. You want the PS3 to fail so badly that you're disagreeing instead of proving me wrong. You're only amusing me.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

Now I don't think Sony will leave the business, but MS expected a huge loss on the original Xbox before it was even released. MS is a cash cow and carry billions in the coffers. It has a very profitable software business that can keep it a float for a long time.

Sony is hurting right now very bad financially. Does this mean they will exit? Hell no! They are doing exactly what Nintendo did with the GameCube. Focus on a profitable business instead of winning the console war. They already have 20+ million user base for PS3 which is already more than the GC and almost as much as the original Xbox with an opportunity to turn around things. In some ways Sony has never been in a better position since they gained enough traction in the market to avoid being dropped by third party.

[Halo3 MLG Pro]

Re-read what Omega wrote and than read what you wrote. He clearly says the ps3 is still losing money and you actually agreed with him. But than you said get your facts straight and do some research? Huh???

[ultimolu]

And Halo, would you MIND reading what I said? I said Sony has been cutting those losses. Omega implied that the situation is SO horrific that Sony will have to drop out.

Take off those goggles...they're clouding your vision.

[Omega4]

Well the situation is pretty bad, especially with the incoming price cut, just means they will lose even more money.

In fact in wouldnt surprise me if they released the slim PS3 at a higher price like they did the PSP Go.

[HolaTarola]

I lol'd seeing that everyone thinks that Sony is just the PlayStation brand..

I don't know if you know this, but Sony Corporation (180,000 employees) is way BIGGER that Microsoft corporation (90'000 employees), Sony has much more revenues, assets and equity than Microsoft.. I mean, the total revenues for Sony Corp. in the last fiscal year was $78.877 billion US dollars, in comparison, the total revenues of Microsoft Corp. the last fiscal year was $60.420 billion US dollars.. And please don't make me talk about the ASSETS (economic resources owned by a company) because Sony have a estimated of $230 billion dollars in assets, Microsoft "only" have $72 billion dollars..

Sony have the support of major shareholders like the Mitsubishi company, Chase bank, etc.. AND have over 50 subsidiaries like Sony Pictures (one of the biggest in the industry of movie/television) and Sony Music (the second largest record company in the world)..

Please stop de non-sense, please?

P.S. Excuse my english, it's not my main language. =)

[ZOMBIEMAN1]

what i'm going to say will basically make your comment dumb and irrelevant MS had to close down there own developer the ones that made Halo Wars because MS went and wrote checks for exclusive DLC money that could have prevented them from closing down a first party developers while Sony has closed none of there's how many 360 exclusives of 09 is made by MS 2 Forza 3 & Halo Wars how many PS3 exclusives are made by Sony in 09, 6 KZ2 , MLB 09 The Show , inFAMOUS , MAG , Rachet & Clank ACiT & Uncharted 2 obviously Sony isn't in any financial danger that will make em leave and looking at 2010 GOW3 , GT5, MLB 10, R3 The Last Guardian ( possible ) & Mod Nation Racer ( possible ) i see Sony isn't losing money to leave gaming if there putting out alot of there own exclusive

[LukaX23]

Fact: This article is pointless.

[Socomer 1979]

Not even extreme xbox fanboys would say yes.
what kind of advice is that?
How hardheaded can you be hoping for playstation only games to grace the xbox360 and nintendo.

Things nerds dream up to help feel better at night.
quite creative.

[Guitardr85]

Hmm...Should the ruler of two previous consoles quit hardware simply because they are 7 million behind M$ given a one year head start? Oh yes...they are completely boned (sarcasm).

[mirroredderorrim]

I didn't shell out $800 worth of Sony product, on the day of purchase, to have an opinion siding with them going out of the hardware business.

It only looks like gloom and doom to fanboys or analysts who have no idea what they are talking about.

[jerethdagryphon]

400 hundred £ and well im satisfied
the exculsives rock, the extras are great,
qualitys good.

my only compaint is the damn thing picks p microscratchsn and dist too easily a non gloss option would have been nice

:)

[boss_killa]

sony puts out the most advanced and reliable hardware and they're the ones that should exit??? bahahah that's f'cking laughable.

if anyone should exit the console hardware race it's microsoft for putting out the least reliable hardware ever.

the ps3 is here to stay b'tches.

[Cajun Chicken]

Gotta be f**king kidding me.

[Panthers]

WOW what a dumb question.

First of all, Sony would need a huge failure to make them even consider that. The PS3 is by no means a failure the PSP is doing great, and the PS2 is still selling well.

Sony does make amazing software, but the PS3 has allowed Sony to win the format war and will sell over 100M before its retired.

[Major_Tom]

And be stuck with games that only look kinda good and not be used to their fullest potential, no thanks.

[LinuxGuru]

I barfed a little in my mouth when I read this.

[boss_killa]

i didnt even read it and i barfed in my mouth.

[sunil]

Its not like Sony has come up with a console which cant complete in terms of features / quality. The only reason it does not sell as much as its competitors is because of its hefty price.

Sony exiting the Console business would be extremely "foolish" - 'personal' opinion

Its like saying - just cause Vista failed (it actually failed - nobody wanted it) Microsoft should quit making Operating Systems !

[So Easy I Can Do It]

but when your opinion is wack, STFU and GTFO

[Mikelarry]

brother preach the good word

[redsquad]

The belief that "everyone is entitled to an opinion" is a myth. Otherwise there would be all manner of racists or sexists posting their 'opinions' here, they could hide behind that very expression and we couldn't say a thing to them.

What IS true is that everyone is entitled to an INFORMED opinion; One which has been reached by balanced consideration of all available facts.

Does this article qualify?
Does it buggery!

[MetalGearBear]

WHO WROTE THAT CRAP!!!!!
unbelievable!!!!

[LiquifiedArt]

... theres is no comment beyond this.

[AliC]

Yes Sony should quit, its not like they are selling many PS3's, PS2's or PSP's they should just give up now and call it a day....

[madkrazygames]

No they shouldn't, it's like saying, "should Nintendo become a third developer because they lost the hardcore market?"

[boss_killa]

and make games.... oh wait.... nvm....

[Halo_Reach]

Sony has money to support the Console but not as many as Apple or Microsoft...

Apple and Microsoft are Multi Bilion companys Sony is only Multi-Milion...

they are f-ed up...LOL

bye bye sony , i wont suppor tu anymore , poor console losing the best exclusives to 360 and dont even has Halo that is the biggest game this gen...

PS3 fails...Worst Multi games and exclusives and lacks of online quality...nice sony...LOL

[OmarJA]

& the best award for the most retarded person in N4G goes to Halo_Reach...

[Theoneneo81]

now u can stop kissin MS Rears now and and stop spewing crazy talk

[ultimolu]

...
...
...
...

LMFAO.

Sony is the second largest electronics company in the world. Man, you trolls aren't even funny anymore. ._.

[snaz27]

have all gone over to the 360? WTF! why didnt someone tell me!... oh wait its just a troll that has no clue as to what a good exclusive is due to there mum buying the CHEAP console! nevermind kid you could always get a paper round?

[redsquad]

Go play with your beloved Masterchief figures and leave us big boys alone to talk about grown up stuff, eh?

[saimcheeda]

is just horny for bill gates and talking crap!!!

[-x.Red.x-]

Sony is multi-million!?

HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHH AHHAHAH

[ZombieNinjaPanda]

Why can't they all be like Zhuk, at least he's a good troll.

Now we just have people making up crap...don't you guys know what trolls are anymore? :l

[360isthebestps3sucks]

LMAFAO!!!

[biggame901]

Thanks for the laugh, moron. AAA stupidity right there.

[likedamaster]

Btw, Sony is nowhere near being #2 in the world. Emerson is #1, Samsung, etc. Do your homework next time, and stay current if you insist in shooting at the mouth. http://www.controleng.com/a...

On topic/
Doubtful Sony will leave the hardware business - that is what they do! Discontinue the PS3? Maybe. Console business altogether? Probably not, both consoles prior were very successful/profitable. Thats cushion enough for future consoles(ps3, possibly) to fail and still be able to stay in the business.

[deshon09]

hell no that like saying should i put my hand in a running blinder no it is just stupid

[Theoneneo81]

again another lame article on n4g this is geting sad. and this has already had 9 reports before geting aproved. n4g is losing creditbilty imo

[Guitarded]

This site has ALWAYS been a joke! What is really sad though is that still, almomst nobody gets it.

[mirroredderorrim]

I agree man.

Sony is bringing everything to the table, minus in-game XXXXX.
They need a few more features, a little more of a robust XMB and ADVERTISING like they used to do in order to steamroll the critics, imo.

Because, I see the same crap being said. Over and over again about how PS3 raped a nation and shat on the victims, ate them and the feces, pooped it all out, shot laserbeam (Sony manufactured)at the pile of feces, turned it into dust, used a Sony fan to blow it all away.

RROD has burned down some houses!

Ok, well not RROD but articles explain how Xbox 360 has been the cause of some fires being started and no one continues with that?

It's all on Sony. It sucks, but it's interesting to see a large Corp. like Sony become the whipping boy for a lot of closet fanboys.

People just need to grow up. Sh!t's gotten stale already.

[Eddie20101]

One, I agree with your post, the rest of my comment is aimed at people that think that Sony bowing out is a good thing.

Are you F'ing crazy?

The Xbox Fanboys that want to see Microsoft Xbox 360 as being the only true gaming console on the market and not having any real competition are just fools. Microsoft already charges there customers for every little thing they can, Xbox live, themes, gamer pics, Wi-Fi adapter, hard Drives, controller chargers and batteries, what do you think will happen if they have no competition. There ahead now and they have a weak first party line-up, what would happen without competition.

I like gaming and I don't want one console to fail just so the other succeeds. Especially one with so many great first party games in its library and proven to be the leaders in innovative games. If a consoles fails it should be because it deserves to. PS3 certainly does not deserve to.

Sony's PS3 has sold close to 24 million world wide has the best first party games, is a very good Blu-Ray player, has a community that is getting bigger and better everyday with Home, Playstation Blog and PSN.

Why would any gamer want to see Sony Playstation 3 go away?

[fireofpunishment]

No,and frankly I think whoever wrote this garbage should be sentenced to be imprisoned in that glass thing that General Zod and his cronies from Superman II were put in.

[shadow2797]

Well look at Nintendo, they got blasted two generations in a row, then they release the Wii and Pow, they're popular again.

Any console that crosses 20 million lifetime is here to stay. If you replace the PS2's sales with the PS3's sales last generation, Sony would still be beating out the Gamecube and Xbox, and both those companies are still making consoles, so I think it's safe to say that Sony will be okay.

[NegativeCreep427]

This seems like a question best left to the console manufacturer who launched a console in 2005 that to this day holds the ungraceful distinction of greatest hardware default in history.

With Sony, who has dominated the past two gaming generations and whose previous console holds the honorable distinction of best selling gaming console of all time, Maybe the f*cking retard who wrote this opinion piece needs to re-assess the current situation by not simply focusing on the past two years of the gaming industry.

Oh, and should also realize that the current gen is only at best halfway through its run. I don't see the checkered flag coming up yet for this console race!

[Soldierone]

This isnt dreamcast. Sales are doing fine, if not great. Its selling FASTER than 360, which people continue to ignore the extra year it had. Thats a full year to sell consoles and get the system going, and yet its ONLY 8 million ahead? Thats a good thing?

Let alone remember last gen? PS2 was blowing away everything, Xbox was selling slower than PS3, and Gamecube even cut production in the middle? Why was nothing said about Ninty and MS then? Yet PS3 falls short a few consoles this generation due to a late jump and its the end of the world? Makes no sense to me....

[ultimolu]

In the eyes of the media, all they see is 30 million against what...close to 23 million? Articles like this is what destroys the PS3's reputation as a gaming console. Sony makes some unfortunate mistakes and immediately they're nailed to a cross.

Gets sickening by the day.

[PiTCHBLaCK]

I Agree, It's not Sony that even made the
biggest Mistakes, MS has that title.

Sony's only mistake? Price point

Sony and Nintendo didn't even come to the show late, MS
Just arrived early.

Sony's mistakes = Price point a bit high
Sony's good decision = still support the PS2, Inlude blu ray drive

[Jack Klugman]

do you have to ask?

yes, please Sony take your sh*t and get out! Dontcha come back no more no more no more no more! please take all your crazy fked in the head fans with you.

[NegativeCreep427]

This is what happens to you when your mother feeds you paint chips as a baby.

[ultimolu]

Shut the hell up and play some f*cking games instead of trolling N4G.

Stupid fangirl.

[redsquad]

"Hit the road, Jack"

[JadedWriter]

This has got to be the stupidest piece of $hite I've seen all year. And no I'm not going to read the article and give this fail site some hits.

[mcgrawgamer]

I would hate to see how people would act if Sony was actually doing bad.

Sheesh. Newsflash; last I checked Sony was doing good. MSFT was doing good and Nintendo had enough money buy their own country....

[fr0sty]

Should one of the world's biggest hardware giants for the past 50 years, known to make quality hardware in the gaming, television, consumer electronics, and recording industries, exit hardware?

Hell no. Not while some company that made it's name on software alone and has not been able to design an overheating issue out of their console for 3 years is still on the market. Not after crushing world records with most consoles sold, and then doing it again 7 years later. Not after selling at the same rate as it's competition since launch (at PS3's launch, 360 had about an 8 million unit lead, now they have about an 8 million unit lead).

[Theoneneo81]

9 reports before this got aprroved great job mods....

[odisho68]

unlike sega, sony won't just settle with just developing software for other companies...if sony were to pull out of hardware making they will not be doing it without going out with a bang...if sony were to ever decide to do this they would most likely join a partnership with another company and bring out another console (most likely apple)...they can provide their software for that piece of hardware exclusively and they can keep being involved in the development and production of hardware albeit with less risk/reward and apple would be able to make a footprint in the console hardware market and develop a great relationship with sony which would counteract any plans of microsoft for a 1 hardcore console world

[PiTCHBLaCK]

I've always said I Think Apple should make
a console, or team up with Sony.

[Captain Tuttle]

This is going to be classic.

[TheBand1t]

Is it possible for an article to reach 2000 degrees?

[clintos59]

Stupid question, aint it? Whoever approves this stuff should be tied up to a tv screen and let me show u the front of my avatar shoe kicking u in the a-hole. :)

[Counter_ACT]

lol, from the question you'd think that the PS3 was Sony's first console and they'd sold 5 units since launch.

They're not that far behind the Xbox 360 even despite the year advantage it had. What a retarded question to even raise.

[NewYork214]

no. they leave, i leave. Sony know exactly what gamers like me want in their system. i dont regret paying $640 for my PS3 at launch(after taxes) one bit. i got that much value out of the sytem within the first year of owning it.

[vx]

More hits more money being paid on advertisements,

itz dat zimple ;\

[mrv321]

A question isn't an opinion, it's a question :P

[redsquad]

This article doesn't really warrant a response, but I'll bite:

"NO"

I especially like "the PS3 is a great machine" tagged on the end as some kind of 'get out jail free' card.

[solidjun5]

put it there just to show the world they really aren't writing a bash type article. It happens all the time.

[MysticStrummer]

Me thinks so. I guess Dirty Harry was right about opinions and a-holes... everybody has one. Sony was around 8 million behind MS when they launched, and they are keeping pace with a more expensive console. End of story. Next.

[kingme71]

This sounds like a HipHopGamer topic.

[Halo3 MLG Pro]

Sony is not going to leave the hardware business. The ps3's has been a financial nightmare for Sony tho'. Still losing money with every ps3 sold, add the fact that software sales are still lacking. Times are very tough now and Sony is definitely in the hole. It's possible that Sony might file for bankruptcy. But since the playstation brand is Sony's main money maker, I would expect them to make cuts in other areas.

[Conan-O-Brady]

Ummm , Not likely . Don't get your hopes up and you wont be disappointed .............................. . o0

[HDgamer]

Yet you can't prove a word you say. I bet my 500.00 work check that they won't file bankruptcy in the next 10 years. Hell even 5 years.

[mirroredderorrim]

I don't think they will file for Bankruptcy, if anything chapter 11 is what they'd be filing for if they were to go into that dark hole, but they did what they had to do to save 3 billion dollars, and recently.

So I highly doubt they will be filing for anything but a stiff drink, after work hours.

Sony is taking such a small hit on the systems right now, compared to when they first released.
Factor in PSPgo!(people will buy it) normal PSP as an alternative, PS2 and last, but not least; PS3.

All residual income, in which it's cashflow is dependent on the competition's fluctuation, gas prices, monetary situation(economies)
import export, local/federal taxes and a whole lot more hoo-hah that comes with preparing a business such as this.

[mistajeff]

They just did some massive restructuring (without massive layoffs) that saved them some ungodly amount of money. They're definitely not going to file for bankruptcy. Maybe if SCE was its own stand-alone company, but thankfully they're not. One of the things I like about Sony is their vested interest in pushing the industry forward. Obviously making money is their #1 priority, like every company ever, but they have a lot of other priorities regarding technological advancement that come far into the foreground for them as well.

[HolaTarola]

I don't know if you know this, but Sony Corporation (180,000 employees) is way BIGGER that Microsoft corporation (90'000 employees), Sony has much more revenues, assets and equity than Microsoft.. I mean, the total revenues for Sony Corp. in the last fiscal year was $78.877 billion US dollars, in comparison, the total revenues of Microsoft Corp. the last fiscal year was $60.420 billion US dollars.. And please don't make me talk about the ASSETS (economic resources owned by a company) because Sony have a estimated of $230 billion dollars in assets, Microsoft "only" have $72 billion dollars..

Sony have the support of major shareholders like the Mitsubishi company, Chase bank, etc.. AND have over 50 subsidiaries like Sony Pictures (one of the biggest in the industry of movie/television) and Sony Music (the second largest record company in the world)..

Please stop de non-sense, please?

P.S. Excuse my english, it's not my main language. =)

[PiTCHBLaCK]

Also I Don't think Sony will file for any
bankruptcy just because there losing $40
for each PS3 Sold.

[red5ive]

lol? what the hell? sony??? wow. this halo_dumbass probably think that sony's only product is the ps3. and that the ps3 is like the most unappealing thing to able consumers. you stupid ass. halo sucks eggs btw.

[lrn2hate]

To even think that Sony should stop making hardware is ridiculous. People forget that the ps1 and ps2 ruled the gaming market. And to assume they should stop making hardware because now the Ps3 isn't selling as well as the Wii right now is just crap. Ps3 gets bashed so much because people assume that sony will blow out all its competitors this gen like it has the previous generations. Don't count sony out yet this gen.

[Droid Smasha]

all washed up

[TheBand1t]

And Mike Tyson would still knock you out. What's your point?

[Droid Smasha]

and I could knock you out. thats my point

[snaz27]

oh so thats why hes just featured in a film called hangover (which btw is funny as feck!), and featured in a boxing game which people are clamouring to play BECAUSE mike tyson is in it! oh right yeah i see what your saying..... erm yeah,

[TheBand1t]

Oh look. An internet tough guy. What a dork.

[snaz27]

this is what happens when you dont get hugs from your mum as a kid... maybe he could ask her for one now? or maybe its cos he got more than a hug? much more? lmao ahhhhhh there there its not your fault dude!

[rucky]

"and I could knock you out. thats my point"

LMAO what a loser

[saimcheeda]

always gets owned!!!!makes me laugh all the time thats why i havent put him in my ignore list yet!!

[likedamaster]

LOL. Bandit, no offense but you're probably the only "dork" in this whole planet who still uses that word.

[gtafan]

No!

[GeoramA]

Nintendo and Microsoft as the only console makers is NOT a good thing.

This industry needs the PlayStation brand.

[JonnyBigBoss]

What kind of insane article is this?

[Conan-O-Brady]

That 7 million lead the 360 has doesn't seem like much of a gap when you factor in a 1 year false start out of the gate by MS . God knows I enjoyed beta testing that console . Hope you guy's and gal's on the other side appreciate my sacrifice .

With all due respect to the twit that took the time and effort to write this lovely piece of propaganda , do the gaming and journalistic communities a favor and go back to covering dog-n-pony shows for your local newspaper .

[silvacrest]

this is just stupid

apart from making the ps2, psp and ps3 sony sa heap of other hardware products, they are well known for making quality (as in it wont break) hardware for so many years

also, one product not selling that well = don't make any more hardware?
with that logic microsoft and nintendo would have given up after the last generation

what really baffles me is the header says "should sony exit hardware" then the writer complains about the PS3 only, as if thats the only hardware they sell

also "Think about how long Nintendo lagged behind, before bouncing back with the Wii. N got trounced by Sony for 10+ years straight before reclaiming the #1 position."

this was taken from the guys site and pretty much destroys his whole argument in one sentence

[gamingisnotacrime]

the sh*t hits the fan
What a piece of crap just got approved, who approved such lower than usual article?

n4g never seize to amuse us, i will never stop playing PS brand, or like i told my sweetheart; "i will play until the day i die"

[Halo_Reach]

-.-

[dustgavin]

At least Sony is able to support a system longer than 4 years. Have fun adding Natal next to your hd-dvd add-on in the "worthless" pile.

[saimcheeda]

will try to play a virtual sex game with bill gates!!XD

[iDystopia]

agreed, peace out Phony Sony. See you next gen when maybe you arent sucking so much ass.

[IRetrouk]

Right time to get a few things off my chest. Firstly I would like to say that I am in no way a fanboy, i have an Xbox 360 and a Playstation 3. I also have a Gamerscore of 57.000 so its safe to say that I play my Xbox 360 the most. The thing that is eating me though is some peoples thoughts that the Playstation is under performing. OK here is a few points to mull over, 1. The Playstation came out over a year after the Xbox 360 launch. 2. Its 8million console sales behind the Xbox 360. 3. Developers are only now getting to grips with the console, have you seen the games coming out in the near future? 4. It had a slow start due to problems with the new tech, mostly Blu-ray. 5. Blu-ray has had a bad time in the press but sold well enough to sink Hd-dvd. These are just some of the number of little details that everyone knows. The Playstation 3 is 8 million in sales behind the Xbox 360, and it was a year later to market, to me for a years head start 8 million isnt a very big lead, and if 22 million Playstation 3s sold at the high price point is bad, i dont see it, what happens when Sony do lower the price? is 8 million really a big lead? also consider this, Microsoft have sold in excess of 30 million consoles, yes it looks impresive but, there have been 5 Xbox 360s in my house, 3 have died on me, one is my sons and the other is my new red one. I know im not the only person in the world that has had a faulty Xbox 360, I know some that have had five or more die on them. My point is if I have had 5 consoles and say a quarter of my friends list have also been through around that number of consoles, is the 8 million lead really that impresive? even if you dont count the replaced Xbox 360s i have had 3, I know people who have also went out and replaced a console without sending it to Microsoft to get fixed. So i guess what im getting at is as soon as Sony lower the price more people will be going for the more reliable console, it now has the games, the online service is functional and is getting contined support and upgrades. i think that as soon as that price barrier is overcome than you will see that 8 million lead evaporate. To answer your question, no way in hell should Sony drop out, its just getting exciting and Sony are far from done.

[TheBand1t]

COOL STORY BRO

[Narutone66]

the wrong zone, my good man.
<---------- Gamer zone is over there. ;)
Logic is non-existent here in the open zone.

[N4g_null]

It's great that SONY has a fan in you and it's also great that hey they out sold MS one or two year depending on who you get your numbers from. An MS fanboy would slam you at this point and say that they still have not ate into that 8 million yet even after two years of you guys saying this fact.

Yet you are forgetting one thing. We are not talking about the systems popularity among internet gamers. We are talking about CEO of large companies that love to pull the plug on project when they loose money.

Overview (FY3 2009)
SCE $ - 581,951,853 was lost just in that year.
They lost a billion for every year that the PS3 has been on the market before this figure.

Every one said thing would have turn around by now. 3rd parties where banking on this and they deal with yes and no answers. The Answer is no. The PS3 has launch AAA exclusive after exclusive and none of them have sold more than 3 million world wide are pushed PS3 sales above the competition head and shoulders for months.

Sure in the eyes of a gamer SONY is doing fine but they still lost 500 million and other system selling games to multiplatform profit bandaging.

GMC and countless banks companies are all closing and people though they where sound, yet they where world wide and had tons of income. The BS stops when the CEO or controlling part decide it's time for them to run with their money.

Another thing is MS made a profit and was out sold console wise by SONY. I mean really does an 8 million system lead equal 500+ million dollars in sales? Beating MS in sales is great for fan boys and the internet yet we are talking about how SONY could possibly make more money when their software just isn't getting the type of profit it needs so that they can at least pull a nintendo and not keep going in the hole.

On this site and in a few place SONY is king... really they deserve that I agree they have had some great ambition and some of those where realized. Some place SONY is seen as the black hole that could kill it all.... well at this point they can only hurt them selves since they do not have a monopoly.

If you read a well though out account on what is going on you will see it is not bashing it is very much concern. If you are a fan that can not stand negative talking then may you should look away.

This is not an opinion SONY is loosing money. They have not run away hits yet. 3rd are threaten them. They just launched another handheld that many balked at. We are in a recession and a price cut would possibly put sony back at loosing a billion dollars a year just like last year. On top of that they only hope of making a come back rests on the other console makers moving on it seems or them making a break out hit which is entirely possible yet very unlikely as you look at all other those highly rated gamers that are just not doing crazy volumes.

I mean I loved the new design for the hummer and the new concept for the corvette yet where the hell would I buy one now! I think the corvet may be fine I think. Being a fan does not mean your favorite stuff will stay around. This is my main point. Popularity has to translate into profits. I would say that SONy could rely on it's electronics yet they are actually getting hit badly also. Some thing will eventually have to go.

Possible option could be letting other manufactures the PS3 while they just concentrate on making games. The other is skipping a console gen and just keeping the PS3 around for 10 - 20 years.

[likedamaster]

Wall of text? Run!!

[IRetrouk]

I think that you need to think of a few points here,
1. Im not a fanboy, microsoft bent me over and raped me hard.
2. sony have not raped me so far, ever.
3. no company but nintendo have made a profit on hardware this gen.
4. microsoft lost a lot of money because of recalls and repairs, they also lost money when epic told them they had to upgrade the ram, which they did, that cost like 3mill to fix and that was before the xbox came out.

To be honest with you i still play my xbox 360 and do enjoy it, but im tired of having to change my console all the time, even my red one is starting to get louder and everyone knows what this means, so as soon as this one goes im not replacing it, my playstation will still be here and it has all the games coming out that i want, any on xbox i can get on pc so i wont be missing much really.

[IRetrouk]

thanks

[360isthebestps3sucks]

SONY LOST IN THIS GENERATION...

heres your prize for this sony:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_5...

:P

[Droid Smasha]

got ya.... the 360 is so good people rather buy another one than get a ps3. what does that say about sony?

[IRetrouk]

What that tells us is that Sony have made the better console. The only reason i still use my xbox is to chat with the people i have met over the years, i wasnt saying that the xbox wasnt fun or entertaining, i was only answering the article with facts, take it anyway you wish, i dont care all that much.

[snaz27]

what does it say... well let me think maybe cos the guy spent so much money on the games and add-ons that trading it in and losing so much money, was too painful? but i know a lad down my street that traded his 360 in to get the ps3 just 2 weeks ago, so it does happen... plus the 360 is cheap and some people buy the cheaper products, especially parents buy the cheaper console as they have no clue what the consoles are about anyway... this is why you get so many screaming kids on xboxlive isnt it? pretty obvious really.

[dustgavin]

It says that 360 supporters are ignorant and Microsoft makes a ghetto console.

[IRetrouk]

You are right i have spent a lot of money on xbox products and ive been burned to many times now by microsoft that i now have no faith in them.

[snaz27]

i think that alot of people feel the same way, and i think next gen alot of people will think twice about buying an ms console, i think it will even have a backlash this gen when more and more people just bite the bullet and trade in their 360s as my friend down the road has done... i mean having your system break 5 times is just rediculous to be honest, and i would be fuming if it happened to me, its a shame really im just glad i sold mine before i got rrod, anyway if you ever wanna game sometime my psn id is xsnazx.

[beavis4play]

sony makes great hardware........why would they quit?

[Bladestar]

mmm... No. Sony should not exit the console market. Instead they should go back to the Playstation Roots.

They should stop trying to push new formats, other ventures at the expense of their fans.

I think Sony is one of the best hardware companies out there. They create quality hardware. The problem with Sony and this can be seen by the fact that they are 3rd this generation, sells are in decline from previous years that Sony is into so many things that they sometimes try to enter some risky business and regardless of the negative impact they go along with it.

Take UMD for example. At a time where mobile devices were going digital (media) Sony was in a mission to push their UMD calling it the future of mobile media. They went along with it. Was released marking the most expensive mobile game ever. During that time I was a loyal sony fan so I got it on day one. It took more than 1 year before any good game came out. The stupid UMD affected the PSP negatively in so many ways like huge loading... game cost... battery life, etc.

Now, SOny fanboys can argue all day long about how adding blu-ray to the PS3 is the best thing since humans discover fire. But the facts are there.... many developers struggle to learn the system in order to produce what they could easly on the xbox 360... the PS3 was too expensive at launch for the average gamer... lack of games for a long time... mandatory installs... all of which contributed to the PS3 falling into 3rd this generation from the massive 140 million installbase it has with the PS2.

I really hope Sony go back to it's roots.. the reason why developers loved it back when Nintendo lost it's way.

Next console they need to think about the Gamer, the developer and not about their next media format that will make it lots of revenue with license.

[dustgavin]

I am sure Sony is going to be just fine. They have been in the console business a hell of a lot longer than Microsoft. Plus, they are still supporting a system from last generation. Microsoft was quick to ditch the original xbox and this generation is just going to be another repeat.

360 is running out of steam and Ps3 is just getting warmed up.

[Gue1]

The problem with that statement is that Sony pushed CD-rom on PSX, they pushed DVD on PS3 and they pushed blu-ray on PS3. All the 3 consoles were really hard to develop for too, the only problem that the PS3 has and the other didn't is the high price.

Now this is when your wall of text just falls through a hole... Many fanboys will disagree with me but if they stop to think for a moment they will know why I have 3 bubbles and you only have 2. All your opinions are always very flawed.

BTW the first Xbox was the easiest to program for too. MS consoles are easy because they are MS and MS is like the standard platform to program and to learn to program in the entire world. But look at the failure rate on their machines....

EDIT: And Nintendo never lost its way, they just supported the wrong format at the wrong time and that made a lot of developers to abandon them (think Square with FFVII). Back in the day they made great games like Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, the Metroid Prime series, etc. In fact the Wii has the same approach of innovative tittles and peripherals they have been pushing since the Nes era. The only problem are the graphics. They are really outdated for a 250 dollars machine, plus, the third party's are making too many shovelwares but Nintendo is still making great games like Zelda TP, Mario Galaxy, Prime 3, etc.

[mistajeff]

Microsoft creates a console with a ~30% failure rate, but Sony should leave the hardware arena? Not to go lighting fanboy fires here, but just because Sony has "only" sold 20-23 million since 2006 doesn't mean they should bow out, especially when their product is at least 10x more reliable than their acknowledged direct competitor, MS. 10x is assuming the PS3 has a 3% failure rate, though I'm pretty sure it's less than that from what I've read at various sources.

And if they're gonna bring up cloud-based computing, you could just as easily make the argument that MS and Nintendo should bow out as well under that bullet point.

[CryWolf]

No Sony is not going nowhere its just a 360 fanboy that posted this, 360 is going to lose big time if M$ release 720 or what ever next year without a new DVD format.

[Gue1]

Even if the PS3 failed this gen it will be remembered as the first console ever to be that expensive and still went strong. This is not the same disaster as the Xbox or GameCube because the PS3 actually has amazing games now and more to come in the near future.

This gen is not over yet anyway so, this article is just pure speculation that probably will cause a riot of arguing between fanboys. In other words, a lot of hits!

[CryWolf]

All Sony needs is 3 or 4 AAA titles this year to win this.

[saimcheeda]

Selling 23 million units of such a high oriced console is a remarkable feat!!and its above the 360 in the same timespan which has always been cheaper an its 30 million sales are not even true..every guy has at least 2 of them!!PS3 is doing awesome right now...shut up xbots!!Bill gates ki gaand chooso saalon!!!

[PirateThom]

Just what all fanboys would love, they don't want a PlayStation, but they want PlayStation games.

[Topcat420]

sony still offers the best games in the industry like uncharted lbp valkyria chronicles ect its just the american youth has jumped on the 360 because its cheaper and also due to americas fake entertainment industry teenagers have no concept of real creativity or passion alot of american gamers are pathetic luckily the hardcore ps3 owners appreciate real games not cheap marketed garbage what real gamer would support such a dirty greedy corrupt corporation like M$

[Marie]

Dark times indeed.

[fossilfern]

No because then MS will treat everyone like crap with faulty hardware and people will accept it and it will encourge other companies to bring out half arsed equipment since people will accept it.

[Microsoft Xbox 360]

Gaming is not gaming without Sony. Fact.

Opinion: Should industrygamers disband their site and get a different job?

Most definitely

[Ldubbz]

I dont think any of the companies should leave HW. Hell, I wish SEGA was still out there!

I think people are getting far too defensive in here, which is to be expected.

But obviously thats a question for Sony to decide. If they dont see a foreseeable future in selling gaming HW, then they would have to do what financially makes sense. As much as they are incessantly argued over here, the 360 and PS3 are far more similar than different. I would not be too surprised to see MS/Sony collaborate on a system in the near future.

I mean I grew up in the Nintendo VS SEGA era, and if you woulda told me then that Sonic would be on a Nintendo system, I woulda called u crazy. So who knows? But the difference with Sony and MS is they are both HUGE corporations, both of which share an eerily commonality; they both like to dominate and control whole avenues of revenue. That would be the biggest hurdle in their pairing up.

Of course Nintendo could work something out with Sony or MS too in the future. How long we will sustain having 3 big console makers is anyone's guess.

[CAPT IRISH]

who would approve this crap

[keysy420]

who ever wrote this is an A-hole this is one generation of console and from what has happened in the past sony will be fine even in this gen. and they arent really losing money from the games division that's backwards they are losing on all fronts. the ps3 has become much more profitable for sony do the numbers yourself , and you will be surprised and add in that they are making consoles at a loss.

lastly more people want ps3 than a 360. all the kids that have one dont need one and no ps3 fan is going to buy one. differnt story with sony.
2011 sony takes that lead from ms the slim will be like a whole new launch of a console

[Flewid638]

McDonalds, Burger King, and Wendy's all exist.

Do these three fast food chains have a particular order in terms of dominant market share? Yes.

Are most fast-food eaters happy that all 3 exist nonetheless? Absolutely.

Same goes for gaming.

[xabmol]

Not gonna even bother reading this.

The headline sad it all.

[Dante43]

I don't see why everyone think Sony is going to fail, the sales of PS3 are equal or greater then the Xbox 360 in the same timeframe.
So yeah, nothing to worry about.

[ian72]

Whoever says SONY should give up wants sh@gging up the bum with a big stick. Then hit around the head with it.

[rothbart]

either ignorance or fanboyism. Neither of which make me want to READ the article to narrow that down. Sony has ALWAYS made great hardware (current generation included.) There problem was they put TOO MUCH into the system, jacking the price up. Had the PS3 sucked, this question would be in the realm of possibility, but as it stands... it's a sensationalistic grab at pageviews (that I'm not giving, since I'm only commenting on N4G.com)

[JJFNIGHTS80]

I agree with ABizzel1.

[Light Yagami]

Yes they should. I no longer touch my PS3 and PSP.

[Ilikegames76]

a PS3 and PSP first.

[ToeKneeHaze]

I think these stupid articles should cease to exist.

I wonder why people who are such geeks over hardware and new tech want companies to fail?

Why would u want any company that makes cool nerd products to fail?

A so called technology geek and lover should want any new company or old companies for that matter to flourish....

thats why these idiotic flamebait articles are such an eyesore and misleading....

[INC NATE2131]

sony has just been falling behind, and my support for sony is falling as well, i think im going to by a 360

[Bell Boy]

GOODBYE

[360isthebestps3sucks]

sony lost in this genration cuz of only crap games like:

flopzone2

uncharthed: (rip-off gears2)

MGS4: poor textures and storyline

infamous: boring game.

[Ilikegames76]

as logic doesn't apply here.

[saimcheeda]

coz u dont even know the names of the games....uncharthed?? flopzone 2??

[air1]

SONY shouldn't, but the ps3 fanatics should..

[Ilikegames76]

and the bots should too ;)

[Autolycus88]

They didn't come anywhere close to the blunder that was the Sega Saturn.

[chisox100]

Let me see, Sony is the 2nd largest company in the world, they posted a financial loss in a single year for the first time in 16 years. Why would that make them pull out of the hardware buisness? If they did become strictly software they would be bigger than EA or Ubisoft.

[Raoh]

sony is a hardware company.

microsoft is a software company.

based on those two facts, microsoft should leave hardware and make software for sony and nintendo.

industrygamers.com should just leave

[Bell Boy]

What a joke
Should Coca Cola stop making soft drinks
BMW stop making cars
McDonalds make a hasty retreat from the fast food industry(well maybe this ones a good ides)

It would be a sad day for gaming if Sony gave up making hardware, what joy to have the 360 or wii has my only choice. I'm pretty confident a new hobby would be needed.

Mind you if my PS3 lasts as long as both my ps1 and ps2 I will still be gaming for many, many years on my current system.

[divideby0]

yea,,,they should quit the hardware biz....all they do is put out rock solid hardware with a LONG lifetime..
they should go MS route...looking for a flash in the pan, release faulty hardware and than dump their product like Xbox

[ArcticWolfUK]

WTF??

SONY are the most reliable company for hardware, it might cost more, but you always know your getting quality products. thats why ill always be a fan of sony.

[Mr Remz]

Who allows morons like this to write articles that are absurd?.......I wonder if it was a nice check from microsoft.

[guy1]

Wow this article is a bs. This is only one console generation that sony is in 3rd place, also there is only an 8 million difference in sales with d xbox 360 and thats been out for nearly 4 years while ps3 has been out for nearly 3 years. Come on! R u dumb?!? With the gap of online closing fast and god of war 3 being released, sony will be back on top again! Well at least in 2nd place.

[REDZEV]

The sooner the better and take Blu-ray with you!!! and then lets give Sega another chance with the dreamcast: )

[ZOMBIEMAN1]

it's the time of year no named sites give a top x reasons why Sony should [ insert topic of doom for PS3 ] to get hits to there no named site and to start a flame war.

"Please keep in mind, we're not saying this is necessarily going to happen, nor should this be viewed as "Sony bashing." We happen to think the PS3 is a fantastic machine with some great horsepower and an increasingly solid software lineup. That said, here are six reasons for Sony to exit hardware."

really if you like the PS3 why make a 6 reasons why it should leave here is were i have a problem with no named sites like this and HHG , they contribute nothing while causing flame war to get hits to there site this is way making your own website should be removed and just use youtube to give out there opinions

[Too_Hyped]

"Please keep in mind, we're not saying this is necessarily going to happen, nor should this be viewed as "Sony bashing." We happen to think the PS3 is a fantastic machine with some great horsepower and an increasingly solid software lineup. That said, here are six reasons for Sony to exit hardware."

THIS is pure comedy. "PS3 is great. Now, remember I'm still a douchebag, so here are six reasons they should stop with hardware".

So great.

[lagoonalight]

This is all for hits and you people are giving them the hits.

[xabmol]

You don't gotta click the link to know that the article is full of sh*t.

[Ashriel]

One reason it shouldn't:

We would be left out just with Microsoft.... not good.

[DanSolo]

I have a question.... why does anyone bother to even read crap like this????

If you see an obviously dumb article, just scoot by without paying it any attention!

[Marie]

Ouch

[stonecold3]

as already outsold xbox1 and gamecube together and ps3 is catching up to the xbox 360 in sales i wouldnt be suprised if these were said about gamecube and xbox1 in there life sony wont walk away like sega did and why xbox 360 sells ids because they keep on rewplacing the system with rrod e74 problems you could have 30 360 games and if the machine plays up either they will get a new xbox or get it replaced to me i dont class nintendo wii as a next gen system because its the same as the gamecube and i only see it competing against ps2

[PiTCHBLaCK]

Sure Glad I didn't read this article.
I Just read the comments, you'll find
out everything that way without providing hits to this
BS site.

No Gamer should want any of these consoles to fail.

Gamer = Gamer, accept no subsitutes.

[Claudinho69]

should you stop writing articles?

[LostDjinn]

Another wild, baseless claim hidden behind a question mark. I find it funny that any article with a headline based as a question gets approved on N4G.

Look, the only reason you'd pose this as a question instead of a statement is to cover your ass. That way you can make any crazy article you want and be absolved of any wrong doing.

This "article" shows that not only do "Industry Gamers" write poorly thought out "articles", but that they don't even have the nuts to own their nonsensical rantings.

GI must be trying to give HHG a run for the crown of worlds biggest BS VG speculation site.

Nice work IG. Now go away. Far, far away!

[blazbleu]

If you haven't noticed, Sony started out making hardware. They're a primarily hardware company. And if you also haven't noticed, most of the proprietary software that they develop are usually crap.

[jax07]

Where was this article when Sony was wiping the floor with the N64 and the Gamecube and original XBOX? As far as I know unless someone altered history Sony outsold both those consoles COMBINED several times over for like ten plus years.

[cyclindk]

Article needs more work at sounding unbiased.. their little cover, "this should not be viewed as Sony bashing" is a bit too obvious.

As for Little Big Planet on Wii being a success, I doubt one tenth of Wii players would even touch the level creation tools to the extent they have on the PS3 and so if it's just a platformer, how would it compete with the Mario bros franchise?

"Or perhaps a one-man army like Kratos from God of War could make an appearance in a fighting game like Soul Calibur?"

Kratos is to appear in the upcoming Soul Calibur game for PSP.. ooooh, you lose again.

"Cloud-based Computing Will Change Everything" for this consumers still need to own a piece of proprietary hardware, not nearly a console, but it's still a bit of hardware that's needed to make it work.

PS

Pachter's report was based on a 210 page report, your's is based on... what again, oh yeah, virtually no facts whatsoever (there are facts in the article, but his conclusions seem to contradict the facts stated and thus his opinions are not based on facts).

[ACEMANWISE]

Failing Hardware

Microsoft's struggles in this current console generation have been well documented. The company limped out of the gate with a defective 360 design still struggling to hit a model more reliable for consumers. Initially, Microsoft announced their failure rate as a manufacturing issue. After a class action lawsuit Microsoft decided to offer a band aid for the problem by extending a 3 year warranty while they continue to stall consumers every year. Now, here we are a few years later and the Xbox 360 is on it's third nickname. What started as Zephyr in 2006, Falcon in 2007, and Jasper in 2008 ended with the same false promises of a fix. In reality Microsoft was reducing costs to rake in more profits. They had no interest in fixing the issue. It was in their best interest to increase sales by announcing the next model as fixed. We'd be surprised to see Microsoft ever having interest in hardware even with Microsoft's much touted Xbox Live Service. And at some point as a company you have to consider cutting your losses. Perhaps it's just time for Microsoft to exit hardware, much like Sega, and go the route of a 3rd party service provider? They obviously show no interest in hardware anyway. Just look at Facebook, Xbox Live, Twitter, downloadable content, and Project Natal.

Software Failure

I think Microsoft's days in hardware could be numbered. Microsoft's strong points remain with providing an online service and buying 3rd party exclusives. Not in hardware. In the last generation, it was Nintendo on the ropes, but they were able to rebound with the Wii. I'm not sure that Microsoft has the same caliber of creative thinkers inside their organization to be able to create new IPs like Sony. Heck, Sony has a 15 year history of proven franchises and the most creative game lineup ever. I don't know if Microsoft thinks of themselves as a hardware company, a service provider or software company, but I bet Sony and Nintendo think of themselves as a games company. if you're competing in the games space and you need to rebound, then you're going to have to come up with something cool. I don't think it can just be faster, more powerful servers. As they move through the life cycle of the industry, there are always going to be players that come and go – it happens in publishing and development all the time. I don't see why it wouldn't happen with hardware manufacturers from time to time – it happened to Sega. I think Microsoft's getting hurt on two fronts as well; they're losing their 1 year headstart and on the handheld side, they have nothing to offer.

Please keep in mind, we're not saying this is necessarily going to happen, nor should this be viewed as “Microsoft bashing.” We happen to think the 360 is a fantastic machine with some great downloadable content and an increasingly solid online service.

[Stryfeno2]

No, then my PS3 will finally become a 2 ton black brick. I enjoy Blu-ray movies just not the games.

[ArcticWolfUK]

i enjoy your mum but you dont see me calling her a 2 ton black brick xD

[Ziggazee]

This article is a joke, thanx for asking for our opinion.. Opinion:Should we all stop playing games??

[onanie]

Truly sad article. A pathetic attempt to hide an agenda behind a question mark. The author is the very definition of an anti-gamer - absolutely devoid of any gaming spirit, and filled with malicious intent. This can't possibly be a site for gamers, to suggest that one entire gaming faction should be given up on.

And to spread their article over 7 pages is very telling about their desperation for hits.

[aaron5829]

Blablablabla...

Shut up already. Not many clicking activities in that website i suppose.

[bjornbear]

They have some good points, but they miss the crucial factor:

Every company has been 3rd. MSFT in the debut, and thats never good.

Being on top for 10+ years ends some day, and when it does obviously it makes people drop their jaws in disbelief.

But personaly, and i think i'm not alone here, i think: No.

Actually i'm almost positively certain no.

If we are in year 2025, with the PS5 and its still bottom of the barrel...then yes, Sony will quit, just like Sega did, but only after 3... (magic number) THREE bottom feeders...in a ROW.

PS3 is the 1st, and its still catching up, and i'd honestly say in 2 years at this rate, it'll make up for the "hemorrhage" =)

Nice article though - good points, but lacks the bigger picture / historical reference aspect.

P.S. in hand held no, because

a) iPhone will never be choice for games, games will always be secondary on it

b) DSi is the only real "handheld video game console" competitor, so the PSP is doing pretty great and asserting itself already with a massive 50 million instal base, and its going to climb big with the rebranding/redesign of the Go!

=)

[UltimatePS3]

1 thing to say RROD? You don't see anythign wrong with PS3, you do with the Xbox 360, haven said that Sony has overcome the odds and is whooping MS butt so badly, Ms fans are getting desperate, PS3 is winning the war! END OF STORY!

[LeGenDx]

and the xbox has none...

[sretlaw]

LOL, wrong comment in wrong place.

[biggame901]

Is it just me or are articles like this getting dumber and dumber by the day? And by the way, Sony exiting hardware makes about as much sense as MS not making software: Zero

[bjornbear]

-__-

[dagreylion]

Another BS article, 22 million @ the highest price point is not a failure, there is no bowing out.Sony is here for the long haul, what does it take for idiots to understand that. Its the best console hardware on the market, there is nothing in gaming that compares to the technical beast.

So whats next, When Sony drops the price what will they complain about then. Is it to shinny, its too bulky, "WTF"....

If Honda was in third place, for the Japanese car market should Honda bow out. The zune is being outsold by Ipod so should the zune bow out..
Hey better yet there are probably 500 journalist that are better than the dude that wrote this article, so maybe he should bow out.

[Tunerboy8732]

I dont see people complaining about the price of ferrar's and lamborghini's so whats all the fuss about the ps3?I understand its an expensive console but in order to get good quality you have to pay for it.I dont see sony going anywhere anytime soon or in the future when it comes to hardware.They make high quality products with great software to back it up and thats what the average person wants.Besides this article is such BS in the 1st place nuff said.

[BYE]

This reads like a whiny article from a 360 fanboy who desperatly wants the Sony titles on his platform cause he can't afford a PS3.

But he should keep in mind the games with their level of innovation that Sony wants to make are not possible on the 360.

[shadowboricua]

With similar reasoning, MSFT should have given up hardware after their original XBOX. DUMB ARTICLE!

[HubbaBubba]

wow, its been a while since i've seen these failure articles

[gumgum99]

it should be noted that this site is called industrygamers.com...

not videogamers.com

[KwietStorm_BLM]

...so what are you saying?

[bjornbear]

I hate to bicker so much about this but the article, dispite well proposed, it's very far fetched =/ and unless its considered a "what if" scenario, which it does clearly delineate, it's a bit...obsurd imo =/ especially in the light of things now with so many up and coming hardwares (PS3 slim rumured, PSP Go)

[JHUX]

Yeah because that would be such a good idea!

/sarcasm...

Really... REALLY? rofl. Hopefully I am missing something cause I'm not going to read the full article, but from the looks of it I think these people are, well to be nice "idiots".

[KwietStorm_BLM]

I'm 27 years old, I have been gaming for no less than 23 years, and never before do I remember such rampant idiocy across the board within a single generation, whether it's coming from fanboys or "journalists" like the above material. But for the sake of putting my 2 cents in on at least one bit of info, the difference between Sony and Sega is that the only thing Sega did was make videogames.

[111111]

They shouldnt have entered ;)

[devilhunterx]

Did we get any "M$ should quit software" after the Vista fiasco?

[i_zamorak_i]

lol. and ya that is ps3 bashing.there is better stuff to write about than wishing doom for the ps3...

[i_zamorak_i]

can't believe they can approve this crap.

[Blow Out Your Brains]

SONY put out MGS4, LBP, R2, K2, MLB09 all out in a row. Those are some fine games.

[bunfighterii]

This is just a fluffy opinion peice with no credit whatsoever.

After manufacturing the most successful console in the world in the PS2, and with the sales success of the PSP over its lifetime, not to mention the success of the original Playstation, common sense would dictate the company wouldn't abandon hardware because it lags behind its competitors in this cycle.

The PS3's install base is still somewhere around the 22-23 million mark, and independent market analysts believe its market share will only increase not decrease. When your market share is forecast to increase, you don't pull the plug.

[Cetra]

This article is freaking retarded. I cannot imagine someone having such free time to write this meaningless article.

[xg-ei8ht]

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

This is what happened when M$ wasn't selling well in Japan.

[Silber]

Nobody knows what will happen in the future. I never thought that Sega woud procude Games für Nintendo, but look whats actual happended.

But i dont think sony will stop making hardware. They are good at it (exept PSP Go^^)

[fllysurfer]

Even if you are biased for one or the other faction (CoreGamers not motion buffs), you have to understand that if one company has the monopoly of the market the consumer only looses.

Worse games, less R&D and game dev
Higher Prices
Less choice

Nor MS nor Sony should have to close their hardware production

[donnie-2105]

oh dear when esteemed websites as this are saying it sony must be in really trouble.they have invested so much in ps3 if it doesnt reach similar sales figures as ps2 did they may not have a choice about leaving it or not,it will leave them.a lesson for sony ,dont count your chickens before they hatch in the fickle console buisness

[onanie]

What is so "esteemed" about this website?

[RumbleFish]

...users have to report such a flamebait story before it is taken off the site?

These storys have to stop! I am a absolute PS fan, but it would be the same lame story if they had asked if M$ should exit hardware. These storys do nothing but hate and traffic for the wrong sites!

[donnie-2105]

yes but MS have far more money than sony, far more.

[onanie]

What does having more money have to with writing about a game company exiting? Just because an idiotic website writes such things, it gives you the balls (you never had) to talk smack?

PS3 sales remain strong, and in fact it is selling at a faster rate than the 360. http://vgchartz.com/hwlaunc... In that sense, Microsoft should be the one leaving the business.

[rockerboy]

this ones right up there with "should god stop the world turning or should we all pan fry and eat our own hands .

[General Jewels]

Yep i agree, sony is pathetic, they let me down wasted money on that pile of horse manure, sony got single handedly destoryed by a game called " Halo " , so sony quit the gaming scene. you lost three years in a row, even there E3 was a huge flop. where even nintendo did better.

[A LIVING LEGEND]

Are you serious? I sense sarcasm but I have been wrong before.Halo didn't single-handedly bring about the downfall of an empire,in fact it served to prop one up.

[kewlkat007]

Competition is what I like and just as MS is pushing Sony, it has become vice-versa.

[Heretant]

I think they should lower the amount of support for the PS3 and concentrate more on the PS2, i prefere the 360 but i think the PS2 was the number one selling console. So why move on to a consle that's o expensive and behind the rest of the market? They shouldn't leave hardware completely. Just maybe support the PS2 over the PS3.

[AngryTypingGuy]

You're right, the PS2 was phenomenal in sales, but to stop supporting the PS3 and go BACKWARDS in technology to the PS2 would be suicide for Sony.

Everyone knows I'm a 360 fan, but I'm not a blind fanboy like many on this site. I think the PS3 will do well towards the end. The PS3 is the long distance runner in this race. Once the price comes down, sales will increase. The PS3 will never be the sales powerhouse the PS2 was, but it will gain back a little bit of marketshare from its competitors before the end of this gen. Nevertheless, I'm thrilled to see Sony in third behind MS and Nintendo, not because I hate Sony, but because I hate Sony fanboys. Big difference.

[A LIVING LEGEND]

"Abandon reason for madness"? sure.
Should Sony exit hardware? Should I 'exit' gaming?
"I need to watch things die,from a good safe distance" M.J.K
That is it.

[onanie]

It is sad, isn't it?

As far along as Sony has come (despite the perverse onslaught of media hostilities and their double standards through the years), for an article like this to appear now just smacks of bitterness and contempt.

I just hope that the majority of people can see the reason behind their madness (as most of the posters here do). Can I be optimistic about this?

[manwich25]

I never thought that I would see the day when Sony would be compared to SEGA

[RealtorMDandDC]

legitimacy by reading such flamebait............BS....... ..without Sony there no competition......with out competition there is no innovation.

[sagapo]

Sony should not exit the hardware. The more competitors, the better for us, gamers. The fact remains that Sony isn't dominating the scene this gen as they did last gen with PS2. But leaving the hardware just for that reason would be stupid.

[A LIVING LEGEND]

Optimistic? I remain hesitantly optimistic lol,it's not easy someday's but when I consider the options(for lack of a better term) my optimism is renewed.Alot of the people here recognize this for what it truly is,that is encouraging.
These types of articles are damn tiresome,I shouldn't care but you know the rest lol.Someone has to say something,who better than us PS3 owners and gamers I suppose. =)

[Captain Tuttle]

I just went to the site and read the comments. Some of our favorite N4Ger's are over there raising hell.

Comedy GOLD! This console warz is serious business lol!

[A LIVING LEGEND]

And rightfully so.Throw a little gas on the fire,after all that was the intention.
"Looking for trouble but afraid to find it" =)

[N2NOther]

I love when people say MS should leave the business of hardware manufacturing because the 360 suffers some problems. I guess they forgot about how the origial XBOX worked like a charm, had the better innards and built in HD that made the game load faster and a look better than PS2? Or the fact that if you actually used the PS2's DVD drive as a DVD player that it would burn out? No, people ignored that for one reason and one reason only: The games.

I went through 4 PS2's last gen, 3 originals and 1 slim. Did I say I hate Sony? Nope, because I played a TON of amazing games on it. And get this, with my Slim, I couldn't play either God of War. EVERY other game I put in it played perfectly. Not God of War, which became Sony's flagship title towards the end of the PS2 generation. Did I say Sony should pack it in? Nope.

The 360 is a piece of sh!te, hardware-wise, I concur, but I get so much enjoyment out of it that I don't care. Some of the best gaming experiences of my entire console gaming life (which starts at Atari 2600)have been on that machine.

Now that brings me to the article. In short, HELL NO, Sony shouldn't go the route of Sega. Sega's machines being bonafide flops in terms of sales was their reason and it became too costly. Sony might be losing money on the PS3 for the time being but they're made boat loads from PS2 and PS that I think they have some leeway. Timing is pretty bad right now, and luckily I got my PS3 as a Xmas gift from my whole family nearly 2 years ago so the economy didn't effect my decision. I have no doubt that PS3 will pick up with either a price drop or in the event that this economy turns around.

[deividpaulo]

hauehauehauehaue...How OLD are u?? 12 Years Old?

shut up...

[FadeToBlack]

As long as they dont stop making tv's I'll survive.
I can live without a playstation but not without the worlds best picture quality.

[AngryTypingGuy]

Wow, from reading some comments above me, I can see that this story made quite a few people mad. People on both sides are saying that each other should stop making hardware. Some people are saying "RROD" and "underperforming" for reasons to stop.

My opinion is that as long as the market supports three consoles, they should all stay in the game. Remember last gen, Sony was the one with hardware problems, and Xbox was the one that was underperforming in sales, now it just happens to be reversed. Every company can make mistakes, but that doesn't mean they should quit.

Look at it this way: would Sony be trying to advance PSN as quickly as they can if Xbox Live wasn't paving the way? Would MS be delivering the awesome package it does if Sony didn't set the bar so high? True, as long as they're both in the game, we'll all miss out on great exclusives if we don't buy both systems, but the competition drives them both to be better.

[Domer25]

No REAL news on n4g today.

[Sackdude]

Your opinion sucks, based on the hardware failure, i think 360 should leave, cause they already made alot of problems for alot of costumers.

Report: Xbox 360 Failure Rate Was as High as 68%

http://www.gamedaily.com/ar...

Microsoft Should Exit Hardware! cause they suck at it.

[mcm]

This sight is full of $#!t anyway. Look at the M$ Silverlight story and see how many comments were deleted. The mods are in full force to protect M$ image, but yet every crap article about the demise of Sony makes it through with no problem.

N4G is just another worthless website for fanboys to vent. Is there a real game site that only focuses on true news. I don't need all the opinion pieces from people who only wish they could work in the industry. I just want facts and release dates, nothing more, nothing less.

[Captain Tuttle]

http://www.gamenews24.com/
http://www.vgreleases.com/

[mikemill]

So apparently selling approx. 23 million consoles in 2 1/2 years is total failure???

Yes, the launch year of the PS3 was tough and many mistakes were made, but the last 18 months has really seen the PS3 start to take off in terms of the PSN, the software, etc.

The best days of the PS3 lie ahead, no doubt...

[Bishop]

Considering the last great console was the Playstation and that Sony's brand is still the only one to sell over 100 million consoles in two generations than why should they leave. The PS3 is more reliable than the 360 and the Wii, it is a blu-ray player and it came with a browser and has a hdd that is easy to upgrade. Yes the PS3 is expensive but so is buying multiple 360's or a 360 and a blu-ray player.

What gets me is Sega was destroyed for not having an dvd player in the system but as an add on for Dreamcast yet no one seems to mind that Microsoft not only made the same mistake but backed the beta of HD format failures. What about the people that bought the add-on HDDVD player only to lose their money.

Sony followed their standard plans by giving people more. A console that has multiple uses and can be your entertainment hub but the economy isn't as good as when the PS1 or PS2 hit the market. I still think Sony should stay around but they need to take the approach they had during their PS1 days, they need to lock up exclusives and support developers that want to create the best possible games. "It is all about the games" used to be synonymous with the Playstation brand, I feel that they have lost that vision.

[scriptkiddie]

Everyone is missing the point. It doesn't matter if sony should leave hardware or continue. It is about losing money, and how much money can they afford to lose until they make a profit and the effects on the company as a whole. It's all about money and doesn't matter if you think about if they should make the PS3 or not. I do not see them leaving this gen if they can hang on, but a few more like this the stock holders will force them to leave.

[kratos17]

why would sony even think about quitting when there sales are almost identical to that of the xbox

sales in 2007: both with about seven million

sales in 2008: both with about ten million

so this article is a bunch of BS

[Biggunz]

This site blows.

[Biggunz]

This has to be the most moronic article I've read yet on this supposed "news" for gamers site...really, just change the name of the site to blog, opinion, or whatever.

[SRT4Chris401]

No they shouldn't, but they' should definitely take the PS3 as a lesson learned and stop trying to be so exotic with the hardware. Just one up the competition a little and just stick what will work for the DEVs so they continue to support your console....

[Bebedora]

This is;

not even funny
not sound
not accurate

a joke
a loon questioning, and
a MS stunt

So...
they should quit

Sony-Ericsson
Making stereo
Making tv
Making chips of any caliber
Making good hardware

I am not a believer.

Finally: No I haven't read the %&/("½!"##@ £$€ article. It's a big waste of my important time.

[scriptkiddie]

A company is in business to make money.

I hope none of you run a business.

[Bebedora]

Quite obvious, I'd say

[jarhead906]

To the first post, even though I dislike Microsoft's business decisions in the gaming market all gamers should understand that competition is a good thing... even though Sony has been kind of slow in responding to the Xbox 360's continuing feature list. Here's hoping to a big FW 3.0.

[boss_killa]

that way, there would be no videogames and we wouldnt have all this pathetic fanboy nonsense. lol

in the future, i hope Apple enters the console market forcing sony and ms to merge.