Or what about a PS3 without PS2 emulation, without memory card ports, and reduced number of USB ports? Do people what that? ;)

Ok, I admit I don't use the PS2 emu much, but I do have all the USB ports in use, and I also use the card slot regularly to briefly review my photos and videos.

Well all this talk matters little now. PS3 will be last place this generation, thanks to it taking another hammer blow this Christmas. The odd thing is, it is still the best entertainment centre, i mean where else can you play the likes of MGS4, LittleBigPlanet, Gran Turismo 5 and watch I am Legend and Dark Knight. It is just a shame it has been a sales disaster. Oh well, looking forward to Unchartered Drakes Fortune 2, GOW 3, Heavy Rain and the rest....but i doubt they will make the PS3 take off in sales. On the other hand i think Sony made a wise decision not dropping the price, you cannot keep running after what a competitor is doing. If they can maintain this price through to next Christmas they will break even on the units on the PS3 and I am sure with the games that are coming i.e. Killzone 2 they can do exactly that. However what it means it slow sales growth. Better that that more losses if you ask me.

Waz, I think they are already breaking even as far as we know it. The question is: is this enough to become profitable longterm. In other words even though they might not be in the lead Sony has a sustainable business that even wotks with less units sold, which is obviously the current strategy. Personally I don't see Sony to keep the prize until next holiday season. With all what we know these days, Sony will definitely introduce another hardware revision that once again cuts down costs and they will for sure hand this over to the consumers. It's only a matter of which month this year. And again, there are still roughly 100 million PS2 owners out there that havn't decided yet where to go.

Hello there

I find it hard to see how they can grow at a faster rate than the 360 from now on in. Maybe they have decided to concentrate on a premium experience with premium price. Microsoft will also be ready to announce a price drop when Sony are ready, so this price war spiral is no good. It is best if they position the console in a different way through marketing and concentrate on marketing their AAA titles...they did a shit job on LittleBigPlanet. All i saw was 360 adverts this Christmas. In Japan they have had a 'slight' pick-up even though no price drop has come into force, so maybe they should learn some lessons from there. (although the sales are still dreadful).But i do now feel it is a done deal, 360 will keep a 10 million lead until Microsoft decided when it is time for the next generation. I think that could be where the real trouble could begin for Sony. Everything so far since Peter Moore left Microsoft 360 division has been executed perfectly for the 360, price cuts and advertising reinforcing each other with AAA games and third party contracts. If Sony do not try harder, well we have seen the results, they speak for themselves.

Well, there are a couple of unknows in that equation that finally determine where this is leading to:

* is the 360 going to continue with the same sales rate as it does right now? It changed in the past.
* what is happening with those undecided PS2 owners?
* what about those Wii owners that are going to grow up at some point?
* what happens if both consoles are at the same prize point as there is a lower boundary for such devices, basically 149 or something like this?

And then, what is the problem with a 8 million gap when we are talking about 50 or 60 million. Things like software attach rate are crucial then.

Things that support that are of course great line ups that are available on both platforms (like SingStar, Buzz, God of War, etc.), PS2 compatibility, user group specific marketing (why not addressing those PS2 owners directly?)

In other words, I don't think that everything is said and done already even though MS has definitely achieved something with the 360 and we all know the price they paid for it. All in all I am lucky that Sony was a little more conservative when it came to going live.

But then again, I am not Kaz Hirai's MS vice president and have no clue at all ;-) nevertheless it's always fun to talk about.

I think it will grow even harder. Who would have thought after the PS3 and Wii launched the 360 could record year on year growth? Better than this, Microsoft is putting its money where its mouth is with advertising and price cuts. With all the third party games coming out on the 360 i see no reason why it should just suddenly stop selling. It has got through that difficult patch when the PS3 and Wii both launched and could have an easy 3 more years in its lifecycle.

As for the PS2 owners. Well the hardcore bought the PS3 at launch. The rest have gone to the Wii and some to the 360...leaving the rest with their PS2's or more likely out videogaming (eight years is a long time).

The Wii when they want to grow up? OK the 360 arcade seems perfect me thinks. Defo not the PS3 at its price. So yeah i do not see the PS3 coming anywhere close to the 360 from now on in. And that will be the story of this generation, how Sony came in far too late, and at a cost far to high...all resulting because of one silly choice and we all know what that is...