I have a feeling that this might be the end of an era for Sony. Which is unfortunate because the playstation 2 was such a great system. Not only was it simple and afforable but it offered something not a lot of people had at the time; a dvd player.
I think the Playstation's success has always been very much tied to the physical medium of it's time; Compact Discs, DVDs. For awhile when the Playstation 1 was first picking up steam, Blockbuster Video started selling Music CDs in order to accommodate this choice.
This is where that idea of a video game system being part of a life style choice came from. Having a video game system, which was multi-purpose. Not only could you play games on it, but you could also listen to music and watch movies as well.
It was like the Sony Walkman of video games. It was hip, it was trendy and it was so affordable, that you absolutely could not find a reason not to have one.
Now with physical media on it's way out in favour of digital distribution, I really don't think there's a place for Sony anymore.
Most of the former executives who were responsible for Sony's success in general have long since left the company under new management. All that seems to be left now is a hefty price tag, arrogance and poor consumer electronics.
For the Playstation to be a success again, Sony would have to somehow -inexpensively- provide a service, something everyone essentially wants right now and somehow incorporate that into a video game system of some sort.
…Being able to access your video game collection on anything, from anywhere with anyone at anytime? I have no idea...