SonyPlayStation4.org

What was once the market leader in gaming technology is now starting to look like an out-of-shape, former heavyweight champion, trying to live off his past glory. It’s no secret that Sony Computer Entertainment has been in financial trouble for quite some time. As recent as May, 2009 Sony’s gaming division reported a loss of nearly $420 million. Meanwhile, the leaner Nintendo Corporation has managed to build a product that is fun to play and cheap to produce. Not to mention the fact that Microsoft’s Xbox 360 is humming along quite nicely with its low price and superior selection of games.

So so you think Sony feels any pressure to turn things around in a hurry? But when Sony released the PlayStation 3 it was with the understanding that it would be around for 8 to 10 years. And game developers who’ve become accustomed to writing for the PS3 are in no hurry to move outside their comfort zones. Certainly, not many PS3 owners who dropped 500 or 600 bucks on a new console are ready to see their investments become yesterday’s news anytime soon. So what to do?

The answer is that Sony may not have much of a choice. This is about business, and sometimes tough choices must be made in the name of survival. Under better economic circumstances, things might have panned out a little better. Maybe fewer consumers would have been drawn to cheaper products like Nintendo’s Wii. Maybe the PlayStation 3 could have at least turned a profit for Sony. Four years ago, the thought of releasing a PlayStation 4 before the year 2013 would have seemed crazy. But the way things are shaping up — and shaking down — I’d be surprised if a PlayStation 4 weren’t on the shelves by Christmas of 2012.