They didn't "lose their way". Sony was doing good in walkmans until Apple made the iPod.

Now how are they supposed to undo the iPod? there is no cure for consumer choice.

They were doing good in TV's until other companies started makin just as good ones but for a lower price.

They could probably be more competitive in pricing but, that wont do much in the long run because most families aren't buying more than maybe one or two tvs.

Again they lost to consumer choice.

Now as Far as console Market Share, only two companies have ever had the Majority, Nintendo and of course, Sony.

They were only number 1 during the PS2 era when everybody and their granny had a PS2/DVD player.

With the PS1 I guess you could say they had a pretty big share towards its ending years.

But now a Nintendo console has it again. And one could argu their current standing in console "Market Share" is the most irrelevant figure to date. Do you know why?

The Wii console doesn't act as a pillar to support the industry. And the same goes for the PSP. Even though it has a slighty large amount of consumer units it doesn't make much of an impact in the industry as a whole.

If your product cant sell product, what use is it?

I'm gettin long winded, but I think you get the point. The number of hardware units only matters when you are continuing the make a profit just off of having that device in people's homes.

Not just dumping it off on a consumer and it fading forever. The Wii has double the share of the PS3 and 360, yet the PS3 and 360 are the pillars holding up the industry.

Sort of changes the definition of what that number means on "Market Share".

@Soldier

I really don't see why people are intent on bringing other companies like MS into an article that simply outlined Sony's position in the market.

All these points on Sony doing 3D, etc. isn't the point of the article, nor does it disprove the simple fact that Sony has changed from the top company to slipping a few spots.

It's not necessarily a negative article either-- just one that describes Sony's history. I'm pretty sure that it's agreeable that Sony has lost their holding. Does anybody seriously deny that they used to be much more successful as a business and a much bigger leader in the industry?

Am I the only one who enjoyed the article for what it was?

@Alpha Because markets have changed. Apple is a computer company that foresaw the imapact of MP3 players and phones. They advertised the hell out of the market and won over a majority of consumers. You are saying Sony is falling out of place because they no longer hold that top position there...Yet companies like MS making top quality MP3 players can't even keep up.

If Sony is falling out of place than their technology wouldn't be up to par. Yet it is, and in most areas its better. A leading company for any industry is a company that can innovate and bring new ideas for consumers.

The only logic in this entire argument is "Sony can't win with sales" Who friggin cares? Sony is doing fine, just because they don't brainwash us with advertising and win in sales doesn't mean they are failing. If Sony was jumping ship on PlayStation, MP3 players, Computers, TV's, and shutting down several division then maybe youd have a case but they are not.

Apple is considered a leader yet its computer sales have yet to match Microsoft's, Android has a bigger market share over the entire phone market, yet Iphone is considered the leader. According to this article it shouldn't be that way....

What argument on sales? And why does nobody care?

It's a tech article regarding the corporation. I've yet to see anybody demonstrate how their primary outlining is wrong-- that Sony have fallen from what they used to be.

And no, powerful tech =/= Company success. That assumes many things about the companies profits, consumer relations, etc.

I am just agreeing with the general notion that Sony used to hold the top position and no longer does. Isn't this a fact? That's all the article is outlining-- your reason that Apple marketed and won over consumers just outlines the point that Sony lost its dominance in that market-- which is exactly what the article is trying to inform readers.

I don't get why people are always so defensive and get off topic with about how well Sony is doing now with 3D or Blu Ray-- that is not the point of the article.

I linked it below, but I'll do it here too: "MS is a dying consumer brand" manages to get the exact opposite reaction on N4G http://n4g.com/news/634707/...

It's pretty annoying because it seems to be that people can openly criticize MS without hesitation, yet claim that Sony is being attacked. Seems more like to me that people just take Sony criticism more to mind and heart. It's a big case of selective memory-- people don't care when MS gets criticized, but when it's Sony, suddenly they are solely targeted and defended in a manner that gets off topic

@ Alpha-

I already did so.

The article is implying that Sony "Lost their way".

The phrase itself implies wrong doing on the individual's(SONY's part) without looking at the rest of the market and explaining that aspect.

Once again, it's hard to fight against consumer choice. What tactic do you use to gain consumers when they just choose a comparable item over your product?

And the article seems a bit redudant doesn't it?

Why do we need to now SONY isn't selling as many MP3 players and TV's as they used to? If it actually had a significant impact on the company that would be one thing, but it doesn't.

people are still buying the Sony Products just at a much slower rate than 10 years ago.

You forget their are cheaper alternatives and the Economy is shambles, people are trying to save money.

And here's an article on a Video Game website telling me Sony is selling a few hundred thousand TVs instead of a million(just hypothetically).

We can augment that figure by shoving the PSP in their if you like, which is an all around media-player. And all of a sudden SONY has sold a lot of damn MP3 players and Tiny TV's...But who cares?

And as far as those Microsoft articles go, I don't read them. I didn't even click on the link this time.

I don't worry about how many Windows OS copies MS isn't selling, because they still selling even if not at number one(we know what it is though). The fact that Microsoft isn't number one in the MP3 player market also does not matter because they are still selling Zunes.

The only time the sales of the individual products these companies make matters, is when that product is anchor of the company and it's making incredible profit or is creating incredible losses.

If SONY not selling TV's started to affect the company as a whole, then yes, right me an article telling me they are the number TV makers anymore.

This could effect the Playstation Brand. THAT concerns me.

Back when I was growing up we didn't have a SINGLE SONY product in our home, do you know why?

They were too expensive! I remember when my brother was in Highschool and he got a sony walkman. He took it everywhere with him until he dropped it and broke it. That's 50 bucks down the drain.

lower-Middle to Lower class working families can't be apart of buying luxury products like Flat Screen TVs and PS3's iPhones, and iPod touch, etc. etc.

Though, some of these products are made available through other means at a cheaper price(not bootlegging) these two classes will general not be apart of SONY's main consumer group.

And guess what? America has had a BOOM of lower-Middle to Lower class people in the last 20 years.

I in fact see more of not only SONY's more luxurious items falling on the sales charts, but every other electronics company that sales at premium prices.

You can't fight consumer choice with a corporation. Unless you brainwashing or are the only choice, when you get over picked you just do.

It doesn't mean you, "Lost your way". It means you lost your sales.

If you have a lucrative business and you Crack smoke it to hell, you "Lost your way." When lose it due to debt or a market stagnate product, you lost your sales.

Messing up your business vs Consumer choice. This article implies SONY somehow shot themselves in the foot in someway.

I got one more bubble if you need a better explanation Alpha...