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Published: Monday, December 11, 2006

Fresh off the release of the two most successful video game consoles in history (sorry, Nintendo), many assumed Sony could do no wrong. And truly, the Playstation 3, released on Nov. 17, is a technological beast with unparalleled graphical power and a Blu-Ray movie player built in.

Unfortunately, the Playstation 3’s young life has been Sony’s fruitcake, with executive Ken Kutaragi as the stubborn relative who keeps giving them.

The problems Sony has encountered with the PS3 could fill a book, from the loss of exclusive titles (“Assassin’s Creed” and “Grand Theft Auto IV”), a hasty controller redesign that left the PS3 as the only new console to lack a “rumble” feature and an online strategy as nebulous as, well, the reasoning behind a certain holiday dessert.

This is all without mentioning the machine’s astronomical price ($600 for the premium model) or the fact that it’s harder to find right now than a kidney donor. The machine’s launch was heavily covered by the national media, and the lines to get the PS3 have become infamous for the riots and violence they inspired.

While it’s entirely too early to write off the PS3, as of right now the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 are far more attractive (and cheaper) options. This, coupled with Sony’s PSP taking a heavy beating from Nintendo’s less powerful, more creative DS handheld system, means Sony probably can’t wait for 2006 to end.

– Mark Humphrey