But I honestly think this is part of a brilliant strategy by Sony... it's been long established that the PS brand is stronger overseas, but the massive US market is owned by Xbox.

So what's the best way to combat this? Accessible hardware, cheaper price point, and more games. And a better emphasis on online features (that Gaikai acquisition is looming large now). They were never going to compete with the dominant multiplayer marketshare Xbox enjoys (and what appeals most to Western gamers) through conventional means so they're competing elsewhere: with more games.

It's easily the most tangible sense of value to the consumer if they can constantly have new content with just the console and a PSN subscription, and cheap (or free) content is a big reason why PC gaming is actually on the rise right now... Steam gained a staggering 10m new users in the past 3 months (a major 15% increase).

Ultimately, we're all gamers, and the more games we have in our hands the happier we are. Good on Sony for dropping all their old stodgy traditions and embracing that fully.