Sony’s first bloody-nose?

It was to be the ultimate multimedia experience in the living room. The World’s best-selling current-gen console (that’s the PS2, folks), bundled with all manner of other multimedia gadgets, including a DVD burner, video recorder and music player, all presented in an aesthetically pleasing package at a reasonable price. It couldn’t go wrong, right? Well, no, it could. And has.

Sony mentioned in a brief statement on the official PSX website that production has stopped, with no indication given if it will start again. Some speculate that the halt in production could be to allow current shop-floor stock to be sold-off, at which point production may start again, but it seems unlikely. Time, as ever, will tell.

Launched only in Japan – a nation of gadget-lovers – sales were disappointing, never grabbing folk in the way in which Sony hoped. There was talk before the Japanese release of North American and European packages, however don’t expect to see that happen now, given the lack of take-up.

Now ordinarily the happenings in Japan (especially given the fact the we European’s will never likely see a release) would be of minimal interest, but this is an interesting development in light of the fact that Microsoft want to essentially do all the things the PSX does (and maybe more) to make an assault on the living-room with their products, and the PS3 is said to also include some of the technology and features. Interesting, then, that the promise of an all-in-one digital entertainment station didn’t entice the Japanese.

Bill Gates take note.