I seriously hope that sony learns from this generation's hardware mistakes. Actually one could make the argument that this is merely an extension of a mistake made during the PS2 design process. I'm talking about sony using proprietary hardware, specifically the cpu. Ok I get that at one point the cell was a highly advanced chip and all that other stuff, but two years later what does sony have to show for it? Well they have a chip that cost them a ridiculous amount of money to design, manufacture, and test for one, money that could easily have gone towards buying a chip that was already being developed at the time by intel or amd, hell with the amount of money they most likely spent on that chip they could have had one of the big cpu makers make one specifically for them. So besides needlessly driving up the cost of the console what else did the cell processor net sony? A dearth of poorly made/ported games ladies and gentlemen! There is simply no excuse for designing a processor that is going to give every developer that works with it a major headache, developers are our friends, without them we have no games, so why not try to foster an environment that breeds ease of use instead of frustration. There is a reason most multiplatform games are made for the 360 and then for the PS3, its just plain over complicated to develop for, which in the end is the reason that, for the most part, 360 games look better and run more smoothly. Yes I hope that some untapped well of potential is going to spring forth from the cell and make me eat my words, or at the very least developers can wrap their heads around the cell just enough so that we don't have to suffer inferior ports. In the future it would be wise of sony make a deal with intel or amd; they will save money, sell more units, and give developers less headaches.
On a side note, if sony wants to win any kind of prolonged console war, they need to focus on what made them great: the games. Although its nice, I dont need or want a blueray player, I want to play games! This is where microsoft will eventually beat them if they cant get it together. Microsoft understands that its not about all computer like abilities a console has, its about the games. I have a computer for everything else, I just want the largest library of quality games possible.
On a last note while I rant, what the hell is going on when a sony machine has not one blockbuster JRPG to be found almost two years after launch? This is just crazy!