Sony Bologna

I’ve spent most of my time after work packing, but I did read an article about Sony today that raised my ire. Apparently global workforces are a great boon to industry, but if those same workforces import hardware at lowered costs, laws are mysteriously broken. Fancy that. Due to a series of lawsuits filed against Lik Sang, one of the biggest game and hardware importers has been forced out of business by none other than Sony.

I actually own a Sony STR-DA3000ES, a frighteningly capable receiver, but I bought it two years ago, before Sony started its hideous death-spiral. A trojan horse in their CDs, exploding batteries, lackluster E3 showing, delaying the PS3 and weighing it down to push their overpriced and immature Blue-Ray technology… the list just keeps on growing. They have no respect for their customers, no respect for the industry, and apparently no respect for themselves. They’ve lost their way, their reputation, and if the PS3 doesn’t save them, perhaps even the company itself. Now the company’s flagging reputation is being dragged further down by intense anticompetitive practices, and they still think everyone and their Aunt Selma is going to gleefully thrust $599 into their grasping clutches for the privilege of merely gazing upon the greatness of the PS3.

How low you’ve fallen, Sony. Your name, once synonymous with quality and innovation, is being tarnished while you blithely pursue a market increasingly horrified by your actions. Does this happen to all companies when they reach a certain size? Will even mighty Google eventually allow their “don’t be evil” policy to degrade into mere lip-service?

RIP Sony; it was a fun ride.

Until Tomorrow