I think next gen sony needs to focus on whats important and not worry about using thie console to win a format war.
I think you are wrong about that, Sony now has more channels of income, ie they have spread their risk. If on channel goes down the drain, well then hopefully the others will help keep Sony healthy. But if they only have one, well lose it and you got no business.
So if you look at Nintendo, Sony and MS it might look something like this (I guess all could have more general sources of revenue, but I am not very in to their businesses)
Nintendo
* Home console
* Portable console
* Software
Sony
* Home console
* Portable Console
* Software
* BD
* CE goods
Microsoft
* Home console
* Software
* PC software
The idea is the more parity you have been between your "channels/divisions" then you have spread your risk better.
For Sony, okay so they might have lost 100M pcs of console sales, but how much have they gained in CE sales due to BD, now we are talking TV (1080p due to BD movies), BD discs, BD players, royalties (all the movies getting re-release on BD etc).
There is nothing that suggest that if the PS3 did not have BD that it would have such a gigantic lead and profit margin anyway, to cover what they have most likely have gained and will gain on BD being the next optical disc standard. Even if its never becomes as bit as the DVD market is/was.
As for Microsoft, they want to make sure they are not left our if PC's become more niche used in the home. So they wanted into the livingroom with a their media/entertainment delivery system, ie a games console that can deliver movies, music, limited internet etc etc.
Why do you think Google is doing their Google TV, I got it on decent authority that Google is going to all content providers and telling them to deliver their content onto their GoogleTV platform. And from what I am hearing, their abit arrogant about it and basically are getting a foot up their backside. Mainly because their arrogant and demand the content for "free".
Nintendo, to me, looks like the only ones doing consoles for just the games. Which could be their downfall if things go the way Sony/Microsoft want/hope. But then again their core gaming experience might be better for the avg user, than the Sony/MS way of we are trying to do everything with our box approach.