Sony and its PS3 haven’t been doing so well lately, or at least as well as Nintendo’s Wii or Microsoft’s Xbox 360. And there’s a general impression that the future of the PlayStation brand is not on the pink and fluffy side; commenting on the NPD sales report for Sony’s next-gen console, CNN even goes as far as proclaiming the PS3 “a sinking ship”.

That may be somewhat of an exaggeration, but it’s true that Sony does seem to be less flexible than its competitors when it comes to adapting to the current recession. One of the main factors which made the company’s sales plummet by 19 points compared to last year’s November is its stubbornness when it comes to cutting PS3’s forbiddingly high price. People entered stores, looked at that $400 price tag in dismay and went for the cheaper Xbox 360 or Wii. It’s quite probable that a price cut, even a mild one, would have put a spring in Sony’s sales.

Even so, the company is by no means developing a Titanic syndrome. Its positive results may not be as evident and spectacular as those of its competitors’, but it did register significant growth. After all, the PS3 sold better this year than in 2007 and, if one takes a look at Xbox 360 and PS3 units sold all over the world, one would see that there are no icebergs in sight for Sony’s console.

One other argument raised in favor of the PS3-sinking-ship theory is its smaller exclusive games library. But every gamer out there worth his or her joystick heard about great PS3 exclusive titles such as Metal Gear Solid 4, Wipeout HD, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune or Valkyria Chronicles. Even older hits of the console, such as the first Resistance game, are still played. So if you’re a PlayStation fan, worry not, you need not get in any lifeboat and no, that’s not Celine Dion you’re hearing in the background.