Sony losing $260 on each PS3 sold?

That console makers lose money on every console sold is no real secret and the only real exception to that rule is Nintendo and the Wii - for everyone else it's a case of selling large amounts of games to recoup losses though.

Sony though may be making larger losses on the PlayStation 3 than they are willing to admit though, if an analysis of the recently release financial results is to be believed.

The Guardian had a quick look at Sony's latest spreadsheets and revealed that although Sony's game division has managed to reduce yearly losses from $2 billion to $1.2 billion, the news may not actually be all that good.

While Sony's figures indicate a loss of $130 on each PlayStation 3, The Guardian thinks it may be twice that and the figures are actually buoyed by the success of the PlayStation 2.

"[The PS2 and PSP] could easily have made a profit of $1.2bn in the year. In that case, the total PS3 loss would have been $2.4bn shared between 9.24m PS3 consoles, or $260 per PS3 — including any attached Sony games."

Ouch! It makes you feel even worse for any PlayStation 3 units that are still sat on shelves!

Is Sony fighting a losing battle in this generation of the Console War, or are still they likely to recover? Let us know what you think in the forums.