Sony is getting hit hard from all angles, all at once. To recap:

* Sony was lambasted for its proprietary copyright protection on CDs that allowed hackers to gain access to numerous PCs because of a security hole. This software was on its discs with no notice to consumers--or at least, notice was not widely advertised.

* Sony is in court over its use of the PS2 controller, which used a rumbling technology without permission of that technology's creator. In a worst-case scenario, it will have to send its profits for the PS2 to the damaged party. It'll probably just end up costing a few hundred million, though.

* Sony's UMD format has been a flop, despite 20 million PSPs shipped worldwide, and Sony will probably be out a lot of money from when it shipped the games to retailers (who often take it out of the product's manufacturer if something like that fails).

* The Playstation 3 is being griped over because of its $600 price tag, which sets it substantially above its competitors in terms of price only. Resistance is also building for the system because many consumers view it as a means to shove another Sony proprietary format down their throats.

* Sony manufactured 4.1 million batteries for Dell laptops, and they are now being recalled. Sony is paying part of the cost of the recall, as might be expected. Big money, there!

So yeah, Sony is in pretty sad shape. The Playstation brand is their only success, and now that's in danger of performing poorly. With finances going down the tubes everywhere else, will the company have enough money to protect its various interests while supporting the PS3 as aggressively as it needs to (while selling each system at a significant loss)? Signs point to... maybe.

But that's a big maybe and some who might have at one point considered a $600 investment are now doubting it...