Is it just me, or does it seem like Sony feels it can do just about anything it wants now?

There's no doubt Sony's first two consoles have been massive successes--both the PlayStation and the PlayStation2 have dominated the gaming landscape for the past decade, selling hundreds of millions of units worldwide and influencing an entire generation of game players and game makers.

Whereas Nintendo was synonymous with videogaming in the 1980s, PlayStation is synonymous with videogaming today.

But does that give the company license to do whatever it wants? A cursory glance at the revelations made at this year's E3 might lead some to believe that's the case.

Take, most notably, the price tag. Sony announced two bundles at launch, one including a 20-gig hard drive for $499, and a 60-gig hard drive model going for $599.

The last console to even come close to that price point was the 3DO in the mid-90s. That console launched for around $700 and instantly failed. Granted, a weak software library didn't help, but any game company is going to have a hard time convincing a consumer outside the hardcore gaming community to plop down that kind of cash on a console.

Obviously, the $499 model will not have the same features as the $599 model, which means the cheaper option will likely be chastized and ignored. Microsoft experienced this very thing with the launch of Xbox 360; the Core unit, at $299, was left for dead on store shelves, gamers instead favoring the beefier $399 model. So, with the $599 PS3 being the only likely option for gamers, the question remains: who's going to be willing to pony up the dough?

Especially if the trend continues where in order to get the most out of your new console, you need a sophisticated (and highly expensive) high-definition TV. Without an HDTV, the Xbox 360 isn't that different from the original Xbox, and I suspect the same would be true for the PS3.

Now, don't get me wrong; I understand why the PS3 is going to cost this much; the technology is expensive to manufacture, and the console's reliance on BluRay technology was likely the straw that broke the camel's financial back. I knew the minute Sony announced its BluRay plans that keeping the PS3's launch price manageable was going to be an uphill battle, and it appears I was right.

But I can't help but wonder if the success of both the PSOne and the PS2 has Sony thinking it can slap a $600 price tag on the PS3 and the gamers would come in droves regardless. Sony has made quite a name for itself in the industry over the past decade, and the games will likely be of the same high quality they have been for years. But does Sony simply feel it can get away with this, for no reason other than the knowledge that, at the end of the day, this is still Sony and this is still PlayStation we're talking about?

If that's the case, then that's complacency, and that's dangerous territory for Sony. Nintendo seems as focused as ever, and Microsoft's spent the better part of the past five years trying to dethrone the electronics giant. If Sony starts getting too full of itself, then one of the other two console manufacturers might just inherit the industry.

I won't sit here and call the PS3 a failure before it even hits store shelves (November 11 in Japan, November 17 here in the States). If some of the games I've seen so far--Metal Gear Solid 4 and Warhawk, specifically--are any indication, the PS3 could be just as strong as its predecessors where it matters most: the games. But I can't ignore the price tag...and I'm willing to bet a lot of other gamers won't be able to ignore it, either.

People griped about the 360's $400 price point, and if the PS3 is going to go for $100 more, Sony could be in trouble. The first thing that led to the ultimate doom of the Sega Saturn in the 32-bit era was the fact that it was $100 more expensive than the PlayStation; Sony managed to get its machine to market for $300, while Sega rushed an inferior product to stores for $400.

Sometimes, the cheaper console is the one the general public goes for. Advantage: likely Nintendo.

I just hope the $600 price tag on the PlayStation3 is legitimate, and not a case of Sony's head getting too big for its own cap. Even more, I hope that price comes down between now and November 17; we know there's going to be a shortage at launch, but to add that public relations nightmare to the ongoing question of why the machine's so expensive? Sony might find itself staring up the side of a really tough mountain.