Sony came to CES 2011 hoping to make some ground. Sony had hoped to be in the forefront or at least a true contender in the race of sets and accessories offering Internet content and 3D video. Sales, however, fell short in 2010. Nonetheless, the shortcomings of Sony’s sales seemed to have no effect on Howard Stringer, as he remains positive about Sony’s future and is realistic about the economic times. Stringer commented in a statement, “When you're in the middle of a major recession, there are fewer people who can afford anything. Talk about the declining middle class in America: Those are your early adopters. It's not the rich. It's the middle class and young people.”

Stringer has openly talked about Sony's unique position as a company strategically positioned in the areas of hardware, software, network services and entertainment content. He proudly recognized Sony as a leader in the technologies of tomorrow, which included television, Blu-ray, digital cinema, 3D and wireless devices

Sure enough Sony Corp is out to deliver tomorrow’s technology, launching a new handheld game device, expected to be unveiled at an event in Tokyo on Thursday. Is it perhaps an extra, intended jab to gaming guru, Nintendo, who is expected to report a loss in its quarterly profit?

It comes as no surprise that with the growth in tablet creation and tablet demand, both Sony and Nintendo stand before some fierce competition. One type of product that hit CES with full steam was the tablet. Following hot on the heels of Apple’s (News - Alert) iPad, a number of companies, both large and small, were unveiling and demoing their own tablet or slate devices hoping to carve out a niche of this growing market. Therefore, Sony and Nintendo desperately need a blockbuster product to boost sales and profit. Nintendo's DS nearly 136 million units sold last September and Sony PSP’s 61 million aren’t cutting it.

Sony hopes it new offering, which includes a touch panel and 3G wireless connectivity, the first in a portable gaming device, will bring it post-recession joy in 2011. Mizuho Investors Securities Analyst, Nobuo Kurahashi, said in a statement, "What's important from our point of view is how many they can sell. A lot depends on the software titles they offer."