Sony Steps On Robot Dog's "Long Tail"

I've written before about the Long Tail theory espoused by Wired Magazine's Chris Anderson.

I wonder if this story ("Sony Puts Robot Dog To Sleep") is an example of Sony "stepping on" the Long Tail.

What if Sony could have found a contract manufacturer to make these robo-dogs more cost-effective?

What if they unleashed the underlying software code and hardware specs to the developer community? Might we have seen a market spring up for aftermarket Aibo hardware doohickies and software-based behaviors?

Might those 150,000 customers (and a few niche hobbyists and vendors) have found new ways to give their Aibos a "new leash on life"?