in reality it probably cost them more to close it down than to keep it going with compensating contracts etc, but consumer music instruments was just an absolutely insignificant part of the total Matsushita empire - turnover must have been tiny compared to just the battery division for example - and there is more money to be made in DVD, TV, Plasma etc etc.

As for market ask yourself where is the Genesys replacement? where is the SD1 replacement? What was so special about the G70? where are the really groundbreaking technological breakthroughs from psr9000 to tyros to tyros 2? All manufacturers are being meagre with their R&D compared to the past in this area.