Have Microsoft solidified themselves as a gaming giant equal to Sony?

[WilliamWatts]

nordlead said:

ok, not reading the whole thread, just throwing out my thoughts.

Microsoft hasn't matched Sony yet, but they are getting there and could be there in the next generation. While Microsoft is currently beating Sony in Unit sale (x360 vs PS3 only) Sony still has a few things in its favor. Overall the PS3 & X360 are relatively matched in terms of system influence, but Sony has portable gaming and much larger 1st party software support. Both of which aren't being matched by Microsoft.

Doesn't Windows Mobile count for anything here? Theres a lot of bus surrounding their Courier tablet (which looks very cool I might add) and their Windows Mobile 7 operating system. I saw a presentation on that and it looks like Windows Mobile 7 will have some excellent gaming capabilities and cross platform support with the much larger Xbox Live service. (Note: I heard from a friend who was working on developing an indie game that the only way they would release on PSN is if fully funded by Sony, so that would just compound their advantage)