To me, this should be looked at in fully clarity.
Did the Xbox really harm the PS2? no. But it created marketshare and set up the 360.
BF has been out of the front runner position since BF2 a LONG time ago. BF3 was their attempt to get back to that point. It has been widely successful and created a solid base to build on.
Additionally, there are some differences that just exist in the games themselves, for better or worse depending on the gamers preference. Maps size is probably the biggest. Couple people I know enjoy what I like to call "war in a closet" that is CoD. Why? well, you're always in the action. However, others, like me, enjoy the better strategy and teamwork in a larger battlefield given by BF series. Sure it might seem slower, but utilizing team work and spawning on your teammates eliminates this issue greatly.
Point is, these differences may never allow BF to really by pass CoD again. The larger FPS market may simply not want the BF style of play over CoD.
