Nintendo having a 1-year head start on the competition, plus most likely being the least expensive console of the next gen for the duration of its life will automatically give them a great start and a healthy life. Whether or not they "win" the generation is still completely up in the air, but right now they're the ones with a pretty damn good shot of doing so.
Sony on the other hand is the one in the worst position heading into the next gen IMO. They've had their backs against the wall ever since the start of the current gen, going from 1st to 3rd in console sales and market share faster than you can blink, and while they've slowly been gaining momentum with the PS3, it's going to be tough to carry that over to the PS4, and it remains to be seen just how successful the Vita will be. Add to all that the company's current financial troubles, and there's not a real positive outlook for them going into the next gen.
That leaves M$, who turned the tables on Sony this gen by making the 360 the HD system of choice for the majority of core gamers, especially in NA. And now thanks to Kinect they've expanded their audience even further, and have a ton of momentum going into this year and eventually into the next gen. That said, their Achille's heel continues to be Japan, where they are shunned by the general population for being a foreign company, and therefore do not have as much support with most Japanese developers as Sony and Nintendo do. If they can somehow translate their success in the west to Japan and become even moderately successful, then it's definitely game over for Sony.
When all is said and done, I expect the next gen to be Nintendo in the lead with M$ trailing just behind in WW sales, with Sony a distant third unless there's a dramatic shift in the worldwide gaming landscape somehow.
On 2/24/13, MB1025 said:
You know I was always wondering why no one ever used the dollar sign for $ony, but then I realized they have no money so it would be pointless.
