While using the x86 architecture in consoles is good for developers, I think it may be the Xbox One's undoing. We're already seeing one time exclusives like Dead Rising 3 getting PC ports and this trend will most likely continue. In the past, PC's have had a reputation for getting shitty ports of console games and a lot of that had to do with the differences with the hardware. That's not a problem anymore.
The PS4 can get away with this because it's a machine that is marketed so well that people seem to want it even if they don't know why. Xbox One doesn't have that advantage. Microsoft has had to completely re-market and rebrand Xbox One in just one year, unlike Sony who's had a consistent marketing campaign from day one. While Microsoft does have Microsoft Studios, 343 Industries, Lionhead, and Rare, I don't think Microsoft planned on having a full arsenal of first party exclusives like Nintendo does. Look at Rare. Rare was supposed to be the Kinect developer. The expected Kinect Sports Rivals to sell like hotcakes and it didn't happen. Now Rare is being reorganized for the second time in five years and is moving away from Kinect development. They clearly aren't going to have a game out anytime soon. Microsoft expected Xbox One to sell on more than just games. Microsoft started an entire studio based around multimedia entertainment and now they're closing it down. Xbox One won't sell based on features that are already offered by a million other different services.
So I do expect Xbox One sales to be low for a while since nothing is happening like Microsoft had planned. The same could be said about Nintendo and Wii U. After all, we do know that several third parties had quite a few Wii U games that ended up getting cancelled or delayed indefinitely and we also know that Nintendo's own games have been suffering from delays. Unlike Microsoft however, all of Nintendo's games that are currently in the pipeline were planned all along. Nintendo has the ability to sell their systems on their games alone. So while Microsoft is reorganizing everything about box One, the only thing Nintendo is trying to alter is the Wii U's image. Their marketing efforts have failed in the past and they're slowly improving that. The Wii U was originally meant to be more of a bridge between the casual audience who bought the Wii and the core audience who disliked the Wii. Now, the Wii is shedding it's casual audience in favor of a younger, yet more dedicated fan base.
It wouldn't surprise me if Wii U outsold Xbox One this year. It's definitely got the software to do that. THere's also a chance the the Amiibos might actually drive sales for Nintendo's games and in turn, Wii U sales. It's hard to say how 2015 will be. Nintendo will have very good games that year, but all those delayed PS4/Xbox One games will also finally be coming out as well.
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