Sony and Nintendo Rejected a Partnership with Microsoft.

[Zappykins]

Turkish said:
5th gen: Sony went to Nintendo and Sega: said no
6th gen: MS went to Sony and Nintendo: said no

In the end the industry was much better for it, PS1 kicking ass, Xbox bringing new things

Only thing I still wanna see is Sega partnering with Apple on a console.

It get's a little more complicated 6th gen Microsoft made the operations system for Sega's Dreamcast.  It was a total partnership.  And when the Dreamcast died, and Sega as a hardware manufacture.  Microsoft decided to make the Xbox.

"REDMOND, Wash., May 21, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. today announced it will collaborate with Sega Enterprises Ltd. on Sega’s new Dreamcast home video game system, slated for release in Japan on Nov. 20, 1998, and in the rest of the world in 1999. As a result of the collaboration, Microsoft will provide an optimized version of the Microsoft® Windows® CE operating system with integrated DirectX® services as the operating system for use with Dreamcast."

http://news.microsoft.com/1998/05/21/microsoft-sega-collaborate-on-dreamcast-the-ultimate-home-video-game-system/#sm.0000g5doc6zdecsvvx52dqz1dm9j5

Apple aready made a console The Pippin.  While it's arguable better than the Ouya,  it had 34 times few games.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Bandai_Pippin