Although I am a long time PlayStation gamer, I nevertheless appreciate the role that Microsoft plays in the industry. They have done a lot to advance online gaming in particular.
So it is sad to see that they seem to be giving up on many markets when it comes to their hardware sales. I remember the days when they tried very hard to compete in Japan with some great JRPG exclusives.
The more time passes, the more reason I tend to concur with those that say Microsoft is headed toward exclusively being a publisher. I suppose their DNA and strength do lie in the software side of things. For what it's worth I hope they stay on as a console provider. Time will tell but it looks as though this will be Microsoft's worst performance since the OG X-Box.