Nintendo - Not much to offer if you are a straight male over the age of 13.

MS - Prices for XBL arcade, games on demand, etc are about 50% higher then they should be.

Sony - Can't really criticize them because I don't even own a game for the PS3 that I have.

Oh gamerace...   

Microsoft- RROD that absolutely crushed them. Many of you argue that Microsoft needs more 1st party developers I disagree at least right now. Currently they are do a sufficent job with timed exclusives and quality XBLA games. I think Microsofts biggest issue is their lack of casual focus. Sure they have some games like viva pinata and banjo kazooie but mostly the casual games for the system are on XBLA. I think Natal will solve that issue but I believe it wont have the impact they are hoping for.

Sony- 599 the price of these amazing consoles has just destroyed them. Early PS3's especially the 60 gig were well worth the investment but for most of the market it was just to expensive. From there Sony faced a considerable uphill climb by launching a year after 360. The casual gamer bought the WII and early on the core gamer went with 360 not because it was better but it was cheaper often times came bundled with a game and had a huge library on non 60 dollar games. Since then Sony has become so spread out that while there AAA games sell fairly well 3-4 million it is a far cry from the 6 million 360 got from Gears of War or the 10+ from Halo 3. Sony should run monthly bundles with only exclusive games Valkyria Chronicles one month, then Heavenly sword, Ratchet and clank, etc generate some new interest in some of your quality exclusives.

Nintendo- I think right now they are in a good position. However, with the launch of Arc and Natal what incentive will struggling 3rd party developers have to keep making motion controlled games for the Wii? I believe the Wii's biggest issue is its lack of features, connecting to friends online is a bitch, cannot watch DVD's on the Wii, Internet is garbage, not in hd, poorly designed online store etc. I love the Wii and the great games it has but I believe that the systems lack of features is about to catch up to it.

Nintendo: I'd say the biggest weakness for Nintendo is its lack of third party. While they probably won't need any more third party support for the rest of the Wiis run, I feel it should still push to gain as much third party support it can get before the next consoles launch. Because its the next console where Nintendo will need the most help and if they obtained more third party support, that's where they could really soak up the rest of the console market from its competition.

Sony: Sony may be in 'last place', but I think they've set themselves up in a good position for next generation. However, they still have a monster habit of trying, desperately, to copy every little thing their competition does in a mad grab to follow fads. From trying to jump into the motion control market (three times) to trying to patent multiple new Nintendo inspired controllers (what else is new) to even trying to one up XBOX Live service, it always seems like they're one step behind their competition. Sony use to be the big technology innovator back in the 80s and 90s...but now its more like they're the copy-cats. What they need to do is come out with their own identity. Their own 'killer app'. Basically, do what Nintendo did with the Wii....but not just copy with Wii. And no, 'bigger and more expensive' isn't going to work.

Microsoft: Oh Microsoft...the little engine that could....with millions and millions of dollars being burned. They proved that they could turn a profit finally with a console...but now what? They're still sitting with a virtual deadlock market in America, lost steam in Europe and Japan still hates their guts. Still, its hard to pinpoint what their biggest 'weakness' is. If you asked me 2 years ago, I'd say it was because they focused too much on one market. The American/Hardcore market. But now...things have changed. From their advertising to their game focus, things have greatly changed. Microsoft has gone soft. And I don't mean, they no longer are 'hardcore', I just mean, they are targeting the 'casual' market, like everyone else. But there's a price. When you start putting time and effort into marketing to one group of people, another group loses focus.

So at this time, I'd say Microsofts biggest weakness isn't really a weakness, but a problem. They have a dual personality they are trying to keep in balance. They are trying to figure out how to focus on multiple markets, where before they only had to deal with marketing to one group of people. And of course...the whole issue of still not gaining many new console sales outside their target demographic.

These assume that in the end they want all gamers on their system and not a sub-set (even if that sub-set is huge).

Nintendo - online, too casual an image for some, not enough horsepower for certain genres, too weak/competitive relationship with third party developers, completely missed, or didn't care, about big swing in West towards PC style genres on console, question mark over their ability to 'bottle lighting' twice in a row.

Sony - poor marketing and overly confident early on, too slow in general (with online, with using their assets, with getting core franchises too market, etc) too unfocused in how they bring their offering together and missed the huge swing to Western style PC genres on console in US and to a lesser extend Europe, bit of a mixed image right now, halfway between Wii and 360, looking a little lost following Nintendo for motion controls and MS for online and too often tempted to use consoles to push other company agenda's - for example storage formats

MS - too reliant on online/hardcore Western titles focused on US, too weak in 1t party capability, overly reliant on third parties, wrong image for more casual gamers, poor peripherals strategy, possibly over banking on Natal's success, need to fully shrug of RROD image. Saw, indeed arguably started, huge move in US away from PC for online gaming for FPS and similar genres, but ended up overly 'typecast' as a result

Nintendo - Have been relying on the same franchises since the NES days. When's the last time they made a great new franchise lets be honest. Also they need to focus on online gaming next gen.

Sony - PSN is lacking many of the features of XBL, also their arrogance and forcing new technologies on us is annoying and costing them money (Blu-ray and now 3D)

Xbox - Well for starters they made one of the most unreliable consoles in history. Also they really need a better 1st party. I have no idea why games like Mass Effect, Left 4 Dead and Splinter Cell Conviction have stayed 360 exclusive when they should be multiplat.

MS: Dunno
Sony: Arrogance, I mean, they were 100% sure PS3 will be this gen winner
Nintendo: Confort, they make random games that sell awesome (nsmbwii, wsr, wf+), and they on't fell like like making other huge games, I honestly think the only reasons smg2, other m, and zelda wii are in develpment is so the press doesn't kill them

MS- More advertising and quit coping the other 2 companys.

Sony- Needs more 1st party and quit buying 3rd party time exclusive games.

Nintendo - Needs more casual games, the hardcore fanbase is locked down but the casuals are getting away.

Nintendo: Not much really, they're raking in money. Though could do with some software quality control, the Wii has nearly as many games since launch as the PS2 has had in 10 years.

Microsoft: More focus on quality not just profit, awful hardware with tons of hidden costs, seems to have worked well for them but only with tons of backhanders to 3rd party developers, extended warranties and shrugging off lawsuits. They knew about the failures and the RROD when they released the console but they decided to release early and fix the problems as they come. The 360 is a REALLY shoddy product and everywhere you turn theres need to either buy additional accessories or being told to buy things from XBL.

Sony: I agree with arrogance, PS3 is a great quality product but was way too overpriced and would've benifitted without having the extra USB ports, Card readers and "install other OS" functionality from the start if it could cut costs significantly. Good long term model but might lag behind as soon as the next gen comes out. Could also do with some more friendly intergration of features in the XMB too, like the Wii/360 avatars (home in XMB?). PSP needs piracy looked into and a new model that still uses UMDs but has better ergonomics and features.

MS - Lack of 1st Party
Nintendo - Repetitive in software.
SONY - Takes too many risks.