The chances of Sony and Microsoft releasing their next consoles before or in early 2012 are slim to none, right now they will both be focused on recouping their losses so far,which might be easier for Microsoft than it will be for Sony.

even with losses MS wouldn't really care,their main aim is to release infront of PS4

As for the succesor to the Wii, i could see it being sold as early as Q2 2012, for the simple fact, despite the Wii still selling great numbers, they are actualy starting to slow down, and with the limited types of software for the consoles, i don't see it going for another 3 years like it is now.

NOBODY releases a console in Q2

They have 0.0% reason not to anymore, people buy mid season also nowadays, and it will help a company to "stock up" for the holiday season.

The lack of DVD playback doesn't help either,on they were buying it for something else

is that what people were buying Wii for??????????????

Nope, but: IT CAN'T HURT, and seeing how the PS2 and Xbox already had it, it's really backwards for Wii not to have it.

and i think DVD playback was added in 2007 or 2008 models 

i bought a Wii in 2009, no Dvd playback, and it's a 2009 model.

Right now as i see it:

inside of April/May/June 2012, succesor to the Wii will be released, with hardware about 50% stronger than the Xbox 360 is, harddrive of 20-100 GB, with DVD playback.

DVD playback wouldn't really do anything as people already have DVD players

As i said: Dvd playback can't hurt, it makes a console simply more multifunctional, oh and b: I don't have a dvd player, i can simply use my Xbox 360 and PS3 for that.

Between November 2012, and April 2013: Xbox 3 release,

Simply won't happen after November 2012

How would you know, do you work at Microsoft? Are you their entertainment divisions operating officer? Which will be smiling really hard due to current 360 sales btw.

Components will probably be a smaller manufacturing size than they were on the early Xbox 360's, they will avoid a new RROD issue at all costs. As for release price: $399-449.

whay are you even comparing it with 360 component sizes and RROD.

you are making it sound like it is a redesign and not a new console

All consoles are redesigns as much as they are evolutions, as for Xbox 3 specs, it's just extra information, it has A: no extra value to a sales discussion, and B: No reason for you to get your panties wet.

Finally: PS4...  early 2013, evolution of the PS3 rather than a revolution, no drastic changes as they made from PS2 to PS3., price: $399-$449.

noway it will happen early 2013,hands down late 2013

and price would no way be over $399

Wouldn't be suprised if they go 449, it's not that bad in comparison to the PS3 launch, as for late 2013, perhaps, depends on how strong the PS3 will keep going.

(They're not stupid enough to make the same mistake twice)

and still you expected them to price it between $399-499..............lol

Your most laughable "comeback" yet, a price between 399-449 (where the hell did you read 499?) is quite a bit different than $599.

Sony will also make a attempt to make PSN Plus in the same quality region by then, as XBL is now,

they are already trying and PSN plus is a different service

So, you're half assing a agreement with me, and then half assing not agreeing with me, interesting...

and Sony will be likely to develop PS4 headsets this time around, instead of opting for consumers to buy their own headsets as they did with the PS3.

it would be better for them to make a good standalone one than the cheap 360 ones

Funny, what exactly were you thinking i was implying they make?

A rough calculation is easy: releasing next year they could sell a console twice as powerful as the current one for $300 with around the same margin they have now. But if they want to offer 1440p (and that not be just a 1080p upscaled), they need a console twice as powerful just for this, then they need to furtherly double it if they want to offer 3D up to max res. So they need to release consoles 4 times as powerful as the current ones,

1) PS3 can do full 1080p 3D

this can bew made without losses in little more than 2 years. Then there are motion controls that add some bucks (they sell them for $100 to $150, but the cost to build them are much lower), so including them as standard equipment without exceeding the $300 threshold and without delaying the launch, they'd lose initially a few tens $ per console. Quite acceptable for their business model, their initial losses this gen were much higher.

i don't think motion controls will be big next gen

So if they are really at an advanced development stage, MS and Sony could launch in Autumn 2012.

MS will launch before 2013

SONY won't as they need atleast 2 years  to market PSP2 which release next year

About Nintendo, it depends on a lot of things, Wii is still healthy, despite not as strong as in its best periods, and they could settle on 1080p, making possible a 2011 launch without losing money, if really necessary.

Wii2 won't come in 2011 as they need 2 years to market 3DS and as it is they won't need to go so early

What no developer will accept from any console is skimping on main RAM: even with streamlined OS on consoles eating less RAM, if a PC now is commonly equipped with 4GB, to avoid difficulties in porting of multiplats a new console can't go below 3GB, or 2GB as a bare minimum. But RAM cost is already so low that launching in 2011, or even later, fitting less than 4GB would be not only short-sighted, but unjustifiable.

if one console is HD and takes an overall need then the multi-plats won't even be needed

About graphics, 1GB RAM is currently already common also on cheap cards, so no need to go below it.

2) the graphic RAM doesn't need to be there,they can do a unified RAM

and SONY could even remove the GRaphic and do 2 CELL as it does a pretty good job

also what is the speed of the upcoming SSD's,can that be used for RAM?

I think Sony's in a real tricky position overall. The PSP is as good as dead in the water at this point, and with the 3DS releasing, their portable business is in serious trouble (especially since they haven't announced anything regarding the PSP), and the PS3, while selling respectably now, lost Sony soooo much money that they can't afford to cut it off early, but at the same time they can't afford to launch too far behind MS and Nintendo with new consoles....unless MS and Nintendo's new hardware aren't huge leaps but instead minor upgrades/tweaks to what is already out there...but I'm pretty sure Nintendo's going to do a pretty massive overhaul with the visuals/capabilities of the Wii for the Wii2, especially if the 3DS launch proves successful in courting a 'hardcore' software audience...it will make 3rd parties more excited to develop for Wii2...

1) With the same polygon count as 2D? (meaning having to calculate twice as much polygons, not just pixels).

PS3 can do 2160p 2D so they can do 1080p 3D

2) Cheaper but slower, and not necessary now that RAM is so cheap.

WHICH line was this for (*)