Why stop just at gaming? Zune is the best portable multimedia player ever, the winner! MS BoB was a winner too! Windows CE/Mobile/Phone obviously is and always was the market leader! And Vista! And so on...   

nintendo won until the wii started dying
microsoft was looking to break even at that time, but since 2010 it's pretty much conquered all the major issues

it is the most desired console globally
it has had the most retail and digital exclusives in 2010, 2011 and 2012 (based on current lineups)
it has the biggest first party studio conglomerate of the big 3
with exception of crystal tools (FFXIII) every major engine runs better on its system
they have big studios like Epic and Crytek begging them to publish their games
the xbox 360 has paid for itself and is now working on xbox 1 losses
the edd division is now a $1 billion dollar per year profit line
20+ million Xbox live paid subscribers
it's 3rd tier ip's sell between 4-5 million
it's in probably the best position for next gen of all 3

it did all that without a price drop

aside from nintendo actually selling more consoles, can't class any of the above as anything but win win win

Responses are bolded.

Well everyone uses a different metric for succes ^^' .........

I kind of agree with you. 

We have to think how much money MS (and Sony) have made with digital distribution, DLCs, Avatar itens, Netflix, Youtube...

Nintendo sold more consoles but everyting else it's fallen behind.

If 360 is the "most desired console globally" why is it only the most popular system in the America and the UK. PS3 is more popular in more territories, it's just Microsoft currently have the biggest and one of the biggest European territories. (from the HD console perspective).

I actually think Microsoft are in the weakest position for the next generation. Halo's influence is collapsing outside the US. The 360's main proponents are third parties which are notoriously fickle. MS actually seem to be setting themselves up for a fall next generation by relying so heavily on third parties. It worked on 360 because they had such a strong exclusive/first party presence in the early days. However they've lately tried to just rely on third parties, which means they won't offer any incentive to buy their next console over their rivals.

I actually feel very burned by MS this generation. I've had 4 RRODs, and after the last one, I noticed that the PS3 was starting to have parity in performance on games and a far stronger first party lineup, so by 2009 I found I was able to live without the 360. It was actually an amazing turn around because in 2007 the Xbox was my most essential system. I wonder what they'll do to entice me back at the beginning of next gen because if all they are offering is 3rd party software and their current staples of Halo, GoW, Forza and Kinect, I think it'll be the first console I've given a miss ever.