SONY

Like:
Variety
New IPs constantly
They've got balls to take on risky projects
Dislike-
Prices

Nintendo

Like: They know how to print money.
Dislike:
Lack of Variety
Always playing it safe...

Well it looks like I agree with you more.       Looks like I gave you an opportunity to share more of your opinion.

Yeah I have truthfully always found that the library was extremely close on both systems and that the 360 has always done so well especially early on by being cheaper. So I can hardly blame many people buying it when the PS3 performs almost exactly the same.

@dgc, I love "Always playing it safe". The Wii was surely a safe move, no risk at all

risk implies you have something to lose after gamecube how much did Nintendo have to lose

Their massive profit streak.

N: Like: I like the motion controls, enjoyed Just Dance immensely with a load of friends, female of course. Always fun to make a complete and utter tit of yourself in front of girls.. O wait, but it's still fun as hell!

Dislike: Not appealing enough to me to purchase the hardware unfortunately, for the life of me, I can't recall a single game that I really wanted to play by myself, in the comfort of my home that was on the Nintendo system, I think this is due to the fact that I grew up without a Nintendo so the system sellers like Mario, Zelda etc don't appeal to me personally.

S: Like: The variety in exclusives is good, and the gem that is Heavy Rain and UC2, which were both good games. Hardware design of the old phat models have always appealed to me.
Dislike: The controller, the fact that it takes DAYS to update the games, and the patches are in the region of 500-1GB, also the online is quiet and desolate, it's free but you don't really get much in terms of social experience.

M: Like: The controller, the better implementation of online services for the small monthly fee, LE consoles that are often available - MW3/Gears etc. Fast updates, and overall balanced servers online.
Dislike: The latest concentration of first party studios on Kinect based games, although I liked Kinect, I think there should be more controller based games to cater for the more "mature" audiences. The unreliability of the old, pre-slim models. Lack of new IP, as it seems to be Forza/Gears/Halo/Fable cycle.

Overall gripe: Console exclusive DLC and time exclusive content such as the MW3 packs, although I don't really get those anyway, but just to use as an example.

wii was sold at a loss?

They had everything (the market) to lose.

Here is how Yamauchi put it in those days (2004 to 2006) - this is old so the links don't work anymore:

 The fate of Nintendo hinges on the DS

Yes. At one point Miyamoto was even forced to get a second job at Burger King to cover up the losses.