They are not the best. That is a question that can not just be answered, it is an opinion.

huh...

Agree to disagree I guess.

Nintendo:
+ Great gameplay focused franchises
+ Fun party games
+ Know how to innovate and market something as new
+ Family friendly games I can play with younger family members

- Inability to get third-parties on board
- Currently horrible online
- Don't always release games in great franchises
- Over reliance on old IP to sell new games in different genres

Sony:
+ Good variety of exclusives
+ Push console technology
+ "Mature" themed games
+ Open environment online (willing to implement Steamworks)

- Pushing expensive proprietary formats (e.g. memory cards)
- Security concerns due to PSN hack
- Removal of backwards compatability on PS3
- Sony in general seem to suffer from a lack of communication between departments which shows in the lack of support for non-game media on the games machines

Microsoft:
+ Some good quality franchises on both X-box and PC
+ Good controller for FPS and has connectivity on PC
+ DirectX
+ Kinect has potential, although it's not fully realised as yet

- Forcing users to pay to play online
- Poor support for PC players with a sub-par GFWL service
- Restrictive online (no steamworks, approval system means few MMOs, few games use dedicated servers)
- Closed many PC centric studios

Nintendo
Like: The 1st party games are way above standard.
Dislike: They allow for too much shovelware on their hardware.

Sony
Like: The general originality of their games.
Dislike: The vulnerability of Playstation Network

Microsoft
Like: The effort gone into online gaming
Dislike: The lack of Exclusives

This. You can't quantify an opinion. Even if 1,000,000 people think one thing, and you think another, they can't tell you you're wrong. It's your opinion. Unless it's a fact.

People can try to sway you or dissaude you, but at the end of the day, it's only you who can decide.

That's what you meant, right? Just because Sony think they're the best, doesn't mean they are to everyone.

Correct. This is why I wanted you in this thread.

In that case, Sony has every right to believe that there are the best, because it's their own opinion.

No. It isn't an opinion. I was using that as a metaphor, I don't think Sony has ever flat out said that they're the best.

woo woo woo you  know it lol

Correct, but without any quantification it's an opinion, not a fact.

Opinion- "I think we're the best!"

Fact- "We're the best, because we've won the championship!"

A fact is a fact if there's proof behind it. Sony go around acting like their opinion is fact, and they know it. And they don't even try to quantify it. Instead, they belittle the competition and act like they know everything (*cough* Kevin Butler *cough*). That's what irks me. 

And thanks NinPie. I feel privelidged. You may come back into the cool group. It was lonely, being just me, THE1 and Andrespetmonkey... :/