Thank goodness Sony came along and introduced such elements to the gaming world as "major 3rd party support" and "longevity" and "multimedia". Oh wait they actually didn't invent any of that.

No one in gaming did "invent" such things, but rather it was influence by timing of implementing such means successfully (much like Nintendo themselves with other gameplay styles). It just so happens that Sony was the first to implement their strengths into gaming, which expanded its audience with CD's and later with DVD). Microsoft came in with online later on. Without outside interference I doubt gaming would've wouldn't have been the main platforms even when compared to PC.

Except Sony wasn't the first to implement those things successfully either. Maybe multimedia, but even that is a stretch. It is strange though how you now say no one invents anything after you've basically been saying all thread that Sony invented this magic blueprint MS copied.

Sony was the first to implement multimedia a CD music system/Gaming combo in the first console they ever put out and have it become a successful paradigm shift for games on a large scale. The second console was first launched by them as a DVD player that also played your CD's and Microsoft followed suit. Anyone who has read up  on the history of Microsoft joining the console race knows they saw Sony was becoming a threat to PC and was hurting the arcade circuit because massive amounts of people were buying their product to play at home. Sony set their sights on the PC world and Microsoft came with two goals:

1) To swallow Sonys multimedia marketshare whole. Microsoft has an issue with not monopolizing any form of multimedia hub. Anywhere there is an all in one multimedia hub you will see Microsoft because thats just how they are. Think I am joking? Look up all multimedia hubs available to people. If Microsoft isn't there they will be.

2) To stop Sony from interfering in PC dominance in the late 90's. They failed to save PC from getting hurt, and actually hurt PC themselves by taking PC exclusives to strengthen their arsenal against Sony. Third party PC devs caught wind of the growth of powerful consoles and the large stable marketshare growth of the PS2 and joined in for the next gen. Valve is the true savior of PC. Its also a double edge sword, because even though Microsoft took PC devs away from exclusivity to PC and brought them to consoles, they also gave them a more stable audience to sell their games to as PC's core popularity dwindled in the current gen. The leap from last gen to this gen was so great even the lead dev of of Id brought form fitted RAGE to be created specifically for the consoles and PC secondary before this gen even began.

In conclusion,

Microsoft failed their prime objective, but I dont think their prime objective was to save PC at all when you look at their performance. How many PC titles did they even publish during their time as console devs outside of WIndows Live? PC games were Microsofts trojan horse. This gen indy games were Microsofts trojan horse because of lack of software support in their first party. Their third party was stacked this gen. 

I remember reading an article with Shane Kim earlier in the gen saying Microsoft will follow Sony until the end of their cycle which will be eleven years. They will not let up on Sonys marketshare because thats who they are truly after. Shane Kim stepped down, but I realized he was correct about seven years of software support and I am guessing it will have four years of third party support until its over.

LOL are you actually crediting Sony for the technology shift away from cartridges? There were at least 9 other consoles released before the PSone that used CD's for games and AFAIK most of them allowed you to play music CD's as well. Was it those companies first console? I don't know, or care, as that is just an irrelevant qualifier you slapped on for Sony's sake. Not to mention you also had PC's, which had already been using CD's for years. No company gets credit for natural progression of technology no matter what it is, sorry.

And yeah we all know why MS entered the console race. Or the general gist of it anyway. I certainly don't agree with any of the monopoly nonsense you're talking about. MS entered gaming to slow/destroy Sony's home media intrusion and because they were looking for another growing market to make a mark in. Seems to be they exceeded in both, though the success part is yet to be seen with the next console. It is clear their philosophies are different. Just look at Live and PSN. Kinect vs Move. Retail vs downloadable titles. You're trying to argue both sides of the coin here when it suits you. MS is both copying Sony but then when people throw up the support MS is showing 360 in terms of downloadable games and publishing titles, it's "oh noes ms just makes games for strategy, they have no passion, they have no games, they cater to casuals" etc etc.

The article you're referring to was probably about supporting the Too Human franchise for 7 years after its release, and they were comments made by a guy no longer working at MS and about a franchise no longer getting any trilogy. So yeah.

I'll reply again if this thread ever gets back on the actual topic.

Not for PS3.

I said that Sony was the first successful multimedia shift, not that Sony was the first to implement CD's. You guys only see what you want to see. Its like how Sony was the first to bring in camera (just incase you try to twist things) motion gaming full force into the mix, but Microsoft successfully got the market to shift for their version of pretty much the same device in the Kinect. You win some, you lose some. 

Comments like that make me wonder just how long you have been a gamer, and kind of explains the fascination you have with Sony. I mean.. first about longevity as if Sony made the first console that lasted more than 6 years. Then CD's as if no one used them in gaming before Sony. Or multimedia. Now cameras and motion controls. As if the Game Boy Camera never existed, or the Activator, or that PS2 light gun game that had motion controls.. or tons of arcade games. Lets just end this long, off topic and irrelevant tangent you're on and just say Sony invented gaming.

You're really going overboard with this. I never said anything like that so enjoy your version of what I said. Every console has something special that they brought to the dance in the gaming industry. 

Yeah, Microsoft literally discontinued the original Xbox the moment the 360 came to market.  It was dropped like a bag of rocks.  It's more likely the "360 Lite/ Mini" or whatever that only plays digital games and apps will replace the 360 as a $99 starter system for late-adopters and the 720 replaces all current 360 models for the vast majority of gamers.