Sorry, I don't trust any prediction thread where the writer ends up saying the next XBox console will be the XBox 720.  Unless you seriously believe it, and can show why it will be so, I take your predictions based on personal preference and your watching of movies like "Real Steel".

You're assuming that kinect 2.0 won't offer anything knew, and that's a major flaw in your argument. We don't know what it'll be able to do. Maybe it'll be the new Wii, and if you add that together with Halo, Geras and CoD you got a killing machine that will dominate.

Now, I'm not saying THAT scenario will play out, but fact is MS has the money to make a powerful box, add kinect2 and loose money the first year or two, and thus keeping the x3ox on equal footing with the PS4...

Where the mass market go, so does the crown of gen leader. PS2 owned them and then Wii did to an even larger degree (but had a lot less core than PS2).

Right now Kinect 2.0 plus illumiroom and rumoured halograhics are by far the most enticing to casuals. And the only offerings I've seen (fact or rumour) that'll pull them away from their iPads and tablets.

As far as the core goes, MS is in good with them and they know they'll be well supported by both 1st & 3rd party games on MS system (unlike WiiU where 3rd party support is questionable).

None of this hurts MS chances in the slightest.

Yeah even if it's stupid, I get the feeling a much more powerful advanced Kinect + some of the projection/wall illumination stuff MS is experimenting with and really robust set-top-box functionality will make the 720 appeal to a wider audience. 

Casuals are kind of stupid (I hate to say it, but I don't know how else to put it), you throw some flashy lights in front of them and they are easy to distract (though keeping them around long term can be a problem). 

And then MS should be able to hold a good amount of the hardcore audience. The 360 technically is behind the PS3 in a lot of ways too (just like the PS2 was to the XBox), but it really didn't matter in the end. 

As long as it's still a big upgrade over the 360, much moreso than the Wii U is, I think the core XBox gamer will be satisfied enough to stick around. And core consumers like their media functionality too, so if the 720 is basically a "Windows box", that's not neccessarily a bad thing all around for that crowd either.

And Atari will be 1st. Where's my money?

Seriously, Microsoft has been making gains this entire generation. They built up a solid core userbase with games like Halo and Call of Duty, and then expanded it to include a more casual base later on with Kinect. They usurped Sony as the clear home console king (Sony possibly ending up with a 2m or so lead over a competitor is not domination, sorry) and managed to hold the lead against them for over 5 years. Unless Microsoft really screws things up, I think its likely they'll be on top with the next Xbox.

Sony has been puming out new IP. 2012 was proof of that All-Stars, LBP Karting, Gravity Rush, Starhawk...etc. I see dedication to the core gamer right there.

I did hear about that rumor about a touchscreen controller for PS4, but from what I understand this will be much more like the Ouya controller than the Wii U gamepad. Call me crazy but I don't see touchscreen as a gimmick. Maybe back in 2006.....

Other with a 33% chance and the last with...34%! :O

LOL

dude really...wait until we have 'concrete info' on the systems, price, games etc.

Only way Microsoft will end up 3rd next gen is if Google and Apple enter the home console arena with iOS and Android.