The xbox one we have now is a very different console then what was revealed on the 21st of may this year. so much has changed about the console and the main reason for that change is the PS4. how people reacted to the X1 and PS4 was outright the main reason of the Xbox One's 180. here is a list from the top of my head about the things that changed about the xbox one

Blocking used games

online checking every 24 hours

Self publishing on xbox live

including a headpiece in the box

playing games on another console without a need for an online check

Alot has changed about the xbox one, but what does that tell us about microsofts vision for the gaming industry? they have been making this console for years, planning it for years and just in 2 months or so they had to change their entire vision for the console to make it more like the PS4. does that prove that sony has a much stronger and better vision to what a gaming console should be?

All you can say is that Microsoft has shown that they are listening. Beyond that it is just fanwars. "180" has been an annoying term by this point.

People don't react well to change.

Win.

i love the term 180, its just a great pun. 

Was Microsoft listening to the fans or looking at the preorder numbers? Are they really the same thing? I think they kind of are. If fans were saying what they said and preorders were good... no 180. If preorders were bad but no verbal backlash from fans... no 180 either.

To say they listened is somewhat false. They don't listen to anything. They look at numbers

It was ok at first.  Something is funny until it is overused.

For your question the industry tends to copy each other as long as they benefit from it.  Example the WiiMote created motion gaming.  Now you have PS Move which is almost a clone.

Or let's go with Achievements and Trophy system.  

How about first controller with joysticks, Rumble, etc

Or an Online system(XBL, PSN, MiiVerse)

This list goes on and on.  Expect them to keep pushing each other (Copying depending on how you look at it).  What is good for the industry is a broad term.  I could see certain things trending from both at the moment.  I could see MSFT adopting the free game program similar to PS+.  I could see Sony adopting Cloud Computing by the end of the generation.  I could see Sony also adopting smart online and reputation similar to xbox live.  Or maybe they will "Copy" the impulse triggers.

My point is that the "180" is not because that Sony has a better vision but because the X1 will benefit from changing a few things just like Sony would benefit in changes through the generation or things they have done in the past.  

MSFT and Sony only wins if the fans win as well.  

See, the thing I've noticed people saying here, you included, is that Sony and MS aren't doing anything different, yet from my point of view, they both did some major upgrades and just so happened to think of the same thing. They both went cloud. They both went social. They both added new inputs as a standard (the dualshock4 is a move controller basically). They both went with huge RAM upgrades in pursuit of the "open world"/ non-loading games.

Those are some pretty big changes from what we have now, yet people keep acting like they didn't try to be different.

I agree with you.  I think the biggest changes wont be noticed until we play them ourselves to be honest.  Much of the changes will be in the Operating Systems rather than just hardware. 

I actually think one of the biggest selling points is right in the x1 controller. If those rumble triggers provide a force feedback similar to pulling a gun's trigger, expect huge sales in usa :D