Playstation. For reliable hardware, strong 3rd party support, and great variety in their games.

I'm gonna say... not Microsoft.

Right now it's Sony, but Nintendo's total impact on the market throughout their history makes them much more essential.

Sony. They have learned from ps3 launch mistakes, have supported new ip's more than any other company, and have a steady first party studio throughput as well that at many times have released goty masterpieces. Also Sony invests a lot into PS, and have supported IPS like littlebigplanet, and heavy rain when no one else was willing to.

If you were gamer that liked every game that had a green score in metacritic, then you would choose Sony. They have more first party and third party games than the other two

If you can't live without addicting Nintendo franchises, then Nintendo.

If you like Microsoft as much Nintendo fans like Nintendo franchise, you pick Microsoft.

If you REALLY like app games you pick smartphones.

I see what you are saying but I wouldn't say Nintendo in the Console space = Sony in the handheld space. I mean at least the Wii U has a few million sellers....on less of an install base. :p

But seriously, I will bet right now, that regardless of the Wii U's fate and install base, that Smash and Mario Kart 8 will be the highest selling racing and fighting (respectively) games in the 8th generation. So Nintendo may not be that influential in the console space, they still have some weight to throw around.

At the moment Sony, they have a strong presence in all three markets and absolute domination in at least one of them.

I voted for Nintendo in the polls, but now I'm thinking Sony's more valuable to the console business. As of 2014, I'm going with Sony. They've done so well with the PS4, amazing hardware, superior 3rd party support, strong 1st party, online infrastructure, etc.

Obvious answer is Sony if we are talking exclusively about homeconsoles. Sales dont lie. PlayStation as a brand is simply the biggest and most important in the industry on a worldwide scale thanks to constant quality, value and positive word of mouth. Even the worst, fucked up effort from Sony is going to go on and push over 90 Million units.

Sony do a magnificent job in getting PlayStation (and gaming in general) out to expanding markets. Nintendo and Microsoft either dont bother or simply cant compete.

PS - 104.25 Million
PS2 - 157.68 Million
PS3 - 82.54 Million
PS4 - 6.01 Million

Combined - 350.48 Million

NES - 61.91 Million
SNES - 49.1 Million
N64 - 32.93 Million
NGC - 21.74 Million
Wii - 100.95 Million
Wii U - 5.81 Million

Combined - 272.44 Million

Xbox - 24.65 Million
X360 - 81.12 Million
XOne - 3.62 Million

Combined - 109.39 Million

And Id be willing to bet that when Gen 8 is over and done with, PlayStation homeconsoles will have outsold every Nintendo and Microsoft effort combined, despite it being a total of 4 consoles versus 9. PlayStation as a brand is simply synonymous with homeconsole gaming. A lack of Sony (and thus PlayStation) would leave a far bigger hole in the industry than either of the others leaving.

And with this, I leave. Have fun guys.

Sony because Playstation is the biggest brand in gaming since a long ago, but certainly they can be replaced too...