While their absence probably wouldn't have a dramatic effect on the present home console industry (due to their relatively small market share and seclusion from most other publishers), it would likely bring the handheld console market to its knees.

Really though, I don't see why we would write any of them off as irrelevant. Sure, the importance of each's presence varies depending on what we're looking at, but all three play a role in keeping the industry as a whole interesting and varied. The importance of competition alone keeps all three relevant (even if their individual success fluctuates).

This is my issue. Why is it that COD and GTA are expected to not sell on Nintendo consoles? Because they are either inferior ports or Nintendo never directly competes with Sony/MS. You would never see an advertisement for COD/GTA where at the end the Wii U pops up, yet you see this all the time for PS4/Xbox One with many of the big name games. We just assume that even if Nintendo tried they won't get 3rd party sales. But really why is this the case is my real question when MS could enter the gaming market two gens ago and became a major platform for 3rd parties?

I know the counter argument to this (which Nintendo themselves have stated) is that then it'll become a case of 3 nearly identical consoles fighting against one another. But none of Nintendo's "innovations" have ever been of any significance to me. Motion controls, didn't care after 10 minutes. 3D, didn't care after 10 minutes. Touchpad on Wii U, again just didn't care. Most of these are aimed towards a different market than the "core gamer". I would much rather they made powerful consoles and made the best games they are known for making because their games aren't good due to these innovations. But perhaps that's just me and others enjoy these innovations. Or Nintendo is fine with just drifting away from the "core gamer" market they created with the NES/SNES. I do believe in the theory that a powerful Nintendo console with 3rd party support and Nintendo's 1st party is the best console we can ever have. Unfortunately that dream doesn't seem like it'll ever become reality.

Again I didn't mean to sound like they are irrelevant. They are not to me personally, if you can tell from my avvy/sig. But when people (like in the post I quoted) put Nintendo on this high pedestal and claim everyone else would be irrelevant if they left and Nintendo is the only one that matters, that's when I have to question that claim. I agree with you that competition is absolutely amazing for this industry and that alone is enough to keep all manufacturers around.

In fact they be the only relevant console makers next gen, maybe it's me but it seems gamers can not see what's in front of them nowadays. I am still trying to see what makes PS4 and Xbox One relevant at this time other then people buying them. In my world of games exclusive content for each console is paramount , Wii U has that in bucket loads, it has more exclusive games then the other two systems.

Many gamers still play their PS3's and 360's because they are still relevant gaming machines all these years later, i see no reason to upgrade to either of the other two at present as many great games are still coming to the two underdog machines from last gen.

Also in the long run how many will actually own both the new PS and XB this gen, i don't think half as many as owned both machines last gen mainly due to the new boxes being so similar it's only which brand floats your boat more to go with. Last gen i bought all three machines , admittedly i bought my PS3 later in the machines cycle and second hand and got a good deal at that. There are still so many games i have not tried on those systems so why should i upgrade those machines.

Maybe next year when they actually have some exclusive content i want to play i will grab one or other. But for now i will continue this gen with my Wii U which has been a wonderful machine to own these past couple of years.

And as for the quote elsewhere of the games being unimaginative , i presume that poster does not possess one . But is often the case with the Wii U bashing across many sites..

Nintendo is relevant to gaming full stop, if Nintendo left the market ,which they will not i am sure for many years to come that is the day gaming will die .. Many hearts stopped when Sega left the hardware market and the loss just from their departure has been huge ,we have lost so much.

Nintendo is our last hope .. for true gaming to live on as they are a gaming company the other two are corporations with their hands in many other pockets ,gaming is just another cash cow for them and when they feel it's not worth it for them they will drop it like a brick for some one else to pick up the pieces.

My personal wish would be that Sony and Microsoft would sell their enterprises for gaming in the future so they where stand alone gaming companies that only concentrated on gaming and none of the other stuff. With Sony it might happen. But who would buy the division. But somehow i believe Microsoft are here to stay as the XBOX owners i just hope they can make their current machine and future ones a worth while purchase.

We need passion for gaming , Nintendo have that passion ,you need only to watch the directs ,last years E3 tree house presentations which showed that passion at a gamers level.

I have had my rant and remember gaming is for everyone, and all who want to should enjoy it, we all have a common interest here , whether we own which console from what ever manufacturer.. In all honesty competition is good for all and we need all gaming companies to do well to keep the dream alive , because gaming is a our dream world to escape to when we just need to get away...

With their next handheld? Hell yeah.

With their next Home Console? they can either be extremely relevant for not do relevant, but in some way they always will be.

What do you mean by relevent do you mean selling as well as NES or Wii

Aslong as they keep making great games they will be relevant.

Well i completely agree with you on that front ^^

with every generation comes new lessons to be learned and each time they have different ways to teach them. I'm only talking about this generation seeing as how consoles with no true next gen games are selling based on resolution and FPS.

oh really? please tell me what that is