I think they can easily take on Sony, as long as they don't have this controller. Sony lost the only generation where it had real compitition. If the NX has a controller with traditional buttons, a second screen, and a sleek and urganomic design, everything else we know about it will, I'm sure, absolutely steal PS4's thunder. Especially if Nintendo embraces cross-play with the XBO. I don't think PS4 will stop selling well, but I think the PS4 will be the 360 to the NX's Wii in terms of sales. But it'll be worse because, inlike with the Wii vs. 360, the NX will actually be competing directly for PS4's consumers.

The PS4 and XBO are at 60m combined now. If the generation is the same as before, that leave 100m consumers who have yet to jump onto next gen, and NX is going to take the majority of them from the moment it launches.

As long as it doesn't launch with this stupid controller.

I am actually curious as to why you think those kinds of games won't work. It all comes down the responsiveness of the touch buttons. Remeber that his is a gaming device first, not a phone that supports games as a secondary function. For all we know ,the "haptic feedback" could in theroy, be strong enough that we feel our every tap on the screen. Our mental state should be able to adapt to this. It also likely that developers will be able to place their buttons anywhere they want to suit their games. Traditionally when you start playing a game. Our minds natually remember the button placements. When we put the game down for a year, and come back to play the game halfway through. We often find ourself minorly confused by the controls momentairly a little more than we did when we started the game. Partilaly because we are at a more complex part, allowing us to not ease into the game as effectively. The arugment in this case, from a developer point of view. Is that we would be able to ease into the controls within the first 5 minutes of gameplay. Most games are designed to ensure the players can easily grasp the controls in the first 5 minutes, and most gamers are completely unaware that this is occuring nor that they are simply adjusting to the game by design. Not by skill level, skill comes as we progress the game. No matter how natual of a hardcore gamer you are, you must learn how to imput your commands. Ninja Gaiden 2 was notroious for breaking this rule of thumb. In such a sense. This controler is actually a godsend to developers to realise their visions for a proper control methood that is exclusively perained for their game only.

As for the analog sticks. I can see what you mean after observing them. They seem to be that they slide like the 3DS nub. It also looks like it slides far more gracefully than the nubs seen on the 3DS or PSP. As they slide underneath the shell, rather than above  the shell. Likely so it doesn't distact the player on the screen, even in considereation of our thumbs. In additon the analog nub (what the hell do we even call this?) looks like it could click in. The right stick looks like this is a possiblity, but it's very difficult to tell.

I just can't see any realistic way out of the tailspin they've gotten themselves into. They can't compete with Sony in the console space, they can't compete with mobile in the portable space, and there are no more blue oceans to retreat to.

I mean, you tell me, how can they possibly escape from the bind they're in now, with stronger rivals hemming them in on all sides?

I think you vastly overestimate Nintendo's selling power. PS4 has this generation locked down, it provides everything a mainstream gamers wants and needs, nobody is going to get an NX instead unless they are a super hardcore Nintendo fan, which is a rather small group.

That's Nintendo's job to figure out.

I'm just more on wondering how such defeatist thinking is going to solve anything or why such input is even needed. Don't get it twisted I'm not saying Nintendo is above criticism but just saying "they're screwed either way" doesn't make much sense. 

I think you vastly underestimate Nintendo's selling power. PS4 doesn not have this generation locked down. It just hasn't had any competition. The last part of that statement is completely false.

Unless this controller isn't fake.

I think you vastly overestimate Nintendo's selling power. PS4 has this generation locked down, it provides everything a mainstream gamers wants and needs, nobody is going to get an NX instead unless they are a super hardcore Nintendo fan, which is a rather small group.