The second screen concept started with the dreamcast and being able to pick plays in a sports game on the tiny little screen they had there.  The remote play option was being looked into by Sony back in 2006 with the PSP and the PS3.  Your Wii point is a good one, but there is nothing in the Wii U that Sony or MS have ever desired to rip off for themselves that wasn't already worked on in some way prior to it.

I'd agree with you, but... both funcionalities released near Wii U. So I really guess it's not a coincidence. 

It's like Wii.. it didn't invent motion controls, but it stimulated others to follow it.

I don't get how blind some people can be. How can you call the Switch inovative, the PSP did the play on the go and on the Tv with the same device thing, long time ago ....

If it's really successful, they'll look into it. Same with Nintendo and VR.

If it's not, or if it's only moderately successful, they'll keep going in the direction they're headed now. Sony seems to be invested in streaming and VR and I'm willing to bet Microsoft is more interesting those concepts than in what Nintendo is doing.

I would say the timing is much more coincidence as they also happened around the time that tablets saturated the market and were more accessible to all and not just higher end, early adopter, luxury items.  Each company has been looking forward with touch screens, second screens, remote play options, etc. as the tech has increased. 

This is it exactly. Microsoft is already there with Surface, UWA, and Xbox anywhere. PlayStation will have a mobile PS4 as soon as they can make the OG small enough, or come up with a way to run old games at lower res, without the devs needing to get involved. 

In a few years, games will all be scalable across familys of products. So whether you are a Sony person, an MS person, and Apple person, etc., you will have one purchase that works on every device, from home to mobile.

I'm just quoting a few, but it really stands for many comments I've heard so far.

It doesn't matter if Sony and Microsoft are fine as is. That is irrelevant. If the Switch is successful, unlike WiiU, then a market will be created. Competitors will want a piece of that market regardless of whether they are currently in "good standing"

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In the OP I talked about how Wii invigorated gaming and brought it to the mainstream. Is this still being debated in 2016? Hence the "beacons of change." when I talk about Nintendo trying to lead once again. 

I will say, however, that it is arrogant to believe the Switch is a given success. It seems to have sparked a chord that the WiiU didn't, but the future does remain a mystery. I see many positive signs.

Hmmmm I agree with you to a certain point.The Switch is kind of a counter to Sony and Microsoft simply because the Wii U failed really bad, and they knew that sustaining two pieces of hardware(coupled with handheld diminishing relevance).So the Switch is a logical conclusion.

But I disagree on basically the rest.Nintendo is not giving up on anything.Switch is what everyone especulated to be:a hybrid.Or in another word, both a home console and a handheld.It is simply silly to think 'its a handheld being treated as a home console'.When it has functions from both home console and handheld, then by consequence it is both.Just because Nintendo wants to atract the handheld market to it to strenghten its installed base, dosent make it a handheld system.

Now, to the actual point at hand, I dont think Sony or Microsoft are going to counter atack it, not in the first year at least, simply because they are already pursuing 'alternative' play methods, such as VR with Sony(and soon Microsoft) and Microsoft with its play anywhere initiative.So they have their branching options.Now, if the Switch is a runaway success, then I see them doing something, though play anywhere is kind of the idea of Switch but apllied to PC and home consoles.

What Sony and Microsoft should do is to up their game by bringing More quality games that takes risk's and push mechanic's and gameplay, it doesn't matter what cool gimmick a company brings to the gaming world, games will and should always be the center of attention

Nintendo have the largest install base playing their systems