Sounds like you're regretting that Switch > PS4 bet we made.

There's no reason why Sony couldn't take on MS/Nintendo combination, other than their own PR blunders and other moments of overconfidence. PlayStation is the default brand for gaming for most of the console market as it is, and it has been since the PS1 days with the exception of the PS3 (which, again, failed due to Sony's overconfidence). If they play it safe, there's no reason for them to lose their leadership. Nintendo is fine as they are with total control of the handheld/hybrid market, and Microsoft seems to be aiming to broaden their services at the expense of their hardware.

They've lost every time when it comes to portables. Ignore consoles, portable destroys stationary every single time.

Brand: oh but those European clothes are so much more fancy.

Brands die. Most deserve to die or get bought out. Companies like Disney, Nintendo, Marvel can last forever and all they have to do is stay relevant. They're even allowed to falter for 5 or 10 years unlike companies/divisions that would already be bankrupt if they had to stand on their own.

Why ignore consoles in this discussion? Especially when it concerns MS. Its the most relevant information to compare.

Sony has owned the console space for 20+ years. Nintendo got ran out of the portable market lol.

Just been done one out of 4 times though eh? Doesn't seem too easy. But you have a lockdown on what should have happened for PS to fail in every scenario in the past, and hopefully, in the future. Fantastic.

I'm not sure I should take this thread seriously. Not trying to be rude, but it's very hard to figure out if you're just straight up trolling or making an actual argument. Especially when weird language like "360's them" and "PS-ing" is used. 

Anyways, to answer your question: Yes, they absolutely can. 

The problem with Xbox and Nintendo's shared power is that the reason Xbox units sell is so completely different than why Nintendo consoles sell that just adding those two powers combined wouldn't create a net benefit equivalent to that of the sales of Xbox One + Switch combined.

Xbox primarily sells as an alternative to Playstation, in the same way that a Google Phone sells as an alternative to a Samsung Phone. And while no one should deny the selling power of Halo or Gears (they still sell consoles, and they could always make a comeback in popularity), a large part of the brand identity of Xbox games is pushing the boundary of tech ... something that would be hard to do on a Nintendo console. No doubt the Switch or Switch 2 would still get a lot of sales increase from Microsoft's first party, but it wouldn't be enough to give Sony no chance whatsoever. They're simply too big for that.

"MS builds their console around what 3rd parties want. Now they can build hardware based on what the King of First Party want."

And that would essentially erase the reason that Xbox is still popular. 

If Sony and Xbox became third party, it's because the traditional purpose of being a console manufacturer is no longer important, and is an old outdated standard. It is because streaming is more valuable and makes them more money, not because they're "bending the knee" (whether or not they're on a Nintendo platform).

I... don't get your argument. Yes, brands die, but Sony has managed to establish themselves as a strong gaming brand for decades now. Even in their weakest generation they sold over 80m units, which shows great interest and loyalty to their brand. Unless they manage to fuck it up royaly, there should be no reason for PlayStation consoles to faulter in the future. The strenghts of XBox and Nintendo's brands are different, and apply to other areas of business. A Nintendo handheld will be immediately more accepted than an XBox handheld, for example. And a traditional PS home console will have more acceptance at face value than a XBox or a Nintendo traditional home console.

Also, 10k post, yay.

I just realized something interesting.

You're the LaVar Ball of gaming.

Here's all the exclusives to get an 80 or higher rating according to Gamerankings...

Gears of War
Gears of War 2
Gears of war 3
Halo 3
Halo Reach
Halo ODST
Fable II
Fable III
Viva Pinata
Annual Forza
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead 2
Halo Wars
Tales of Vesperia
Ace Combat 6
Kameo Elements of Power
Banjo Kazooie Nuts and Bolts
Dead Rising 2

18 Games

VS

MGS4
Uncharted
Uncharted 2
Uncharted 3
Killzone 2
Killzone 3
Resistance
Resistance 2
Resistance 3
Rachet and Clank Future
Rachet and Clank: Crack in Time
Infamous
Infamous 2
TLoU
Little Big Planet
Little Big Planet 2
God of War 3
Annual MLB The Show
Demon's Souls
Heavy Rain
Valkyria Chronicles
Trails of Cold Steel
Trails of Cold Steel 2
Ni No Kuni
Yakuza 5
Warhawk
Atelier Rorona Plus: Alchemist of Arland
Dragon's Crown
Atelier Alchemists of the Dusk Sky
Disgaea 3
Disgaea 4
BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma
Gran Turismo 6
Puppeteer
Heavenly Sword

35 Games

MS did amazing that gen, and made me a fan, but Sony just pulled way ahead after 2008. Many of MS's exclusvies were only because PC devs didn't want to port to PS3's weird Cell technology. PS4 solved that problem forever, cutting MS's exclusives in half.