I was just thinking... if Sony failed and was out of the business next generation, would Microsoft settle for a solid second place in sales with a "hardcore only machine" giving Nintendo a free hand to grow without limit with a "console for everybody"?

Or maybe fight directly against Nintendo for the very same piece of the market, including the hardcore?

Huh?....we have no specs on anything yet...

Nah. Microsoft would get it's team of professional brain-stormers to try and imagine everything that Nintendo would possibly conceive of, and try to bring it to market first.

This is so incredibly vague it is ridiculous.

First, you ask us to assume something incredibly unlikely.

Then, you ask us to gaze 5 (or more!) years into the future, knowing nothing of the competitors.

Simply ridiculous.

Look back 4 years, if you did the same with this gen, what would you get?

I know one thing and that is Sony will definitely be back next gen.

'nuf said

Nobody can safely predict in 5 years time ahead, especially in the video games market; who knows, even Apple or Phillips could join the fight and destroy Nintendo and Microsoft.

^Phillips would never destroy anything but themselves

How is Phillips destroying the PS4, 720 and Wii2 any more ludicrous than Sony destroying both the N64 and the Sega Saturn?

sony will not drop out, they will be there next gen