There have been some discussions of the fact that since both Microsoft and Sony are posting losses or less than expected wins on their new consoles, it seems like there is a possibilty that both of them might not want to release consoles in the next gen.  And as popular as Nintendo's latest consoles have become, it might be impossible for them to even begin to compete with Nintendo next time out.  What would it mean if both Sony and Microsoft decided not to release next gen systems?  Do you think it would lead to a crash or do you think Sega (or someone else) might decide to release a console that would try to compete with the next Nintendo systems?  Do you think there is a chance that we could return to the era of Nintendo's console versus Sega's console in the next few years?

Dont count Apple out yet.

If there is one thing that should be learned from Nintendo's survival through the N64 and Gamecube years it is that you don't have to sell that many systems to be profitable or relevant ... by the end of 2009 you will be able to buy an inexpensive PC that will play a game like Crysis at medium-high settings at a framerate above 30fps at a resolution above 720p; while this may not seem that impressive, in 2 years you will be able to manufacture an inexpensive console that can be sold at a profit from launch and surpass this performance.

If Sony and Microsoft weren't bleeding money searching for the best graphics there is no reason they couldn't thrive off of 30 to 40 Million units sold.

Dunno, but considering the quality of software Sega has been making lately, I'd be all over a new Sega console.