On topic, the Gamecube and Xbox didn't throw too many stones at each other. There was debate over which console had the better architecture and value, but both were just trying to catch the scraps that Sony would leave behind. All 3 consoles were pretty much the same as far as horsepower.

It seemed like, after 2004, Nintendo wasn't even trying to bring their "A" game anymore. Everyone was counting them out. Microsoft got branded as the console for the hardcore.

It seemed like all three systems had their own identity last gen. This gen, the PS3 and 360 are struggling for individuality. They do offer a lot of different content, but your average buyer really doesn't see it.

The markets largely overlap, but the Wii appeals to a bigger one.

Certainly Sony and Microsft's endeavors this gen are the textbook example of a "Red Ocean" situation. If somebody re-wrote the Blue Ocean Articles to include this as the definition of "Red Ocean," they would be hard-pressed to find a better one

As such, it is very important to both of them which one comes in second. Neither are in the position to break out to a more accessible market right now, so it is a matter of survival to win in the smaller market they've closed themselves into (not pure survival, as in one will win and one will die, but you get the point)