1. No. Entry barrier too high. There is more of a chance of Sony or Microsoft dropping out than a new company coming in  (and I don't think that will happen either).

2. Who won't make it:

Apple is focused on different market segment, has been burnt by bad experience, and is one Steve Jobs illness away from being rudderless.

Sega got out of the hardware business because it could not compete. The arcade business has waned, so it really does not have as much technical expertise as it once did.

EA is losing money trying to sell software. It does not have the bankroll to start a console.

A-B has the money. But it does not have the games that people have to play, except for WoW which is PC. So it has no incentive.

3. N/A.

4. The next set of consoles will be released no earlier than 2011. Companies will wait until the global economy is out of the duldrums.

5. All consoles will use both motion and regular control.

6. Nintendo would have to be an early favorite, but not necessarily a prohibitive one. My guess is that its technical specs will be closer to Sony and Microsoft this time (in part because Sony and Microsoft don't have very far to advance so Nintendo can play catch-up). That will mean three-system multiplatform games along with its first-party line-up should allow it to do well. The question is how many new/lapsed gamers upgrade to the newest system from Nintendo or just keep playing with their Wiis. Almost all PS3 and Xbox 360 owners are likely to upgrade.

Mike from Morgantown

Not gonna happen. 3 reasons.

1. Barrier of entry is too high.

2. Retail shelf space is already far too limited supporting 3 home consoles (plus PS2), 2 portables (plus GBA) and PC. A 4th main console would not have support by retailers.

3. Publishers and developers are already spreading their money and resources too thin as it is. Imagine trying to support up to 7 home consoles plus the handhelds and the PC market. A 4th console would not have support by publishers/developers.

And we've been over the EA releasing a console thing way too many times... It can't happen because EA is only given the rights to most of their licenced franchises (which includes almost all their sports games) on the basis that they publish said games on 'all viable platforms' So if EA made a console, they would either have to fire most of their devs, create new IP's or make multiplats.

It's not going to happen

This.

Apple has gone from a gamer joke (Pippen, Mac) to ligimate contender with the iTouch, iPhone in the handheld market.

Apple would be foolish to make a 360 direct competitor, but like iPhone/iTouch doesn't directly compete with PSP/DS expect Apple to allow games to be played somehow on a future iteration of their iTV service.   They will target the mass market much more than the core, so more of a Wii competitor but again not directly.  Whereas Wii is a game system (that might stream movies) Apple's service will be focused on movie/tv/computer/home phone (VoIP) and also plays games.