MopitUp: You are completely right. I hate when everyone hates on Nintendo for running their company like a business, and trying to stay in business to create the games we love. Now, sometimes those same business decisions are BAD DECISIONS, and I think people can discuss those decisions and should. But to blindly attack without thinking about business decisions and the effects on everyone in the company and shareholders, and yes the fans is ignorant.
Now, I do think Sony and Microsoft are playing a dangerous strategy in this business. They are both basically attacking each other full force without worry of collateral damage to themselves, their competition or even 3rd party developers. What they hope to do is out last the other companies bleeding to death, and hopefully pick up the spoils afterwards. Nintendo is kinda caught in the middle of this dangerous game...and they aren't losing profit much yet, but they are losing image and position in the gaming community. If some how Nintendo was too lose market share to see making the hardware wasn't profitable anymore, THEN it would be a huge boon to both Sony and Microsoft...which is (I think) their ultimate goal with these systems that create massive loses...which they can allow other departments to eat.
The real danger of this strategy is newcomers. There are always other companies willing to step into an industry...specially a billion dollar industry and take a risk to becoming popular. Both Sony and Microsoft were once newcomers and became market mainstays. If Sony and Microsoft are bleeding to death and someone like Apple or Valve comes in with an intriguing product for the consumers...it means more fights, they may not be able to maintain.
Nintendo's strategy, means they may lose market share and image, however as long as they continue to make a profit, they will be able maintain in the industry, learn and adapt. And just like the Wii has shown, all it takes is one good innovative idea to connect to the consumer for Nintendo to jump ahead again...having two at the same time, Wii and DS is just icing on the cake. If Nintendo can do this one more time with the 3DS and Wii U...next generation Nintendo will be in much better shape to really wow us...and compete with competitors that are even weaker.
I mean look at what the rumors are for the Xbox720 and PS4...they are not as large of jumps as the 360 and PS3...and they may have really annoying design choices to help mediate the loses of the new generation and this generation.