6. Competing Themselves Out Of Business
This is something that is likely to only become a factor if another factor begins to be a serious problem. If something like cloud gaming takes off or the PC really does begin to overtake the consoles, then the competition that the three powerhouses have with one another could quickly become poison. Right now, all three have a fairly healthy relationship, all having fairly equal audiences and having sold a comparable number of units. This keeps things interesting, competitive and makes sure that there is no company with a monopoly over the market. However, if any of these other factors become serious threats to their consoles, that competition could well begin to scramble and compete with one another. The console business has always been a land grab between the three big companies and if someone else begins to take that land, their share may well get smaller and they may struggle to take on this new force as well as compete with the others consoles. This one of the more long shot ideas on this list, but I do think that is could end up severely hurting the systems if it does come to pass. The unwillingness of the consoles to play nice with each other could end up hurting them severely in the face of a greater threat. What is the saying? "Divided we fall".