Xbox 360 vs PS3 vs Nintendo Wii

Having only just formally begun, it is not yet possible to determine which, if any, of the three major consoles will dominate this new generation.

he Xbox 360 by Microsoft has gained an early lead in terms of market share, due in large part to its launch which came a year before its rivals. Sales figures in North America and Europe have continued to be strong, despite the launch of other consoles within the same period. Like its predecessor, the Xbox 360 has struggled in Japan due to a lack of RPGs, and the poor reception of some Japanese developed games, such as Ninety-Nine Nights and Every Party; however, the system's form factor has been more generally appreciated and sales have shown an increase in the region recently, perhaps due to the release of the highly anticipated Blue Dragon.
It is more difficult to assess whether Sony's PlayStation 3 console will be as successful as its predecessors. It has a comparatively higher price, and the PlayStation 3 was released roughly a year later than its direct competitor, the Xbox 360. The system's reliance on 'cutting edge' technology such as the Cell microprocessor and Blu-ray format have caused difficulties in manufacturing, especially the Blu-ray diode. Nonetheless, despite many initial setbacks and delays, Sony demonstrated the capabilities of the PlayStation 3 at Tokyo Game Show 2006, with 27 playable demos and numerous titles ready for launch. Its success or failure may ultimately be decided by whether or not players feel that the technology and games are worth the higher price of the console. Sony hopes that even if the PS3 loses market share to its competitors, its Blu-ray player would conceivably make the PS3 a profitable product for Sony overall. This is, of course, contingent on whether the Blu-ray Disc format becomes the high-definition optical disc standard.
Nintendo entered this generation with a new business plan with its Wii console. Their plan is to attract as many current gamers as possible, and to try to draw 'non-gamers' and lapsed gamers to the Wii. They have tried to accomplish this by focusing on new gameplay experiences and new forms of interaction with games rather than cutting edge graphics and expensive technology. If the new market grows sufficiently large, Nintendo hopes that the new control aspect will render current conventionally controlled consoles obsolete, leading to Nintendo capturing a large portion of the existing market as well. So far this strategy has paid off with Wii demand outstripping supply and since Nintendo is making a profit on each console, unlike Microsoft and Sony, it has already achieved positive returns on this console generation.[1] By April 2007, the Wall Street Journal declared Nintendo had become "the company to beat in the games business", with the Wii outselling its home system rivals and overshadowing the Nintendo DS portable.