too much money!

quite why sony felt the need to have the most powerful console - with the subesquent cost, is a mystery.

the ps1 was less powerful than the rival N64 - and yet was more succesful

the ps2 was beaten in the power stakes by the xbox - but once again dominated

the lesson is, you dont win the console war by building an expensive, powerful console.

if you take a look at the japanese software top ten it's dominated by Nintendo DS games - which presumably cost far less to create than PS3 or even Wii games - which makes you wonder if the PS3 will ever turn a profit for Sony.

Taking the piss...

I've got a Wii and a 360, i bought the 360 when it first came out and i've never gone mad on them like many people - i have 10 or so games, but i've bought 6 for the Wii since buying it, mainly as i get intrigued by how they make the gameplay work for different things.

The joy in the Wii is the instant entertainment, the games on Wii Sports, Wii Play etc are so simple but you can play them for hours, and they do seem to appeal to girlfriends and girls in general... i mean you also get a workout (note here, if the girlfriend does enjoy it make sure she stops in good time or she'll be so worn out you'll get no nookie that night!)

I've recently been trying Raymans Rabbid Rabbits which is hilarious, dancing rabbits is great fun, out of interest i rented the same game for the 360 and it was crap by comparison, the sort of thing i'd have regretted buying, but because the the way the Wii makes it work it's brilliant fun.

Anyone in to Snowboarding/Skiiing really should try SSX Blur for a very good take on the reality - for a computer game anyway.

For me, i'm happy with what i have the quality of the 360 and the games i have on fills one side for me, but the Wii is just great fun!

PS3

Lack of games, high price. A losing combination.

I'd also say that some of the smaller details have also hit it: the Rumble / Dual Shock feature was one of the really cool features on the PS1/2, seeing it gone kind of takes away some of the coolness the console had.

I have no HDTV, and probably will not have one for years to come.

Sports games bore me to death (ok, Wii Sports doesn't, but that is different), I have long since passed FPS', though I do play Doom3 and still fire up my old Quake1/2/3 installs from time to time. But Halo? After the um... 10th room that looks identical to the previous one I just quit, plus it is really easy to get killed with the weird HP system they have. Even the half-baked Quake levels I made back in '97 are more entertaining than these!

Maybe we are in the "decadence of videogaming" era, and the Wii is what the market needs to wake up and shine.

I can see why

The Wii is so popular, I bought one last week as I am completely bored with the 360, the games on the 360 are pretty poor showings, very very dull, yes some of them look pretty but I've never been one for FPS' on console (thats what my pc is for, could never get to grips with controllers!) coming from the old days of home computing, never really been a console fan. The PS3 for me is a no way hosay! This is due to price, poor games and I just really am not a fan of Sony (even though I own a psp!) due to their very high prices, generally poor quality (on a price vs quality basis!).

So I bought a Wii for the innovative controller, the fun factor that consoles are missing and I am very very happy with it, I wiped myself out buying it until the next payday so am stuck with Wii Sports for now but I love it, the GF loves it, people round for drinks love it and generally I think it's a winner.

I think the Wii will show that companies should be investing in gameplay rather than pretty gfx with dull short-lived games that cost a fortune, maybe it's going to be the kick up the backside they need? I'm bored with pc games, bored with the 360 (and hugely disappointed, seriously thinking of selling it), hardly turn the PSP on except when in bed and cant sleep and for me the Wii is a breath of fresh air.

Well done Nintendo.

Price and utility

I have, fairly recently, spent 1500 euros on a brand new computer, for the exclusive purpose of gaming.

I have also, when it came out back in december, bought a Wii and have since spent around 400 euros on it and its games. My reason for buying the Wii is simple. I have an excellent, top of the line computer, that makes both the PS3 and the XboX 360 look like toys, as they lack both sheer graphical quality (720P vs 1280*1024 on a 17" high constrast LCD), versatility (IRC, web browsing, tons of old free games and tons of old games I bought ages ago, but that are still fun) and controlability (Nothing beats the good ol' mouse and keyboard).

So what use do I have for a console? Well, for one, my single computer doesn't feature multiplayer capability with the guy next to me, that's a rather big falling (Well, some games do, but they're far and in between). Secondly, I can carry my Wii, all of its games, controllers and the necessary cables in an old shoebox. I need 2 large shopping bags for my computer and that's without the games. So I can take the Wii with me when I go to visit someone, when I go camping, etc.

And thirdly, there's the break with traditional console gaming, which I whole heartedly support. Wii sports, along with several other games, are simply great fun, even if you won't catch me spending hours upon hours playing them.