Wii regains US next-gen console arena leadership Microsoft's Xbox 360, having enjoyed enhanced demand on the back of Halo 3, last month fell back behind Nintendo's Wii in the US monthly sales charts. So the latest figures from local market watcher NPD show. In September, Xbox 360 sales totalled 527,800 units, taking it ahead of the Wii, which racked up sales of 501,000 …
It shouldn't REALLY be a surprise to anyone, seen as they have just released the cheaper model which, at least in people's minds, brings the console within their "price range". The real question is of course whether that growth will be sustained.
What I can say is that there are more decent games coming out for PS3 than there were and quite a few good ones due over the Xmas period. This may well also persuade a few to join the trend.
Depends on what defines 'next gen'. If you focus on the narrow benchmark of CPU and GPU 'grunt' then, yes, the Wii has more in common with the previous 'generation'.
If you concentrate on gameplay, however, then the Wii is far ahead of its competitors. Considering that both the '360 and PS3 utilise controllers that are little different from the original Playstaion's offering then you could argue that the Wii is, at least, two generations ahead of the competition.
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Anonymous Coward wrote:
"That must make it even more annoying for Sony & MS, getting pissed on by such an "inferior" machine."
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Not half as annoying as it is to the disgruntled Sony and MS fanbois, I'd wager ;-P
The Wii is NOT a designed to be competitor for either M$ or Sony. The race is between M$ and Sony and not anything to do with Nintendo.
Its just that Nintendo price things within Mr and Mrs J Bloggs price range. Also this is only 1 Wii. M$ and Sony should make their top console within the reach of ALL. Give people a choice of different models of the same system(expecially confusing ones) and they will go into DUMMY MODE. They then see the Wii are relealise that there is 1 model and they go for it.
/Time to get my coat methinks and go and bang my head on the brick wall outside............
"Its just that Nintendo price things within Mr and Mrs J Bloggs price range"
Or, rather, its priced at a level where it is attractive to people who aren't nerdy enough to blow a couple of month's disposable income on a toy.
*Lights blue touchpaper, stands well back, waits for numerous fanbois to spontaneously combust ;-p*
All you're really saying, is that the Wii is a next gen handset, not a next gen console.
At best, it's a novelty. Played for the first few days, then confined to the attic unless "friends" want to see it. Once you've broken a couple of vases on your killer bowling action, given the wife a black eye on the boxing and got various bruises and aches and pains from the "realistic" movement required, the novelty value soon ware's off!
As for the arguement that there are too many different models of the proper NextGen consoles... what about the confusing number of "Wii-motes"... wow.... look at this one, it's shaped like a tennis racket... but wait, you can also play badminton... and squash, useless on any game that doesn't require a racket though.
Both the xbox 360 and PS3 are capable of apeing the wii, there is a reason they don't. It's because they are designed for people who are into games!
I can see the new PS3 or xBox advert
Games.... not gimics!
All you fanboys are funny!
The Wii is a great family machine, my kids play just about everyday and I play Tiger Woods 2008 at least once a week.
As for the PS3 vs. 360 .... who cares. Too much money for too little. Lets wait for Blu-Ray or HD-DVD to win then I may consider buying one of these overpriced energy hungry devices.
Whats with all this 'Wii's not for gamers' BS.
Please, I've Jumped from Amiga, to Sega, to Nintendo, to Sony. At this point, I prefer my PC (Altho with the games these days god knows why), and yes I own and a Wii.
Fact is, Sony priced themselves way out most peoples price range, and its not what they CAN afford, but what they are WILLING to pay for the same experience, only higher res. If the PS3 debuted at a realistic price I am sure it would be on par, if not trouncing it in terms of sales. Heck, I would purchased one.
At least Sony gets it now and is starting to wolf down that humble pie by cutting thier prices (note that they also slashed thier dev kit prices)...
And erm....
@Stewart
"As for the arguement that there are too many different models of the proper NextGen consoles... what about the confusing number of "Wii-motes"... wow.... look at this one, it's shaped like a tennis racket... but wait, you can also play badminton... and squash, useless on any game that doesn't require a racket though."
No no, they're 3rd party COVERS only. The Wiimote slides into them. Nintendo doesn't even make them AFAIK.
"It's because they are designed for people who are into games!"
Um, since when do power house machines = good games?
People still play Starcraft, no?
neither is the PS2 or PS3. They're the same as the PSone but with bigger cpu's and graphics!
Neither is the x360. it's an Xbox with a bigger processor!
W@nkers. Give it up, save the fanboi rubber-stamp postings. "Next gen" isn't just defined as "more of the same but prettier". It's anything with a significant reworking. GC didn't have wireless network, bluetooth, motion sensing or USB keyboard support. It couldn't run standard sized discs. Couldn't do remote controllers without add ons. These are some significant changes, and unlike the PS360, doesn't require the purchase of another port of a game unless you want separate features. So far, no backward compatibility issues at all. Only thing significant in the 360 is updated graphics and CPU, and more reliability. The PS3 sacrificed reliability and backwards compatibility for more CPU, graphics, and forces users to buy a horse in the HD DVD format race. You don't even get a different control scheme, it's just more of what you had before. And forces you to have HD compliant hardware, or you get *no benefit at all*.
But, keep rubberstamping those "it isn't next gen!" posts. Next gen is a marketing gimmick, like Gen X. Selling sizzle, not steak. And Marketing can keep fiddling away while the "not next gen" Wii (biggest problem is it's stupid name-shoulda stayed Revolution) continues to be the standard that others aspire to beat*.
*notice, no one reports on how their sales beat the PS3...tho they will on the PS2. The Wii is the benchmark. Just like the DS is in the mobile market.
Is my computer "next-gen" because I put a new video card in it, some more RAM, and a beefier processor? Perhaps the answer is yes. Perhaps the answer is that no, nothing new has been done here.
On the other hand, if I invented a new interface that did away with the classic keyboard and mouse, would THAT be revolutionary??
If anything, Wii deserves to be called "next-gen" while 360 and PS3 deserve to be called "beefed-up-previous-gen".
In anything, Sony and MS shouldn't be upset that an "inferior" system is beating them out. They should be upset that Nintendo was able to innovate successfully while they're stuck in the same-shit-different-console rut they've put themselves in.
"The Wii is NOT a designed to be competitor for either M$ or Sony. The race is between M$ and Sony and not anything to do with Nintendo"
Vernon Lloyd
Lets check a few facts.
XBOX360 = games console.
Playstation 3 = games console.
Wii = games console.
Certainly looks like it is a competitor to me. The Wii is thrashing the XBOX360 and Playstation3 in number of "consoles" sold no matter how you try and spin it. You truly are deluding yourself if you believe it has nothing to do with Nintendo.
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