Can the XBox 360 really Beat the PS3 and Wii in the Console War?

[Starlight]

The Wii, PS3, and XBox 360 are currently engaged in one of the fiercest and bloodiest console wars ever, with a winner yet to be declared. With all three home consoles still in the running, how can you expect to pick a victor?

This generation of consoles is like no past generation in one important way: it’s almost impossible to pick a winner. Sure, the Wii is selling like hotcakes and currently has the lead, but both the Xbox 360 and PS3 are still selling in fair numbers month on month around the world. So how on earth do you choose which console will prove victorious at this (relatively) early stage of proceedings?

Don Reisinger writes http://news.cnet.com/digitalhome/?tag=rb_content;overviewHead, a column on CNet which looks at the state of technology in and around the house. He thinks he can predict the future, and did so in an article titled ‘The Xbox 360 should win this console war’. I note he used "should" rather than "will", which is a classic case of hedging your best in case you’re wrong.

In the article, Reisinger states the case for the Xbox 360 proving to be the ultimate victor in the current gen console war. This is despite the Wii currently caning the opposition in every single (sales) department, and the Xbox 360 consistently battling for last place with the PS3 every month in the US. Microsoft’s console is also in a definite last place in Japan, despite those recent sales surges, and being roundly beaten by the PS3 in Europe.

In spite of all this, Reisinger thinks the Xbox 360 will end this generation as the sales leader. So, is he a deeply deluded Microsoft fanboy, or could he actually be correct?

The recent price cuts are what prompted the timing of Reisinger’s article, as he thinks these will be monumentally important in determining the outcome of this generation’s console placings. He thinks that the new lower price of the Xbox 360 Arcade pack will enable Wii owners to upgrade to the Xbox 360 as they start wanting more features, better graphics, better games, and online play.

That’s not to say that the Wii isn’t a true competitor to the Xbox 360 and PS3. In fact, Reisinger agrees with me that the Wii is a true next-gen console thanks to its innovative control system. But, there is a question mark hanging over the Wii’s long-term future, and it’s a question mark that Reisinger has picked up on and used to batter the Wii about the head with.

What about the PS3 I hear you cry. Reisinger isn’t a fan. He thinks the cost is prohibitively expensive, the Blu-ray player is of limited value, and it has nothing going for it, over what the Xbox 360 can offer, to make the extra $100 worthy.

Reisinger concludes by suggesting the Wii will win for the next one to two years, but it’s time will then be over. And which console will be there with an attractive price point and a huge library of games to take its place? Why, the Xbox 360 of course.

It’s an interesting viewpoint to hold on the current state of the games console market. But, in the same way that the industry analysts such as Michael Pachter and Jesse Divnich have no divine powers when it comes to predicting the future, nor does Reisinger. He does at least have a 1 in 3 chance of being right I suppose. More PlayStation 3 News...

[Psykosylvain]

I think Xbox 360 is too much of a console-like computer, but for me a console must be different than a computer.

[xxLindenxx]

the ps3 is more like a computer. But asides from that.IF the ps3 continues to deliver great games and no fails then i'm pretty sure the ps3 would have a pretty strong chance of winning.in a year or two, seeing on how graphics have dramatically accelerated as for hardware ram and everything, I'm going to guest that the xbox won't be holding has much graphic power as the ps3 since the dvd has a limited capacity.There are plenty of variants and i personally think it's way to early to decide or predict who will win the console war.

i went ps3 after getting the wii because i grew VERY tired of the lame games and graphics hurting my eyes.the wii isn't as cheap as it looks. a full controller can cost about 60 $ and seeing as the wii is only fun in a gang you would have to buy at least a controller and then the extra censer thing they released at E3. wii music is a giant fail and the other wii sport isn't as attractive as the first.The ps3 has some down sides too. from one being the lack of trophies and easy online play, from my experience with GTA 4.

But ever since MGS4 has been out i've noticed a great number of changes for the ps3 graphics are booming and the FFX7 is coming out, being on several discs and compressions has it's limits.Games will get better and even with the creators getting better with compressions, they can't put a 40 gb game into a single 9gb dvd.can they?Anyway by 2010, i think what will really make a console win over another will be the games.

ps3 has been booming sells ever since mgs4 ? why because it looked and was a great game, if resistance and killzone 2 can keep the momentum and the xbox's keep crashing and having game fails then maybe just maybe the ps3 will win. however i dough the ps3 or xbox can even get to the number of wii's currently sold, making the wii, not the best but the most selled console out there.