The initial launch insanity for all three next-gen consoles is winding down, and we're stepping into the full-on war, despite the post-holiday lull. Now, gamers and analysts alike are assessing the situation and attempting to predict the future: it seems the 360 is clearly holding its lead, thanks to the one-year head start, the Wii is still enjoying fast sales, and the PS3 is lagging a bit behind despite what's been described as "solid" sales.
Obviously, the price and lack of software is a major stumbling block for Sony right now, and it's an obstacle that will soon begin to dissolve. In the meantime, SCEA's senior director of corporate communication, David Karraker, had this to say about the very hot Nintendo Wii: "It (the Wii) could be considered an impulse buy more than anything else," he said, hinting that the two consoles shouldn't be in the same category, and thus, probably shouldn't be compared.
Of course, "impulse buys" aren't always a bad thing. Companies make a lot of money with impulse buys, and even if the Wii does indeed fall under that label, that's not necessarily a bad thing. On the other hand, we do see Karraker's point: the PS3 isn't something you just pick up when you're hangin' around the mall, looking for something to do. It's only a consideration when the games are there, and when they've got the money…and directly after the holidays, with virtually zero new PS3 games, most won't be "considering" anything PS3-related right now.
When it all comes down to it, though, and the PS3 has a great software lineup, most analysts are picking Sony to pick up and win out yet again. Guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens, although we're still not sure if any of the next-gen consoles qualify as "impulse buys."