Battle of the Game Consoles, article + questions + discussion *crosses fingers* Options

[superstitious]

First off, I'd prefer this to stay here and not moved to News because the real reason I'm posting this is to get a feel for what next gen console would be the best choice for me (um, and Iz, of course).

Hope Fades for PS3 as a Comeback Player
In Battle of the Game Consoles, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox Widen Leads Over Sony's PlayStation
By DAISUKE WAKABAYASHI

TOKYO -- For most of this year, Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3 videogame console seemed finally to be taking off after a slow start. The PS3, trailing Nintendo Co.'s Wii and Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox 360 consoles, was closing in on the No. 2 Xbox 360, with new games and quarterly sales growth at twice the speed of last year.

But early results from this holiday season aren't promising. U.S. sales of the PS3 fell 19% last month from a year earlier, while sales doubled for the Wii console and rose 8% for the Xbox 360, according to research firm NPD. Analysts say they expect PS3 sales for this month to be flat or lower than last year, while sales for its rivals are likely to rise. And Sony may not reach its goal of selling 10 million PS3 consoles in the fiscal year through March, analysts say.

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more here

Last year (2008, so almost last year) was a very financially straining year, so I decided to wait until I receive my tax returns to get a new console. I had my mind on a Wii for a while, but after visiting a friend who has a 360, I'm sort of conflicted now. Then I had read a few comments on Amazon (I was browsing through some games) and a few reviewers were singing PS3 praises and I became even more conflicted.

I'm sure many of you have one (if not more than one) of these, so I was hoping that people might find a bit of time to give me their take. Also, does a potential financial fallout have much of an impact? I mean, I'd hate to spend so much money on something that will possibly be obsolete in the near future. Maybe "obsolete" isn't the best word to use, but I'm not sure how else to phrase it.

I swear, I'm not always so cautious when it comes to game related purchases. I bought the PS2, Gamecube and Xbox without much thought. It's just that the new equipment seems like more of an investment as a whole.

If you could be specific as to why/if you have a preference, that would be great. :)

[Insurmountable]

I use emulators.

But Personally I love my PS3, I use it more than my 360. Although will PS3 make a comeback? I doubt it. They have already made plenty of decisions for the PS4 and it will be coming out in a couple of years. Although this year I've seen more PS3 being sold before the 360 just because so many people don't want to deal with the hassle of having to send their xbox to microsoft every time it breaks to get it fixed or a new one.

I have a DS and a PSP, and honestly I would say some things on the PSP just look amazing and so bright and pretty. The DS is getting better with their graphics though, the game Moon that just came out has pretty good graphics from what I heard and PSU is coming out in October and they have some of the best graphics that you have seen on a DS.

People like Nintendo though, its a kids company.

[smoke]

I use emulators.

But Personally I love my PS3, I use it more than my 360. Although will PS3 make a comeback? I doubt it. They have already made plenty of decisions for the PS4 and it will be coming out in a couple of years. Although this year I've seen more PS3 being sold before the 360 just because so many people don't want to deal with the hassle of having to send their xbox to microsoft every time it breaks to get it fixed or a new one.

I have a DS and a PSP, and honestly I would say some things on the PSP just look amazing and so bright and pretty. The DS is getting better with their graphics though, the game Moon that just came out has pretty good graphics from what I heard and PSU is coming out in October and they have some of the best graphics that you have seen on a DS.

People like Nintendo though, its a kids company.

Nope, sorry. So far this year the PSP is out selling the PS3. Even though both are wayyy behind. Wii and DS are kicking everything's ass though. There's an article there that says 360 is still outselling PS3 4 to 1. But, I mean, the Wii is being bought like crazy.

Oh, and these charts are only updated with official console sales information from their respected companies.

http://www.vgchartz.com/

And I dunno how many times I've said this, but the 360 hardware issue is over with. They've fixed it. Most every 360 made now is fine. I think a 3 year warranty and a free month of Xbox Live are more than enough compensation if they do mess up.