Lifespan of the Wii?

[windbane]

HappySqurriel said:

Another thing to consider is that the Wii's graphics have hit a point which is "Good Enough" for many genres and art styles:

 

Certainly, you can improve on the quality of these graphics quite dramatically but how much do you really benefit? Much like comics and cartoons it is often more appropriate to represent something in a less realistic fashion than a more realistic one. Now I know someone's going to make the connection that "Cartoons and Comics are Kiddie" but much like South Park, The Simpsons, Spawn and most graphic novels that are being turned into movies lately being less realistic allows you to push the boundries with less risk that a realist representation.

Better graphics don't have to mean more realistic.  The more powerful systems aren't just about graphics either, they are about processing power and hard drive space (well, 1 at least) to be able to do things faster and do more at a time.  I think that the current difference in overall power of the systems is greater than any previous generation in which all the consoles are viable options (which excludes 3DO and Neo Geo).  The Wii may "win" this generation but there is plenty of room for the other 2 to show off things that the Wii can't.