The price-based "Barrier of Entry" is one of the Wii's strongest points. You can spend less ($250) for the minimum Wii product, then gradually spend $150 to get everything else.
So, I bought a Wii at launch with Excite Truck ($300.) That was it. My upstairs neighbor and I would simply borrow each other's controller if we had guests over.
A few weeks later I bought a controller + nunchuck $60. Then I bought a controller + classic controller $60. I'm at $420, around the 360's Premium Price (without any games.)
Then Wii Play was released and duh ($40.) A few weeks I bought a second classic controller ($20.) Now that I've spent this money on Wii games, I have less of a need to get other systems because the next game I buy is $50, instead of at least $400 (console + game.)
And that's how Nintendo's going to do it this gen.
Edit: Forgot about Excite Truck at launch, whoops!
There is no such thing as a console war. This is the first step to game design.
