To me it seems the one of the best analogy for the consoles race is a car's transmission. Manual versus automatic. Manual is more responsive, better control, better gas mileage and for those that really like them, a ton of more fun. (Which often negates the prior two benefits by the way the car is driven!)
So, who wants an automatic transmission? Those that don't want to think about shifting gears. You just get in and go, without the car dying as you stall out when the stoplight turns green. Females and older adults like that, and even some tired young adult males coming home from work. So much so, that we have 3 cars in the family, and all automatics because if you need to trade about, all of us have to be able to drive the other cars, and two never learned (nor want to learn) how to drive a stick.
I see the consoles being the same way. You have the PS3 and X360 focused in on that group that wants to get deep into the game and play it hard. The Wii is more the automatic. Anyone can pick it up and play.
Now sorry to those manual transmission fanatics, the automatic is here to stay, and will always sell more than the manuals, no matter how much you figure that automatic transmissions ruin the car industry. But the good news... Manuals were not doomed, they just sold to a more limited audience. I think the same is true for the consoles as well.
Torturing the numbers. Hear them scream.
