Both Sony and Microsoft have invested a lot more money into their current generation console systems than Nintendo. It would be foolish to assume that either of them would launch a new console ahead of Nintendo for next generation. Nintendo has been extremely successful, most profitable and has spent a fraction of the costs Sony and Microsoft have spent.
The third party game developers favour Sony and Microsoft but that has cost both Sony and Microsoft a lot more to secure deals than Nintendo. The architecture of both PS3 and 360 are more expensive and time consuming than developing games on the Nintendo Wii. The Wii has some good third party games but the first party titles drive the Wii console sales. IMO Third party and first party games equally help push the sales of the PS3 and 360 console sales.
The exclusive games on the PS3 is where the PS3 stands heads and shoulder ahead of its competitors 360 and Wii in terms of graphics. The PS3 exclusive games such as Uncharted 2, God of War 3, Killzone 2, Gran Turismo 5, etc show case the best graphics technology PS3 can offer due to its Blu-Ray technological advantage. Sony has a lot more first and second developers that exclusively develop games for the PS3.
Make no doubt Blu-Ray is here for a long time and it has considerable advantage over DVD game discs. Blu-Ray discs can have more layers and can use both sides which will mean up 200GB of game data: video and audio can be stored on a game disc. Blu-Ray is a developing technology that is yet to realise its full potential. 40 to 50GB storage space is available on ever single Blu-Ray disc.
Consumers at the moment prefer physical/tangible games over online/intangible games. Online game distributions are more cost effective and it is growing in popularity but new games are getting bigger in size. Online is very good for smaller sized games. Online game distributions has its limitations due to the high cost of having fast enough broadband/cable that can cope with speeds in excess of 1GB/s . Game sizes will take up more space and more time and money will be needed to develop bigger and better games. Virtual game worlds and environments will continue to blur the line between reality and fantasy.
PS3 is only the beginning of the Blu-Ray evolution. PS3 has made Blu-Ray popular and affordable for more and more consumers over time. Before the PS3 launched in 2006 no one had even heard much about Blu-Ray. As the PS3 popularity grows and price of PS3 decreases and mass market of Blu-Ray grows: PS3 sales will fly pass the 360 and it will close down the gap on the Wii. The PS3 may well overtake the Wii by the end of the 7th generation.
