Actually thats inccorect. The Wii has much faster load times (in fact there are very few load times and very smooth gameplay. 0 lag).  Its playstation and the box that have the slower loading times due to HD graphics and all that jank. Like you said, you dont have HDTV so really you are completly going against the wrong system.  The PS2 had really long load times and lag durring gameplay due to being overloaded with big games that were more fit for xbox and GC's prossesors. The wii has just as good looking (or extremely close) graphics but much much much shorter and less often load times due to games being perfectly fitting for its compabilities. Calling it the weakest system doesnt necesarily mean what you imply.  Its like the difference between the long dead PSP and still selling out DS. Cartridge to disc. The proccessor for PSP was completly overworked, causing most all games to almost literally be just loading screens, and extreme lag durring gameplay, the DS, which is the by far weaker system, has no loading times or lag thanks to its games being completly fitting for it. (and being cartridges)

1) There have been lots of attacks going on in this thread, i'm not going to dig them up lets just let it slide.

2) Agreed

3) You want some proper refuting of arguments then see below -

4) Firstly, why can't the Wii match PS3's online? What have you seen to say that it can't and wont?

Secondly, the Wii CAN do things the PS3 can't.  Number One thing is the pointer, PS3 cannot put a pointer on the screen, and that is something the Wii has and only the Wii has, yeah?  Secondly, although both the SIXAXIS and Wii Remote have motion detection they are fundamentally different.  The SIXAXIS motion is quite frankly a 'tacked on' feature.  Motion detection like it is in the SIXAXIS has been around and available for a LONG time, the reason the Wii is different and why the PS3 can't do games like the Wii is because the controlled is so fundamentally different.  How you ask? Because they completely changed the way that people use it.  Can you imagine trying to play Wii Sports tennis with a SIXAXIS? Sure, you probably could but who wants to hold a banana shaped tennis raquet? 

This is where the ultimate difference lies, simply in the funamental way that humans interface with the technology.  If Sony were to release a 'Remote' like device that functioned in very much the same way as the Wii Remote it would not be at all in the same class as the Wii Remote.  The Wii Remote is REQUIRED for all Wii functionality with the option of normal controller use also, Nintendo COULD have released the Wii Remote as an upgrade to the GameCube, but they decided it was a better idea to re-release the GameCube with a different name and new fundamental differences.

That's all I have to say on that, please don't take it as bashing you, I'm not I'm just refuting your arguments.  

And one opinion towards your current 'stance' on the consoles.  Making a 'pledge' not to buy something because it's the 'weakest' is pretty rediculous, and if your motivation behind this is because the PS2 had long load times and was the weakest console then I think your motivation for making this 'pledge' against the Wii is all wrong. 

Personally dispite the physical power of the hardware in the PS2 i still think that was the 'strongest' console... take that as you will. 

Sixaxis would be more comparable to the Nunchuck add-on than to Wii Remote. And back to the topic. One propable reason why people feel threatened by the Wii, is because most of the people do not want to be in a minority, human is a social animal, and the worst thing you can do to it, is to kick it out of its society. Since its only the fanboys, who feel threatened, and the Sony fanboys have been in majority for years, and at the moment it looks like threyre going to be in minority in the future, they are afraid of getting kicked out of their society or taken down in rank. The people who are in the majority, has the highest social status (in principle). Anyway, the console, which gains popularity fastest, will be the one to be sold most, because people buy things based on its popularity. So if you bought the wrong console, its minority for you.

1. Why stoop to their level? Oh yeah, because you're on their level.

2. I never said how much you did it. I just don't like your approach to defending the PS3.

3. Not only did I point something out in my paragraph up there, but OriGin pointed out how you were wrong about the Sixaxis. It can't do pointing. I've defended the sixaxis against Narfer's claims that it didn't detect speed, but you can't change that it doesn't point.

4. Are you serious? My girlfriend that never plays video games wanted to play the Wii. Everyone knows people are playing it that don't normally play video games. That means Nintendo is attracting more people to video games. If Sony wanted to, they could release a controller like the Wii. Yeah...and then no one could support it much. Just like the xbox hard drive, just like the eye toy, just like most add-ons since the power glove or sega cd.

5. Of course I don't know if it will be half, but it will certainly be a lot. Half is just my estimate and I don't think it's far off. Everyone I know that plays video games wants a Wii, the debate is between the PS3 and the 360. Also, the market follows games they want to play and the Wii is going to have a lot of innovative games that take advantage of the Wiimote. Nintedo is trying to get everyone to play the Wii.

6. I wasn't trying anything except informing you that the Wii can do things the PS3 can't. There has yet to be a game released that actually controls better using the sixaxis. It's unfortunate because it's rather good motion detection and should be taken advantage of. FlOw is the best use of it so far. That game is a small work of art. I never said you claimed dual analog was better, but that is the only control scheme the Wii can't do without a gamecube controller or classic controller...which, oh wait, most Wii owners will have to play VC or gamecube games. I prefer the sony controller better, but it's not like they are bad.

The sad part is, you are highly defensive even against someone that is constantly defending the PS3 in every thread (that would be me, in case you were wondering). I just don't like your approach. You act like you are right about everything and you are just teaching people lessons, but you were clearly wrong about several things.

Try again, "slick."

As a long follower of this type of forums on Internet, i have seen posters defending the arguments here given by * for a long time.

They see gaming from a technological point of view.

They claim things they generally don't master because they simply don't have the formation, and think that by reading one or 2 articles they understand the technology.

This view presents 2 main flows :
- Game is not a question of "technology" but of "fun".
- At a given time, their console of choice has not a tenth of the power required for doing half of what they think.

Sony did not succeeded for 10 years by the power of its consoles, but because of:
- Clever marketting,
- Most important : they brought people what they wanted and created new avenues in gaming.

For the first point, their current problem is they did not refresh their policy and people are getting bored about it. This would not have been a problem  by itself, but associated with the price, people are starting to get ready to "another thing".

IMO, their current biggest problem is there : how to stop the bleeding and re-focus mainstream attention on their product ?

On the second point, they are in advance of phasis towards the public with the "HD thing", which is, for now, obvious.
On SD display, as for Xbox360, there is no WOW factor.
On HD one, there definitely is but at 600 $ (console) + 1000€ (display), be honest, for a lambda person, does it really deserve it ?

Add to these arguments that microsoft and Nintendo did great jobs and really pushed nicely their forces, and you come to the conclusion that we are definitely seeing "interesting times".

 I agreecompletely in this one. It's pretty painful to see people saying such ridiculous things, you know they don't understand one bit of what they're talking about. For example, it made me cringe when I saw someone write about"better AI thanks to branch prediction on processor". Of course, branch prediction has absolutely nothing to do with AI. I've come to apply some heuristic rule, that someone that start talking about AI in games don't know anything about what it means. The SNES could do the most sophisticated AI you'd need, and anyway, what's limiting an AI is NOT computing power, but memory.

So from knowing that, you can see how ridiculous and clueless nearly all the posts about AI look to me. And this without citing the fact that you don't need complex AI like neural systems for most games. Simple heuristics will be far more efficient most of the time.

I can understand people amazed by technology, when it's sth new to them.

Must be why I'm not impressed at all by the PS3 or XB360 games, and not threatened at all by the Wii.

oli2 you need to post more often because it appears you are one of the few people on these forums with any sense =)

They are jealous it's selling spectacular and is a lot more fun then a PS3.

I wouldn't say Oli2 is the only one with sense, but he knows how to express it clearly. :)

i agree, oli2 seems very respectable and despite which consoles he backs up, he seems like the furthest thing from a fanboy on this thread just about.