Then the 360 and PS3 are also fads.

Not that I'm agreeing the Wii is a fad, but a console peaking on it's 6th Xmas holiday is not a fad.

Then everything out there is a fad, because they all peak some time or another. Fad, i hate that word because its used each year on the Wii. It was a fad in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010 so far. Its getting to be a big joke year after year.

"A fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm for a brief period of time; a craze."

Again, not saying the Wii is a fad at all, but if it's sales do nosedive over the next year or so, then yeah it was a craze.

PS2 is a prime example of a product doing well but sustaining it over a long period of time, rather than a short burst. I know 4 years might sound long to you, but it's not really ..

Consoles and handhelds are a fad, because there is always something new to replace it. PS2, great that it has sold for 10 years, but ten years is nothing. You could consider that to be a fad. A fad It can go either way. If something sells 50 million units in one year and thats it, is that a fad, for some people yes and for others its not. Its a tough sell.

Not really, just takes some common sense to figure out if something was selling due to hype and a "craze", when interest fades and diminishes quickly, then yeah it was more than likely a craze.

Like I said earlier, 360 has never been a massive craze and more than likely peaking in it's sixth xmas season means it's certainly never been a fad or a craze.

You just sound mortified and utterly offended Wii could ever be accused of being a fad, but since when did something being a fad be a bad thing?

Like I've said before, I'm undecided right now, if it tails off fast though, it's kinda obvious.

I am not offended, its that the Wii always gets the short end of the stick.

Once things level off I expect PS3 to start leading weekly but likely wont be until next year.

The systems popularity in Japan and the others should help it defeat 360/WII WW.

I think, even allowing for continuous ongoing drops, that the Wii is going to see enough sales over a lenghly enough time period to escape ever being a fad.

A fad I'd suggest needs to be contained within a timeframe no longer than 3 maybe 4 years at a stretch then die away almost overnight when the fad is over.  Most commonly a fad or craze wouldn't last more than 2 to 3 years and sometimes just one season.

The Wii's likely worst case LTD sales curve I doubt will be that close to a genuine fad.

I do think the Wii is in danger of fading faster than anticipated, due to a number of factors, but I doubt it'll ever be judged as a fad in any post mortems of it's impact on the industry.

Also, unlike most fads, it seems to have introduced something - motion controls - that it's competitors are rushing to emulate themselves.

Mind you, if the Wii was a fad, it doesn't bode well for Move and Kinect as they're due to arrive as the fad is fading out - so I guess the hardcore PS3/360 owners should probably hope motion control gaming as personified by the Wii wasn't a fad after all.

I'm not denying the 360 has Japanese style games. And that might have a lot to do with it performing better than the original Xbox. But the Wii and PS3 have a library that appeal to Japanese consumers more.