http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=4370238

This gen, everybody felt that their console was destined to lose but somehow pulled of a miraculous victory.  Is this so?  Who was gaming's real Cinderella story?  Here's the case for each console:

-The Nintendo Wii :  In 2005, Nintendo and the Gamecube were on the ropes.  Rumors that they were going to "pull a Sega" and get out of the console making business were running rampant.  Outsold by the Sony Playstation 2 and Microsoft's Xbox, Nintendo found themselves with a console that had a kiddie image and limited third party support.  Their last hope--an underpowered console with a bizzare looking controller.  According to one journalist, it was "A TV remote with a breast pump--and it's going to cost them the generation".  In the end, the Nintendo Wii overcame all odds and became this gen's clear market leader.  It was gaming's biggest underdog story.

-The Sony Playstation 3 :  The media was not kind to Sony's latest console.  After two generations of being ruled by the Playstation dynasty, it seemed like everyone had turned on gaming's once and future king.  Ridiculed for its slow format, its limited online service, its bulky "George Foreman grill" look, and of course, its $600 price tag, many felt that the PS3 would be dead on arrival.  Third parties that were once loyal to the Playstation brand went to the Xbox 360 in droves, even Square and the mighty Final Fantasy XIII.  Some (I can't find the post but I've seen it many times) even said that the PS3 was never expected to sell 50 Million consoles.  Now, look at it.  60 Million and counting!  The online has greatly improved.  The first party exclusives flow like wine.  The PS3 became gaming's biggest success after being gaming's biggest underdog.

-The Microsoft Xbox 360 :  The original Xbox was dead after five years.  It sold around 25 million consoles in its short life span.  Microsoft soon abandoned its money losing console in favor of the Xbox 360.  The console launched and was a modest success with most waiting to see what the competition would offer before buying Microsoft's console.  Microsoft stated that they would sell "Ten-Million consoles before their competition sold their first one" but it didn't happen.   When the competition came out the following year, only six-million 360's had been sold.  Many were calling the Xbox 360 a "Dreamcast" and felt that it would be dead, soon.  They were right.  360 consoles began dying left and right due to the infamous "Red Ring of Death" design flaw.  As a result, Microsoft wound up spending in the neighborhood of 1 billion dollars in an attempt to stop the problem.  Even redesigns proved to be faulty in many occassions.  The idea that the 360 would sell 50 million consoles was laughable ( http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=24567 ).  The 360 is now seven years old and has sold well over 60 million consoles.  It's making a profit.  It was gaming's biggest underdog.

*bonus portable edition!!*

-The Sony PSP :  Selling well over 70 million consoles when many felt that going against the mighty Nintendo brand was suicide.  Gaming's biggest underdog?

-The Nintendo DS: Selling around 150 million consoles when many felt that Sony could do no wrong.  It soundly defeated the PSP despite the PSP's multimedia functions and much more powerful architecture.  Gaming's biggest underdog?

-The Nintendo 3DS:  After the initial hype died down, reports that the 3DS caused blindness and cancer ran rampant.  Sales were horrendous.  Games were non-existent.  Now, it's the fastet gaming device to ever hit 15 million sold in history.  Gaming's biggest underdog?

-Sony PSV:  It was supposed to be dead on arrival.  Now, it's.....it.....what do you think?  Gaming's biggest underdog?  I kid.  I kid.  If any of these "rags to riches" stories are any indication, anything can happen and anything can be turned around.

The Wii. PSP was sort of being kept alive by Japan alone at a stage despite its success in Nintendo's monopoly that is handheld gaming. Nintendo were practically down and out with the Gamecube, which is why my vote goes to the Wii.

You'd argue well what about the 360? Xbox didn't sell all that well. Well 360 was the first gen console on the market and got a 8million unit head start on both the Wii and PS3 by default from consumer curiosity and general intrigue as to what next gen gaming will be like. A lead which the Wii would soon obliterate.

Just kidding. We're all winners.

I'd say they were all doomedz at one point in their life-cycle, but they all came through in the end.

Definitely the Wii (post cube), but the PS3 pulled quite the feat. And the 360 continues to impress.

Bonus Edition: The DS against its new competitor despite lesser graphics. The PSP in Japan!! And the 3DS' current performance after its humiliating launch. Vita shall impress I'm certain.

We are all winners! (except PSV, that remains to be seen).

However, PS3 only won a consolation prize...

I dont know about all of you but I'd like to see Sony and MS on top. A collaboration between the two would be AWESOME!

Can you imagine, GoW, GOW, UC, Halo, Forza, GT, Fable, Kinect, Move etc etc all in just one super powered console?!

And seeing as how the industry is shifting plus the fact that millions and millions of people are opting for crap ass free games on tablets and phones, a partnership between the two would ensure the survival of the home game console.

They can't all be underdogs, Mr. Lewis.

Definitely Wii the most, that console was "doomed" at launch and then for the next 5 years, every time the week numbers dipped, people called doom.

360 because let's face it, original didn't do much at all, so it was a favourite to fail from the start.

I know.  It's just that a lot of people seem to think that their console defied all odds and expectations to become the success that it is now.  I was just trying to show that every console had a lot to rise up against--I could even do this for the SNES (slow processor--gave up a year's head start to the Genesis), the Genesis (shouldn't have had a chance against the mighty Nintendo at the height of its popularity), the PS1, or whatever.  Everybody thinks that their console had it soooooo bad.

I understand.  Seriously though, the Wii had to have been the underdog and the PS3 the frontrunner before this generation started, don't you think?  Many were saying that Nintendo would be dead after the Wii.