Yeah I agree with a lot of what you posted too and in actuality neither will probably be killed off much before the other theyll probably last right around the same amount of time

That being said while PS3 is winning on a weekly basis many are forgetting the same thing happened last year then during the holidays the 360 gained back virtually all that ground. The 360 gets a massive almost Wii like boost in the west during holidays. The same is gonna happen this year

^ BenVTrigger i`m not sure Xbox 360 will do that great again this year. All those promotions last year acted almost like a price cut. Replicating that same offer, even if through a price cut, i believe won`t have the same impact. Even if retailers offer discount, i don`t see it being as big as last year.

I don`t see PS3 reaching that number faster than Wii. It`s almost like Wii would just stop selling.
I also have a hard time seeing PS3 reaching those numbers because if Xbox 720 and PS4 arrive next year, we will get something like Wii, PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U, PS4 and Xbox 720 at the same time in the market.
It`s 6 consoles, versus 4 last time a new generation was introduced. The market won`t support 6 consoles without someone suffering.
To me, Xbox 360 and PS3 will suffer the most because below them will be Wii at 99$ and above them 3 new/recent consoles. Not only that, and as BenVTtrigger pointed out, they both go for the same market - leaving Wii space to sell to a different one and keep on selling. But that same market, so will the new generation go after.

Support in terms of software might be tricky because the competition will be too high and seeing as making games for the new generation will cost even more, an added increase in money in the number of ports might risk the support of both PS3 and Xbox 360.

this is true but here backwards-compatibility could play a great role. if microsoft manages to somehow emulate or natively run xbox 360 games with their nextbox the transition could be easier for gamers. this wouldn't help sales for the 360, of course :) but there would be a chance for games still ported to "360 and compatible". i don't see how sony will manage this with their current hardware-architecture. emulation won't be possible so they *have* to put cell-compatible hardware to ps4 (leave aside streaming).

wii: 105m PS3: 90m

To be honest i have no idea if backwards compatibility does play a role on choosing consoles or not. Truth is, that didn`t stop Wii from succeeding and also Xbox 360. Both consoles must have taken a good chunk of PS2 owners.
In terms of architecture i have no idea how that works, but so far we don`t have any concrete (as in confirmed) ideas of how Xbox 720 and PS4 will be.

I`ll say that BC is a plus but not a decisive point towards any console.
But at the same time, for example, a Xb360 game bought for Xb720, is one less game sold for Xb720. And seeing as both have the same market, it will be hard to balance that transition, at least on the medium and long term.

It`s like, if you don`t give enough support, the old console will collapse and if you give too much, there really won`t be a good reason to buy a new console.
Tricky! :)

Wii is backwards compatable. But I think the Sony supported the PS2 too much. It was at 1 time the first 3 generation supported home console hardware and origanal software. I miss my old PS3.

Wii might have been the console where BC mattered the least seeing as how Wii was/is mainly for casual/non-gamers.
I don`t think that Sony had a chance: not only PS2 was selling and making a profit, but Sony needed that profit to offset the losses it was suffering with PS3.
Just to remember how a kid the other day was all happy buying a new PS2 game... it`s just amazing how PS2 is still relevant after more than 10 years. Amazing!

Ps2 is relevant just in poor countries where selling the current consoles is impossible due to high prices
Ps2 is irrelevant where consoles are relevant...

Calling them poor countries is very rude. They're emerging markets. PS2 did amazing things for Sony, it helped Sony alot. When PS3 was struggling PS2 was making money.

That's an euphemism.

What some users are trying to say is those PS2 sales are going to give Sony a very small amount of money, the money earned with the sale of the console, as those users are almost sure to pirate games/buy second hand games. Sony wins brand recognition, and that's something good, but it's also going to be related to a very easy to pirate console, and that's something you don't want.

I would like to see what sales the PS3 gets in these markets, as the PS3 is very hard to pirate. Mexico is an example or an emerging market with access to this generation consoles, and Microsoft and Nintendo sold great there, as X360 and Wii are rather easy to pirate, and this is the most important factor in these emerging markets.