Your optimism is amusing, ChronotriggerJM. You see, most of the people who want the Wii aren't even aware that alternatives exist. And if they were, they still wouldn't be interested, because the Wii's the one with that cool Wii Sports title. Oh sure, a $50 PS3 would sell like hotcakes to the gaming in-crowd, and even a lot of casual gamers from last generation. But to these newcomers, Nintendo is gaming, and nobody else exists. It's like 1985 all over again, but this time with a much bigger piece of the action.

Expecting a single game to swing support unanimously to a console is optimistic at best, wishful thinking if we're being realistic. It can do a nice number on console sales for a few weeks (see Halo 3 and the Japanese release of FF7: Crisis Core), but it can't ensure those elevated sales for longer than about a month or two. The sole exception to this being games that target a very broad demographic (like Nintendogs, Brain Age, Wii Sports, etc.). It takes either a constant stream of good games (which will mostly just get you the "old-school" gaming crowd), or a killer app that has massive demographic appeal (like Wii Sports, et. al.), to get those elevated sales to stay elevated.

I saw someone once say that hardcore gamers are "the pulse and purse" of the industry, but he was mistaken. Hardcore gamers are the ones who buy most of the hyped "system seller" games, but the casual sorts who just buy a few games are the ones who buy most of the total games (and most of the systems, too!). Hardcore gamers got Halo 3 to sell 6 million copies in record time, but only casual gamers can ensure that a game never stops selling. And that, my friends, is where true market strength is: long-lasting demand for games as well as consoles. Games that stick around the top 100 for not just weeks or months, but years.

It's a whole new game. Nintendo capitalised on it way before anyone else even knew it existed.

I just don't see how releasing more GTAs and Halos will do anything. These kind of games were hot last generation. You know, new people getting into gaming may not "get" GTA. It will only stick in with the last gen of PS2 owners, who I believe have now grown up and don't care about games anymore. Just my opinion.

GTA4 = Wii killer. But they need to set a damn concrete release date and advertise the hell out of it.

I think both HD consoles need this, and Madden if they are ever going to stop the Wii's progress.

Madden is huge as well though. It needs to NOT SUCK like last years though. If there is one thing the Wii can't stop, its freaking football baby.

Accept that only a person with some sort of mental disorder wouldn't buy a ps3 for less than a PS3 game :P For what it can do functionality wise, I don't honestly see any Wii owner refusing to buy one for $49 :P I LOATHE Microsoft products, but I'd buy a 360 for that cost for sure :D. Plus you'd immediately hit mass market and beyond and "hotcakes" wouldn't be the term for that :P, more like PS3 infestation or mass outbreak :3

Besides it won't happen LOL, so maybe your right, it wouldn't "stop" the wii, but man it would run circles around it's total units sold :P

And hey! Nothing wrong with optimism :D As long as I keep it reasonable theres no need to worry :3 

No game on Ps3 or Xbox 360 is a "Wii Killer." Any release will not hurt the Wii's sales.

Now a game could significantly bump either Ps3 or X360, which could help it fighting the Wii. The only thing that is a Wii Killer is selling more opposing consoles.

Wii 2 = Wii Killer

IN BEFORE LEGEND TROLLING UP THE THREAD ABOUT ONLY TODDLERS AND SENIOR CITIZENS BUYING THE WII!

And stopping the Wii would require either Sony or MS to swallow their pride and release a Wii-like controller for their console, and even then it might not catch on. 

You know that 'IN BEFORE' posts count as trolling don't you?

I think Halo 3 and GTAIV shouldn't be compared and that they're very different games that will have had very different affects as far as helping the systems. 

Halo 3 helped the Xbox 360 but it basically appealed mainly to the Xbox hardcore.  These people are already firmly in the Xbox camp and were very likely going to upgrade to the 360 eventually.

GTAIV on the other hand is a huge PS2 franchise so it's likely that a lot of gamers on the PS2 that haven't chosen their next console could be attracted to the game.  So it's basically the PS3 and 360 fighting for all these gamers that are up for grabs, Sony trying to hold onto them and Microsoft trying to gain them.  The game could play a very major role in deciding how the rest of this console war between the PS3 and 360 plays out.

 I was unaware.

But it worked.