Nintendo's supply problems continue, as the PS3 and Xbox 360 face off for second place. Who'll come out on top?

By Mike Smith

Walked into a game store lately? Chances are you didn't see a Nintendo Wii. Although the holiday season shopping binge is long gone, the Japanese videogame legend still can't keep them on shelves. Retailer Gamestop admitted that not only can it not keep up with Wii demand, but the situation might not improve for as much as six months. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are likely to take advantage in that six month window.

So what's the deal? Most gamers are accustomed to a period of limited availability right after a new console comes out, typically in the fall run-up to the holiday shopping season. In the past, it's been rare that console shortages continue into the following year. But here we are, closing in on 18 months after the Wii's release in 2006, and you still can't find one outside of Ebay.

Much of the problem is down to the Wii's sheer popularity. Now officially the most popular console of this generation, well over 20 million Wiis have rolled out of Nintendo's manufacturing plants since the launch, compared with about 10 million PS3s in the same amount of time. Even Microsoft's Xbox 360, which has been on the market a full year longer than the Wii, can only muster sales of about 18 million. But hey, you actually have a reasonable chance of finding one at your local megamart -- at least until Grand Theft Auto IV comes out.

Meanwhile, analysts the world over are betting on the PS3. After a disappointing performance last year, both in sales and software support, it's looking like 2008 might bring much better news for Sony fans. Great exclusive games like Metal Gear Solid 4 and LittleBigPlanet are just around the corner, the newly-released DualShock 3 controller brings back rumble support, and Sony's consistent firmware updates continue to expand the PS3's already impressive multimedia capabilities. No wonder it outsold the Xbox 360 in both January and Febuary.

Speaking of the 360, the demise of the HD-DVD movie format has the rumor mill buzzing. Will Microsoft embrace Sony's format and produce a Blu-Ray movie drive for the 360, or will it rely on its Xbox Live download service as the console's only high-def movie source? Numerous optical drive manufacturers have been linked to the scuttlebutt, but so far steadfast denials from Redmond have been the only official word. Anyone expect that to stop the chatter? No, thought not.

Although the Wii's lead is formidable, the spring's biggest console battle isn't going to include Nintendo at all. It's just a few short weeks until Grand Theft Auto IV, one of the year's biggest games, releases simultaneously on the 360 and PS3. How will the sales stack up between the platforms? How many GTA buyers will be picking up a new console to play it, and how will they split? The 360 is cheaper and boasts the promise of exclusive downloadable content, but on the other hand, those Blu-Ray movies look mighty sexy on a good TV.

Top 5 Games

Nintendo Wii

    * Super Smash Bros. Brawl:

      A metric ton of classic Nintendo characters beat the living daylights out of each other.

    * Guitar Hero III:

      The first outing for this smash hit series on the Wii.

    * No More Heroes:

      Whoever said all Wii games were for kids?

    * Super Mario Galaxy:

      Mario takes to the skies in this instant classic.

    * Zack & Wiki:

      Hunt for pirate treasure in this charming, family-friendly story.

Microsoft Xbox 360

    * Call of Duty 4:

      Answer the call of duty, and immerse yourself in one of the best shooters of all time ever.

    * Halo 3:

      Eh? What's this? Never heard of it.

    * Rainbow Six: Vegas 2:

      Take another trip to Vegas, and bust some terrorist skulls.

    * Mass Effect:

      Role-play your way around the galaxy.

    * Universe at War:

      Master three different factions in this sci-fi strategy game.

Sony PlayStation 3

    * Devil May Cry 4:

      It may be you who's crying after you take on this tough-yet-gorgeous adventure.

    * Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare:

      Answer the call of duty, and immerse yourself in one of the best shooters of all time ever.

    * Burnout Paradise:

      The Burnout series rolls on, bringing the best crashes in racing game history to a new platform.

    * Karaoke Revolution Presents: American Idol:

      Find out if you can stand up to Simon Cowell's wisecracks.

    * Condemned 2: Bloodshot:

      Half CSI, half video nasty, Condemned 2 is even more uncompromising than its predecessor.

It's kind of sad that his Top 5 PS3 games were all multiplatform and one of them was American Idol...

Yes it seems he is a casual gamer.

wait, karaoke revolutions on the ps3 top list yet uncharted or R&C aren't? what the hell

I'm kind of amazed that the "5 best games" list is probably the best on the Wii. Course, he didn't really pick very good games for some of the 360/PS3 games. You'd think with all the shovelware on the Wii he would be bound to pick something bad, but he picked 5 pretty good (and diverse) games, whereas some of the 360/PS3 are not that great, and the 360 selection I believe is all FPS (though, correct me if I'm wrong), but at least a shooter of some sort.

Well I dont find it amazing at all, he did say that he expects the wii to be the most popular console ever, and rule the universe(something similar to that).

What can you expect?

I missed that part. He said "most popular system of this generation," which is true, since it has outsold both consoles. And also, he questioned whether it could keep that with games like GTA4 and LBP coming. Did you read the article or not?

It was a pretty bad article all around. Nothing any of us didn't already know.

Every Yahoo games article is bad... Period.

What's weirder is that Rainbow 6 vegas and Guitar Hero don't appear on the PS3 list. How can Rainbow 6 be one of the best 360 games and Devil May Cry 4 one of the best PS3 games yet not vice versa?

Seems like it was written by someone who likes this site though.