Let me start this out with a small explanation.

Recently every pro-PS3 or pro-xbox360 thread that I've read there is a discussion going on that PS3 will catch up to Xbox360 or that Xbox's lead is too great. Pro-ps3 guys say that their system is selling as well as the Xbox360 when you adjust the launch dates, that they have great exclusives, sometimes they continue to say that the PS3 is more powerful than the Xbox360 although not that much anymore, that xbox360 is doomed in Japan and ... , and then continue to say that PS3 will finally outsell Xbox360

Xbox360 owners counter with the fact that presently Xbox360 is outselling the PS3, was supply constrained at launch while ps3 wasn't and that they have better first person shooters.

Personally I hope all consoles receive their fare share of the market to keep anybody from having a monopoly.

Finally my question.

Is it that the pro-ps3 and xbox360 fans have already conceded the next generation "war" to Wii since they know they can't beat it, or that they hope that after one of them beats the other, that console might have a shot to outsell Wii?

The reason I ask is that why all this fuss for second place? - unless they hope they might get first place.

In my opinion the Xbox360 might be able to give Wii a run in the US, but will fail to win there and Wii and PS3 will have the best shot at Japan, with the market hugely in Wii's favor. Europe might be up for grabs.

Any thoughts?

The fact is everyone wants the console they own to do well, because that means more games developed for that console. The winning console can easily get the best exclusive games.

I think it will be time that ultimately wrenches first place from the Wii. I think the Wii is the right system at the right time for right now, but not so much five years from now. All the technologies around it will have progressed and the huge price advantage it currently enjoys relative to the other systems will have been whittled down by price cuts. Sure, the Wii will have price cuts of its own, but since it started with a lower price, the cuts will not be as large in dollar values.

Thats half the reason - its pretty clear that the Wii is the dominator this gen so its pointless to even argue about that.  The only thing PS3/360 people have to say nowadays is 'Wii's graphix, remote and kiddie games don't interest me' and thats totally understandable.  Those people want horsepower.

Since PS3 and X360 focus on similar demographic gamers,  they see the PS3/360 as a rival console more than the Wii.  Most 'anticipated titles' are being released on the high-def consoles and not the Wii.

People have the mentality of gambling,they put money down and do not want to finish last.

But what is so good about being in second place? I would think it would be worse to be second place to a "kiddie" machine than to a formidable foe. I mean would you like to be second place to the Oakland Raidars or the Indianapolis Colts if you knew you were going to lose anyway? Or is it that they think they might win?

Please I really am confused here. No fanboy or anything just really curious.

Regarding the exclusives, if Wii wins the next gen "war" won't it be the one recieving the most exclusives? I still don't get the point of trying to be number 2?

The thing is, the Wii is only competing with the 360 and PS3 in part. Since Nintendo is smart, it's actually conquering market share which the other two consoles never would, and never will. Everyone knows Wii is likely to win everywhere, even USA.

The PS3 and 360 however, are in direct competition with each other. Excluding the very few people who will buy both, each console sold is a console stolen from the competition. That's the biggest war in this generation.

well I can understand that some 360 and PS3 Fans only compare the two since those systems are similar in what they can do, plus they are competing for some of the big third party games the X-Box didn´t have last Gen, GTA, MG, FF, big third party hitters that can make or break sales for some time, this time around Sony has less and MS has more so it´s mor important what the exclusives are,

this might sound flamish but the XBox fans know that Japan is too big of a deal to leave ouf if you want to be on top, Sony fans know that the PS3 is built to be a long time seller so they speculate that the Wii will lose momentum and the PS3 starts building it, these are the reasons its really more interesting to see how the PS3 and 360 do since the price and power are similar, the big ifs and buts are, MS has a head start with sales and games , plus the price point, Sony has blue-ray (again long time strategy), lots of PS2 fans waiting for price drop, plus many people are waiting for the cell to be fully tapped. It just makes more sence to compare the two since sales are the only way to compare them to the Wii, I´m not saying you shouldn´t count it but for many people its  just different to compare, I know lots of people who like the Wii but are only interested in shooters and raceing games, many people here don´t explain why the Wii is or isn´t just not their type of console, its like everybody is saying football but some are talking about american football some are talking about rugby nad other soccer, its all spots to me but there would be less fighting if we all made clear where we stand and respect where other stand. sorry for rambling most people will ignore my post for its to long but I don´t mind.

Quite honestly I don't feel that PS3 vs 360 and the Wii are in the same fight. Myamoto, Miaymoto, the Big Cheese at the Big N(sorry I don't know how to spell his name) himself said that he was out to beat the TV remote.... Which I think is a cool fight, gaining a LOT of non traditional gamers and opening the eyes of new gamers. I think most of the people in the types of posts you mention would understand this as a good thing for the industry if they'd just take a moment.

BTW, it seems a little presumptious that the body of your thread basically assumes the same thing? That nothing but the Wii stands a chance? I'm just sayin....

Please all you Miis out there, actually read my whole post instead of flipping out over the 1st sentence. EDIT: I also think quite a few more people, like myself, are more likely to get a PS3 or a 360 AND a Wii, than those that will end up with a PS3 AND a 360.

 Well that was precisly the question I was asking. I didn't mean to say that nothing but the Wii stands chance, what I meant was that while obviously now Wii is outselling them both (I think even combined) the pro-PS3 and pro-Xbox360 guys keep on insisting to say the are second best? The only thing that comes into my mind is that they are trying to prove that if they defeat the other they will outsell Wii in the long run. Otherwise I don't get it.

I can understand that the PS3 and Xbox360 are "competing" with one another, but it is more like 2-3 going at one another. What's the point of being number 2 even if you want to say that the winning console is the true HD winner?