I think all you have to do is go on You Tube and watch people play Wii Sports. The amount of fun they all appear to be having combined with the diversity of ages that are playing, I think says it all. As long as games for the Wii continue to be as much fun for people as Wii Sports - which I think they will, I do not think there is any stopping Nintendo. BTW Kwaad, I have had my Wii since Xmas and I just changed the batteries in my Wiimote for the first time last night. I have spent a little more than $600 total now on the console and games and accessories, well I should say $600 hundred has been spent since the Wii was a gift. In that amount are 6 games - 7 counting Wii Sports. I think I have gotten a pretty good deal in comparison to the alternatives.

You know... I remember the D-Pad being a gimmick... and R.O.B. the reason we even have video games today being a gimmick.. Being a "gimmick" doesn't make it bad and I wouldn't call it a toy because it's different from what you're used too as a controller. Look at NES back in the day of joysticks. It's an alternative form of controller interface and it works. It sucks batteries but not so bad actually.. I generally get 2 weeks out of batteries using them like 1-2 hours on the average day and a few on the weekends. The battery "problem" isn't really that big of a deal. While I'm on that, the PS3's sixaxis can you change the lithium ion battery they used in it or are you stuck buying a new controller when it dies?

didn`t the ps2 sold 20 million a year?

I'm not touching this one with a 10-foot pole.

Yeah ... the novelty of the click-wheel is dying down too, pretty soon no one will want iPods anymore and the Zune/PSP will take control of the music player market like it should ... (Note: for those who don't get it, I'm implying I have heard this argument before and it has yet to be true)

I suspect the Wii will start doing better as more people are exposed to it. The lack of availability has IMO prevented more people from trying the console, and for this reason reduced possible sales. I do not consider the console's controls hype, but rather a logical direction which video games should truly be taking.

I kind of get what you are saying but those are bad comparisons. The click-wheel I never even heard of that being called a novelty and the PSP wasn't really poised to take over the portable MP3 market. I mean..... look at the thing. What this really comes down to is people trying to predict with the info on hand. It's perfectly alright. Wii being a novelty, the PS3 failing, the 360 selling the most. These are all based on perception and may or may not be true. It isn't a big deal.

I think you already answered your dilemma at the end of your comment. You said the PS3 is was too expensive and the 360 does not do well outside of the US. So you should get a Wii. I remember when videogames were considered a novelty. Now everybody is too cool to try something new.

First off don't listen to Kwaad, he's a guy that doesn't seem to ever play his Wii, and I'm starting to doubt that he ever bought one. I have one along with a X360 so far I've played my 360 for 42 hours and my Wii for a 110 hours(if your wondering how I know this it's because I have entire spreadsheet on the break down of cost per hour, hours played, averages and the whole 9 yards, and yes I know I'm insane.) I don't see how anyone can think Nintendo's console is simply a novel toy, first off not every game is played with the drastic amount of motion required in Wii Sports. So let me break down the the different control groupings. Wii-mote Only: Wii Sports, Warioware...titles like this are full blown motion and they are simply amazing. They shine alot of hope for future sports and party game titles. Now a gimmick or novelty would have been if a motion substituted the pressing of the button. In these titles(in alot of the content anyway) that is not the case. It detects speed, force, spin, theres is a lot of wonderful potential for nuance of motions that can never be replaced by a button. You really need to play Wii sports for yourself to see this. Wii-mote and Nunchuck titles: Here are titles that have more complex movements involved like Zelda, or Red Steel. After investing 40 hours into Zelda I can tell you I do prefer this control over the old one. The prescision of actually aiming something on screen is amazing. Remember too these controls have a rumble function, analog stick and buttons on them, yet motions can substitute these moves adding another level of dimension to the game. With that said, yes, swinging the remote without a one-for-one like motion does cheapen the wiimote a bit in Zelda, nonetheless it gets to the point of feeling very natural to want to act out the motion as opposed to pressing the button. Now for FPS titles I think this control scheme is the best. Red Steel is not a great game by any stretch yet it has become my favorite FPS of the new generation, simply because I hate aiming with analog sticks, I hate it so much that I haven't bought Gears of War, haven't thought of buying Halo 3 and can care less about Resistance. Now these new controls are not perfect yet, but after playing 2 hours of red steel I wanted to cry trying to aim with my analog stick again. After playing Zelda with two seperate units(nunchuk and wiimote) it was more more natural for hand positioning, I really wanted to rip my other controllers in half. These controllers are simply put superior and anyone who thinks otherwise should get used to it, because next generation without a doubt it will be a standard of all three systems(if there is still 3) I've also played SSX Blur with the new controls for some 4 hours lately and I love it, using the analog stick to turn and the motion to carve is brilliant and natural to my hands, it's amazingly inuitive. Classic & Gamecube Controls Don't forget many games too like fighting games also support the classic controller(played Dragon Ball Z with the classic for 7 hours so far it's quite nice), and gamecube controller, if that's your preference for certain titles, you have the option of using it. Plus you say you prefer Nintendo, so do I and I can't imagine skipping out on Zelda: TP(best game ever in my opinion), Mario, Smash Bros. and such. The cons to the controls that I'll mention, as cool as it sounds to use the Wiimote to drive, I personally can't get it, I've played Excite Truck and Cars, and in both cases I've been frustrated with the controls(yet the same controls work well for me in Tony Hawk: DownHill Jam) so that is a drawback, if it affects you.(or it might just be those two games, I don't know) With that said you also have to answer what you think of graphics, online feature and potentially missing out on other big franchises. The other two systems offer these features and they are nothing to shirk at. I feel the best setup is getting a Wii with one of the other two consoles also.

Sorry to double post I just wanted to respond to this. Kwaad what are you talking about? What 400-500$ Wii setup are you refering to? The Wii comes with wires, controller, even wireless interenet connection, AND a game for $250. What are you spending an extra 250 extra dollars on? The 360 is another $50 for the core system without a game OR wireless internet. The PS3 is 250 dollars more for a system without a game OR wireless internet. Lets not forget Wii games are 10 bucks cheaper, too. We all know you love the ps3 but if your going to come out with absurd comments like this at least do us the pleasure of a cost break down. As for the ps3 being SLIGHTLY more expensive then the Wii, if your were getting the 60gb model of the ps3 you could get 2 Wiis and 2 extra games for the same price.