I'm not convinced that any console or console developer is giving any aid to any competitor in this generation of gaming consoles. All three consoles have their own strengths and weaknesses that lead them in their own directions and dictate their placement in the running for top console. It's pretty easy to break it down, too...
Nintendo Wii takes on a philosophy that has worked for video game consoles and even handhelds for years. More along the lines of 'the bigger they are, the harder they fail'. Not that I want to make a point that the more powerful a console is, the more likely it will fail, because that's just not true. Very few consoles have been terrible failures, and even fewer have fallen victim strictly to this rule. But if you look at how GameBoy fared against Game Gear, PlayStation fared against N64 and DS fared against PSP, and of course, these aren't the only examples, it does go to show that a powerful, better-than-everything-else console does not guarantee top dog position. Matter of fact, it tends to hinder it. But not being power hungry is not the only thing the Wii has going for it. A whole new type of control scheme made available by the console is a whole new drawing board for devs to work with, and has potential for becoming a standard, or at least a definitive alternative. Also, games can be made more quickly, less expensive to develop, and cheaper for the average consumer that may be more inclined to buy a system that they can get their games for at a somewhat decent price in comparison to what the others offer.
The Wii also has its weak points in comparison to the others... It lacks a strong online interface, staying power through the transition of modern day households who aren't going to be using CRT's and SDTV's forever, and the lack of power that developers are going to become accustomed to once they get used to developing for the other systems. Although I truely don't believe it will hinder them much, Nintendo is gonna need to cook up a new console much sooner than Microsoft or Sony will have to, otherwise the Wii might just burn out of its spotlight when games become redundant due to the constriction on modern gaming creativity. Nintendo certainly has the momentum now, but they still need to keep pushing or the train is just gonna stop.
Xbox 360 seems kinda dedicated to a niche at this point. It seemed like it was doing impressive at first, and is still quite successful, but I think it is becoming more apparent that it's being offered to a sort of dedicated market. Microsoft is doing everything in its power to give it a massive appeal, but the big green sticker isn't as hypnotizing as they would like it to be. Serious gamers who want some serious online competition are getting the best there is to offer by picking up this console, no doubt. But the kind of people who are trampling each other through Wal-Marts and Toy-R-Us stores every week to get their hands on a Wii aren't finding any appeal with the 360. And even though the 360 has been picking up some Japansese support, it's almost questionable and even annoying to know that games like Dead or Alive 4 and Beautiful Katamari are being made solely for the 360 when the Japanese appeal finds its heart only in the Japanese consoles. The system still continues to sell poorly in Japan, and a great deal of the best games the system has to offer are made by developers in North America, and they're also the best sellers. The Xbox 360 appeals to North America in the same way that the Gamecube appealed to Nintendo fans. Not to say it's a bad thing, but it's definately not gonna reign as top dog, especially selling as poorly as it has been this year.
And finally, the PlayStation 3. Well, it's been quite apparent that the PlayStation name had become a brand of dominance in the home console market... Up until now, at least. I don't think Sony quite understood just how unstable their installed fanbase really was. What the previous two systems did in the home console market is exactly what the Wii does now... Make it easy for everybody. Offer a balanced console that offers fairly priced games, and appeal to every type of gamer they can market it to. This time around, they've taken things a little too seriously.
Let me just say this... I think the PS3 is awesome. From a hardware perspective, it's far more capable than it's competitors. Higher disc capacity, more raw power through the cell processor, makes use of the highest video and audio output capability with 1080p display and digital surround sound. The console is ahead of its time... Which is the main problem. It's being marketed as an investment, which it really is. If you buy a PS3, it's because you really want to, not because you saw a couple of commercials and went 'huh, that looks cool', especially since if you haven't already payed the 2000 bucks to get the most out of the system, you're going to have to if you really want the best out of it. On the flip side, if the HD Plasma screen and the surround sound stereo system are things that you'll gradually evolve your living room into over the next few years, the PS3 will still be worth a purchase after you've slapped all your money down on that, and by then the system might actually be quite affordable too. It's not like devs are going to start crapping out titles, either. I can see further pushbacks for anticipated games like Final Fantasy XIII and Metal Gear Solid 4 and many other potentially great titiles will probably be years in development as well. In the end, the PS3 will be the great system for serious gamers that want to play a game that was made with them in mind... Something a lot of time, patience, hard work and creativity has gone into, and has much to appreciate.
So that's my take on the subject. Sorry if I was a little long winded, and thank you if you bothered to read it all.
