For like less then 6 months...(it took 6 to catch up in the US... Gnes beset market) when the Gensis had a 2 year lead.

I mean...

How is that different from the Wii?

The original Playstation launched with a CD-based system that hadn't proved itself at the time, and was going against the Saturn, which didn't sell that great either.  It took awhile for things to get going.  People were actually happy with the SNES and Genesis at the time.

In regards to the SNES vs Genesis, the Genesis happened to defeat the TurboGrafx-16 in North America, while being dead in the water in Japan.  Sega pumped a LOT of money into marketing to offset Sega, but in the end, the SNES had better sound and could do more graphically, so it ended up winning, as Sega moved onto the 32X and Saturn.

Kasz, what are you talking about? I was responding to you, not the original poster. That's why the quote button was created.

Yes when Nintendo raises the price of the Wii due to the depreciating currencies of the west countries while they have reduced about 45% of its original costs you think SONY which sold the PS3 at a huge loss($840 per console) and has already cut the price by $200 and still losing money as evident by last quarters numbers will cut the price. Not to mention their money making products the PS2 and PSP are doing worse than last year esp the PS2.

Please explain how they will be able to cut the price cause I don't get it.

And what killer apps??? Killzone 2 wasnt killer and I doubt GT5 and FF13 will be released this year.

It really depends on what is meant by "Started out slow" ...

There been several consoles that had sales (far) below their average yearly sales for the first 12 to 18 months they were on the market that ended up being the market leading console, but these consoles tended to face weak competition initially and any particularly stron competition they faced came after they started to see stronger sales.

Now, the industry on the whole has been very resistant to "Come-Back" victories because the industry reacts to the reality of the market and tends to focus their efforts towards the market leading console ...

The PS1 launched 2 years earlier than the N64 so it NEVER had a huge gap. N64 launched in 1996 with only one good game. Mario 64. Then in 1997, FF VII provided a true system seller. Along with hits such as resident Evil, tekken, street fighter alpha, madden, and crash bandicoot. Sony never overcame a deficit. The PS2 also launched a year earlier than Xbox and game cube so it never had a deficit either. No system ever over came an 8 million deficit in it third year going forward.

It has happened before, however, I think the current console positions are pretty much set. 1-Wii, 2-360, 3-PS3 (IMO). The next Xbox will probably be released before Sony (might) overtake 360 in console sales. Wii will continue to sell at high levels as will the DS>PSP in sales as well.

Sony has a lot going for it..........but getting out the gate as slowly and as it did, coupled with a high price tag may, unfortunately, be too little to late.

@Dark Chaos

do you really think that it still cost $840 to produce?
according to wiki (with sources) it has been $400 for a while, personally I wouldnt be surprised if it was a little under now making sony a slight profit.

By the time everyone has been out on the market for a couple of years, tie die has been cast.

That is evident from all the responses herein.

So the pattern holds up this time, the Wii will outsell the Xbox 360 and PS3.

Whether there are changes in the order of the last two competitors is more variable.

There have been few generations with three systems. But last generation, the Xbox eventually outsold the GameCube, so a change could happen.

Mike from Morgantown

Then your point was off topic.

The PS1 did not start off slow in comparison to it's generation.

Which was the orignal issue.  It started off fast.  Matching the other consoles.