@Khuutra

There is a philosophy in business it costs ten times more to obtain a new customer then to retain the one that you have. Lateral thinking, innovation, and serendipity are fine things to have and to use. They create opportunity where it might not have existed before. It could help you grow. It can make you successful for a time. However those things are secondary to good business. Good business means not neglecting your fundamentals. That is what everything is built upon, and that is what you will fall back upon when things do not play out as you would like.

Everyone is enamored with Nintendo at the moment. It is hard to imagine a crushing defeat in their future. However Nintendo has been toppled, and Sony has been toppled, and before them Atari was toppled. A hearty collapse is always one bad judgment call away. That is when you will need your loyal customers to get you through the rough patch. Perhaps next generation the other guy will have a better controller, or a game that is so addictive that everyone must play it.

We cannot assume satisfaction, or even who constitutes the ownership rolls. However I think it is safe to say that loyalists comprise over ten million consumers for any console, and in weak generations they comprise the majority bulk of early adopters. Without them a console doesn't merely limp it grinds right into the pavement, and never gets going. That is why established brands always have an advantage over new arrivals. They have a fan base to immediately fall back upon giving them the time they need to survive and win converts.

What I know is that it is easy to keep these players paying. You already know exactly what they want. Which is what you have given them all along. Isn't there a saying about two in the bush being worth one in the hand, or more poignant would be the dog with the bone. Perhaps that is a little too removed so I will explain.

The story is about a dog that has a bone, and happens to see his reflection in the river. He sees another dog with another bone, and he wants that bone too. So in his hurry to get that bone he drops his bone, and ends up having no bone at all. Nintendo is about to drop that bone, and has probably already lost a number of disillusioned loyalists who finally gave up. They lose the rest, and they are betting that they can replace them all with new customers. Well it could work, and then again it could fail. Which leaves Nintendo with no customers next generation to safely hang their hat on.

Only a fool gambles everything if they do not have to. Why bet the house if you can see to it that all you have to bet is the furniture.

So far, I would say Nintendo is winning 2009 when it comes to games. If they bring out one or two big guns for E3 they'd be pretty set to take 2009 from a gamers perspective.

Joke post?

There is no question that Microsoft annihilated the others at the last E3!!!

As for this one?  Sony have blown an AWFUL lot of their 2009 wad.  There is more of a chance Microsoft have great exclusives left to reveal than Sony does.

Personally, I think everyone will have their fair share of things to shock fans. Yet, I do think Microsoft will have a lot more "surprises", simply because they haven't revealed much to begin with right now. I still put my bet on Microsoft. Hopefully we get some good Wii games too, and maybe something on PS3 that will finally sway me to buy it in the future.

I can see Sony or Nintendo "winning".
I don't expect Sony to surprise us, but they can still have a great show. Nintendo has so many big franchises that it's always possible for them to steal the spotlight.

Microsoft... I can't really think of anything. A new Rare game and Forza 3/Gears 3 aren't very exciting. A new IP from Bungie would be huge, I guess.

Dodece you use a lot of words to say not a lot.

You even failed to address the point that there are more core titles this gen than last, more core buyers, and the core titles have so far been of better quality.

I mean really.

Just one word... if Nintendo drops the word Zelda for the wii... that's it. You can say E3 goodbye

That's rediculious. You can't have a "good" E3 by just showing stuff from LAST YEAR's E3. There have to be big, major announcements. PSP Go is fine, for the PSP. However, for PS3 fans like yourself to have anything to claim as a "victory" you need a price cut, console redesign, or significant new and popular games.

Every year, some Sony fan tries to say Sony won because they showed a game that they have informed us about 3 years earlier. Happened last year with LBP. Wasn't a new game, it was completely meaningless, and is barely worth a footnote. "Year old game shown with slightly improved gameplay from last year" doesn't not win, or mean, a damn thing at E3. Sorry, but no.

So... they just need to do pretty much... everything to win... which they didn't do last year. I mean.. the same but more price cuts, games, improvements.... well, wth did they do last year??? Nothing???

@starcraft

Bless you sir for making the same correlation I have been making for months. It is foolhardy to think that Sony is stocked as well as Microsoft or even Nintendo. When they have been raiding the cupboard to make announcements. No I am not berating Sony. I think theirs was a sound strategy given their market and economic position. They just do not have the luxury the other two enjoy.
Which is they do not have to make announcements to keep the dog at bay.