It has nothing to do with PS3 fans being more "hardcore", or any other kind of intrinsic difference between the fanbases. It might seem counterintuitive, but PS3 fans are the most vocal because their console is in last place. The feeling that their console deserves to be in first place - coupled with the reality that it is actually in last place - is what causes it. 360 fans don't have the same sense of entitlement, partly because Microsoft has never had a first-place console, and partly because they have the consolation of their console at least being in second place.

This is why you see several posters here with PS3 advertisements in their sig, but pretty much no one with 360 or Wii advertisements. It's why "buy a PS3" was a standard response to many threads completely unrelated to the PS3, to the point that it became ban-worthy. Meanwhile, "buy a 360" was only occasionally seen in such threads, and "buy a Wii" was almost never seen. Nintendo fans already have their console solidly in first place; they have no need to shill for Nintendo in order to see their console "win".

If you've been reading gaming forums long enough, you've seen this phenomenon in action before. Last generation it was the GameCube fans who were the most vocal; Xbox fans were next, and PS2 fans just ignored the console wars. As far as PS2 fans were concerned, the "war" was over before it started - Sony won, and the other two consoles were irrelevant. Nintendo fans felt the GCN corrected the N64's mistakes - such as lack of an optical drive - and therefore Nintendo deserved to reclaim its rightful crown.

its because sony fans are angered at how their system is in third place when it is their definitive thought that the ps3 is truly the best console and best overall buy

That's because Wii and X360 fans are too busy playing games.

Theory 1:

After all of the "PS3 will fail", "PS3 is doomed", "PS3 will never get to 10Million at that price", "It has no games", "SONY, you went wrong", "3rd parties won't even look at that thing" and "SONY will leave the console biz" threads and media buzz during the early days and b4 the system launched... alot of people were pissed off...

Theory 2:

SONY dominated the last two gens and created the two highest selling home consoles of all time. It's arguable that they just have more fans than the competition.

Theory 3:

Perhaps you're only noticing what you want to notice.

Theory 4:

We just rock that hard.

Most people who own all 3 or 2 of 3 prefer the PS3, since it is the best value with the best exclusive games. I own all 3 and only talk positively about the PS3 because one is a toy to play from time to time with girlfriends and your parents (Wii) and the other rips you off every chance it gets (the 360 with the 100 dollar wifi, the 150 dollar 120GB hard drive, the 7 dollar a month online play ect ect ect).

The 60GB PS3 I have from release has been nothing but good to me. I've had free online play, replaced the hard drive with a 3rd party 500GB HD for 70 bucks and got access to every good game I want to play other then gears 1 and 2. Its more or less the only gaming platform I need these days, I have a que of 8 9.0+ games for the PS3 to play released in just the past month and a half.

I think its because so many Sony fans have jumped off the bandwagon to another console therefore don't want to speak up and bash the PS3 out of respect. I for one have switched to the 360 because of its earlier release and better game library (my opinion). I'd say alot of the Sony fans that are left that own the PS3 want to defend there choice which is fine.
If the case of there being so many more Sony fans out there than either the Wii or 360 then the PS3 would be the top selling console right now.

You aren't required to buy the $100 wifi, you aren't required to buy the 120GB HDD, and you pay $84 a year for Xbox Live?

As far as the Wii in concerned I'd say most Wii owners are uber casuals who have less than 3 games and don't even know what a gaming website is. I'd bet my life saving the PS3 and 360 have just as many hardcore owners as the Wii, maybe even more.