Expert: Andrew Crome - 11/9/2006

Question
disregarding the newest consoles (xbox 360, PS3, and nintendo)  since they are not all out yet, what company leads the video game console race?

Answer
Hi Kevin,

That's really a hard question to answer without thinking about the newer consoles, as all three major companies are now disregarding their older machines in favour of the "next gen"!

So I guess the question is - who won the PS2\Xbox\Gamecube war? In terms of numbers the answer is clearly Sony. They've sold phenomenal amounts of units, had a long lasting console, and built on the PS One's success. In reality, Microsoft and Nintendo were both going to be fighting for second place, and in terms of numbers, Microsoft are ahead (though not by as much as people think) of Nintendo. The Xbox was a disaster in Japan, while the GC was well recieved, while the Xbox was a success in the US and Europe, and the Cube had a more muted reception. Nintendo certainly didn't "fail" though, but in terms of sales are in third place. The big thing the Xbox did was launch a successful Online service. Of course the Saturn and DC both offered online gaming, but without boradband it was always going to be handicapped.

All this changes for the next gen. Microsoft have a head start over the other two, and are doing well by all accounts. Live is a big draw, as are games like Halo 3 and Gears of War. The PS3 will no doubt be successful, but the general consensus is that they will have much more of a fight on their hands.

Nintendo have taken a different path, going for innovation with the Wii rather than competing with like-for-like hardware. The Wii is in many ways pitched like the DS - gaming for people who don't necessarily like gaming - and many who are avid gamers will pick one up as a second console. It looks like an astute move, and should help Nintendo a lot.

Sorry for not providing a clear answer, but hopefully this highlights some of the issues.

Andy