Which to Last the Longest? Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 or Sony PS3
Filed under: Gaming, Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation 3, Xbox 360 | By: Daniel
Posted on: September 21, 2007 | 44 Comments
I have got all three of these games consoles (Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 or Sony PS3) sitting under the TV in my living room, and I thought today “I wonder which console will last the longest?”.
I am not talking the life before it dies, but more so on which will stay popular for the longest out of the Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360 or Sony PS3.
So this is the question I put to you, which do you think it will be and lets not talk about the games console you have but rather which you really think will still be the most popular in 2, 3, 4 or 5 years.
My opinion is the Nintendo Wii and the reason for this is because they have not gone the graphics route (which is changing yearly in a massive way, just look at PC’s), the Wii is very popular on gameplay alone.
I am probably wrong, but it’s my guess…what’s yours?
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Thing is, they’ll probably all last a long time. After all, the Xbox, the PS2 and the Gamecube all survived fairly well (the latter probably less). Most of the fans of the last-gen consoles will have stuck to the same next-gen console maker, so they’ll all have fans.
Specifically though, I don’t know. People seem to be hesitant to make PS3 games, and if that trend continues, then it will slowly lose its players (aside from the obstinate ones who insist that because they have the best graphics they have the best console. Which is a completely different argument). The Xbox360 is doing pretty well for itself, but once the Halo fad has died down, you have to wonder if it will continue to be so popular - Halo is one of the few “big” games out there which will make people buy the console just for that game. Whereas:
Nintendo have lots of them planned, and always do. Halo 16 would be boring if it ever came out, but Ninty keep doing innovative titles, which are nothing like their others. Plus, with the huge campaigning going on right now, they’re not likely to lose fans more than they gain them.
So, my vote goes for the Wii. Interesting discussion point though - I wonder if they’ll all survive to the next gen?
Forgive the book–it’s a great question and discussion…
It’s hard to predict which would last if we look at just the merits of the three existing consoles. While some point out the strong gameplay aspects of the Wii, from a hardware point-of-view, it has a lot of room for improvement. I think Nintendo will come out with the next console version the soonest, but it’s popularity will continue (similar to how the PS2 is still a popular machine).
I think we’ll see a few iterations of the consoles in the same way that the Gameboy (original, colored, advanced, sp, mini!) and DS (& lite) have had several mini-changes before truly transitioning to new versions. (But when do you count the next version of the “same” console as a new version?)
I think a new (and significant) contributor to console brand-loyalty, aside from the software titles, is vested social interest or commitment to a community. Having certain friends play the same console as us coupled with achievements, virtual spaces, or customizable characters (such as the 360 Achievements, Sony’s Virtual World, and Nintendo’s Miis) creates a very strong and appealing reason to stay with a particular console. Who would want to uproot and leave those friends and/or earned, collected, or customized features behind?!
If these community-based features are here to stay, I’m assumming the companies will NOT let them die with the current consoles. Achievements and Microsoft points will probably follow you to the next Xbox. Your Sony virtual avatar would be able to visit or at least move to your next Playstation. And Mii’s would be useable on the next Nintendo console* (Wii II?). [*I'm guessing here, what do you think?]
I think the question is then when would people be willing to buy the next console. Because of its higher price point, I’m thinking more people will hold onto the PS3 the longest before buying a REPLACEMENT console. With the Wii as the least expensive, I can see people replacing a Wii with a new Nintendo console earlier than replacing the 360 or PS3.
I think the Wii will last in terms of longevity not because of current owners, but because of future buyers. Current Wii players may not be interested in or possibly may not afford the more expensive consoles. But for those that can afford consoles at the higher cost, what’s to stop them from trying out the one that’s 1/2 as much at some point down the line?
A bias we have as console gamers is that we’re looking at the positives and negatives of the consoles, their software, and their features. I’m guessing we also skew towards a higher rate of having HD (a majority still don’t… for now). We forget that long after we get bored with a given console, people are still entering the market. Next holiday season Grandma will still buy that console for some lucky kid. A non-gamer may buy his or her first console (or first in a long time) a year or two from now.
So my guess is 1) the Wii will see it’s replacement sooner than the other consoles but 2) it will “last” in terms of popularity in that consumers will continue buying them because of the price point and possibly family-friendly branding.
A side prediction is that the communities, achievements, rewards, and such will forever be part of consoles. The question I have then, is which brand will last?
give the wii a chance, there hasnt been time for ANY planned dedicated hardcore games yet, remeber no one expected this level of populatity
i support the Wii based mainly on the fact that its innovation i enjoy in a game, graphics are a bonus but i have my pc for that, and in 2 years the pc will be capable of things the PS3 cant dream of, such is the rate of technalogical growth, the main point is that it is FAR cheaper to make a wii game, that simple, cheaper means less of a risk, less of a risk means developers can be unleashed a bit, its litrally ps1 vs n64 but reversed, the n64 was more powerful but the development costs were higher, simple really
Hey you! Arsehole! (Maggot, I’m talking to you!) Stop dissing the Wii! You hear! Leave the Wii alone! Please leave the Wii alone! She’s a human!!! (sob)
What the hell is wrong with you?! Shut up! Microsoft rules! You suck suckage! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
The life of a console is actully dependant on when the first console giant puts in the idea about their new console - Then all the other companies follow suite.. a deadline is made for the new consoles thus lifespan can be judged that way..
So technically they will last aslong as each other.. The PS3 wont fly of the shelves until the price drops more.. and the wii has sold more because its so different. Not everyone can afford HD and a PS3 at the mo, which is why the good valued x360 has done better.
i think you all need a girlfriend
Blu ray is the future. There is a university in Germany that has managed to create a 1 terrabyte blu ray disc. Imagine the entire star wars series on one disc in full HD. The PS3 has a long life ahead of it.
PS3 will last long according to Sony..its planned to have a 10 year cycle, as opposed to the MS and NIntendo’s 5 year cycle.
There will be another Xbox and Wii2 out in a few years, and Sony will stil be schlepping the PS3 to their target audience..who would that be? The hardcore gamer…actually the hardest of the hardcore gamer…the type of 20 year old man who will actually go out a buy StarWars all-in-one TB disc.
^^ The king nerd.
Unfortunately there just arent enough mega nerds out there to support the PS3…and as said before the Xbox does not sell well overseas..just the US.
Wii will be the dominator because kids, parents, adults of all ages…girls, women- senior citizens are all intrigued. They are the by far the biggest target consumer group because they include EVERYone..everyone is buying a wii.
99 times out of a hundred- only younger men buy the other two systems. They just pigeonholed their target audience by making a hardcore system. MS is back tracking now to appeal to women..but its too late.
Sony wants HOME to invite a community for everyone to hang out in..but you and I both know the rooms will have ratios of 10,000 boys to 1 chick. Sausage fest PS3 style.
End of story.
Wii is fun, and xbox has Halo, but PS3 is still growing. one feature i LOVE about playstation is from the beggining it has used the same “format” for its games, a CD. this means all the loved psOne and ps2 games one might have can be played on the next gen. Just like a pc cd rom drives. the newest and greatest hdDVD burners will still play the regular cd format. PS3 has the future of bluray and the past of all previous games.