The+Console+War+(Leric)

 Overview
The console war is a term used today to refer to the three-way struggle for dominance between the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and Wii. As we move settle in the seventh generation of video games, the console war remain a heavily debated issue for the industry. Moreover, the standard and condition of victory for the console war is dynamic with emerging technologies and shifts in fan base. Half a decade in each console's life cycle, the debate rages on.

In the early stages of the console war, the Nintendo Wii was considered the victor of the console war by a large margin. During this period, the condition of victory was sheer volume of sales. Although ridiculed as a "casual console," the Wii led, and is still leading, by margins of tens and millions.

However, the turning point occurred in 2009, when Nintendo failed to impress the "hardcore" crowd during the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The disappointing Nintendo presence during 2009 E3, along with the steady stream of quality titles on the other two consoles, redefined the standard of the console war. Instead of sales, gamers and customers started scrutinizing exclusive software line-ups from all three consoles. The shift in standard led many to question Nintendo's dominance. As a result, the juxtaposition of massive market shares and casual/shovelware caused the Wii's prestige to decline.

This console between Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo is often shunned upon as zealots defending their purchase and decision. From the outside, it is a very good source for comedy as legions of fanboys argue. However, much of the console war is orchestrated by the media and its instigation of rumors and events. For the consumers, the console war is beneficial because competition drives innovation.

Weak sauce

**History**
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**Opinion**
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**Future Trends?**
An update just came in regarding the console war. Recently Nintendo announced that they are taking the next step and their new console will be releasing before PlayStation and Xbox. The only factual information that we have is that it is named "Project Cafe", it will be playable at this years E3 conference, and will be released in 2012. There are a lot of rumors developing though. One being that it will have a better processor than the PS3 and it will be faster than the Xbox 360. While the Wii did not support 1080p output (HD television), their next system will. Many believe that it will be basically the Wii HD and if that is the case it probably will not sell as much as expected because it won't be taking as big as a leap considering the PS3 and Xbox 360 already have this function. It is expected to be in the price range of $350 to $400. Another rumor is that it is going to feature a touchscreen controller which would be impressive. The biggest question though is what will be the target demographic for the new console. The Wii took a more casual route than the PS3 or Xbox. While the latter two systems featured more violent hardcore games, the Wii was targeted toward families and a more casual experience which gave them a good boost at the start of the war. It is rumored that Nintendo might be doing the complete opposite with their next console. They might be trying to create a more intense experience with "Project Cafe". I guess we will find out more when E3 rolls around in June. (nfoltz)