Has any one seen the news in the last 48 hours? All over TV and even some websites have been saying that Sony has a left a bad taste in peoples mouths. Apparently, many people are buying a WII or 360 instead of a PS3 because of all of the robberies, shootings, etc related to the lack of ps3 systems being produced.

Less than 175,000 ps3 systems have been released so far, while over 425,000 wii systems have been produced.

Let's face it. In the last few generations of video game systems, it has been like a marketting strategy for video game companies to release only a few systems initially, but it has apparently backfired for sony. I would be very surprised if some of the victims of robberies and shootings don't sue sony for this.

You got that right. This makes for a great Rockstar franchise. I can already see it- GTA: Gamestop.

I heard about a Gamestop robbery in Elk Grove- two armed robbers managed to steal EIGHT systems from the back stock room- EIGHT! Who needs four 360s and four PS3's unless they're going to ebay for some extra drug money? I'm sure the violence will only escalate, and it will be too late to matter when the shortages are remedied. That won't bring back those lives that were brutally taken over a machine.

You all may have heard things over the years about machines taking over the world. This may be the first step.

Is it all worth it? Not when it costs lives in a world with no continues.

..Oh boy...

Now I'm starting to wonder why I didn't vote for Nintendo in our recent poll. According to wii.qj.net, DS sales are crushing those of PSP and have gone up 72%! They also plan to sell 20 million Wii units this year! These are achievable goals for the big N.

I've not kept up much with 360 stats, despite their all around strengths in the console business. (shows how much attention I have been paying to Microsoft)

The landscape is beginning to shift completely in Nintendo's favor. Overseas, Tokyo can't keep the Wii's in stock.

Right now, looking at each one, it's fair to say Sony is buried under the Earth's crust. It's almost not even a fair fight anymore.

Sorry Sony, but the third time ain't no charm, especially when the competition wises up.

I don't know the stats on each console either, but it is being reported that the 360 is on top, with the wii a close 2nd, and ps3 last... It's impressive that nintendo and 360 are so close, since the 360 has been out a full year and nintendo has only been out a few weeks.

It's impossible to say what's going to happen when more ps3s and wii systems start flowing out and every one that wants one is going to get one, but I have sort of been rooting for sony to stumble, not fall off completely but to stumble enough to at least even out the playing field.

When the PS2 came out, I really don't think Sony went to the biggest and best system specs. The XBOX came out, with a lot better specs, and even though games like halo and morrowind were on it, Sony played the "It doesn't matter what specs we use, because we're Sony - We can do that" tune.

In the end, you had microsoft promising to be the biggest and baddest system out next: the 360. While the 360 does several things better than the ps3, there really isn't a whole lot of difference between the two systems.

Both microsoft and sony played a numbers war, but sony just made their stuff sound better. A theorhetical limit in graphical or cpu processing power or speed hardly ever gets achieved in a real world scenario.

Absolutely! I'm sick of worrying about PCs and their annoying upgrades every 2 years. Xboxes and PC counterparts of those times are now pretty much obselete in every way. Is a stable computer that will last a much longer time too much to ask? How much more complex do games have to keep being?

I've also been preaching quality over quantity in several posts here over and over and over. These are games for crissakes. Why make a complicated mess that will force you to use up your newly bought terabyte hard drive? I say Sony and Mircosoft can have their automatons and mechs disguised as consoles. If I want that kind of "power and attitude" in a machine, I'll go offroading.

At my store just with phone call it has to be 20 to 1 with people asking about Wii, and when we will get it back in stock. The only people looking for a PS3 are the ones who want to re-sell it on ebay and make a ton of cash. The People who want it to play it bought it at launch. I hope Sony is done within a year, F'em.

That's about the same response I'm getting at my store. So many people are asking about the Wii and so little a number of questions about the PS3, I'm starting to think Sony might lose this war. Even if one just pays attention to the commercials, the Wii is showing off their games and the PS3... is showing birds fly out of a wall? Whatever kind of "mind-bending" commercials they use, they're not gaining ground yet. It's starting to come across as the complete opposite response from what happened with the PS2 battling the Dreamcast: the less powerful, more games-oriented system is gaining ground instead of being crushed by the hype of a "bigger/better" console.

I'm pulling for Nintendo this time 'round, I'll admit... and now I'm seeing more evidence that this time might be their time to take control. Or at least put up a damn good fight with Microsoft (who's playing their cards very well, have to give them credit for that).

I'm willing to bet people are also tired of more-of-the-same upgrades every round. 'Bigger/better' was a fresh idea during the PS2 and Xbox launches, but now we want new ideas, genuine innovation, and creativity to run rampant in our lives- at least I do.

Combat this, multiplayer that, John Doe the action hero, travel to point A and kill your bad guys B, C, and D to complete your 'first exciting mission' ...yawn...

Call me demanding, but I expect more dullsville from PS3 when the violence subsides. Mark it down.

I'm also kind of disappointed with the multiplayer aspect of xbox live as well. I tried many times to find a multiplayer game of outlaw volleyball, which imo is a damn good game, but never could find any games at all. I also tried to find multiplayer games of enchanted arms awhile back, and after about 25-30 tries, finally found a game.

XBOX Live may be the most successful online service, but you better have a bunch of live-enabled games to insure you'll get the full usage from it.

I do like being able to download demos, game trailors, and music videos and such though. There's just very little to keep me wanting to subscribe to xbox live. Most of my original xbox games aren't even BC with the 360 yet..

I'm attacking old-fashioned multiplayer itself more than I am Live because it is a tired concept. I've also seen way too many war games that have also become very stale as well. This kind of stuff won't get it done anymore. This is about to be 2007. The world demands more, not just me. It's ok to make new games and sacrifice high spec numbers. I don't care about the clockspeed of a Radeon GCube or things like that. Technology is great, but makers shouldn't rely solely on it to be successful. My two cents on that for what its worth.

Wii all the way baby!! I have Sony falls flat on there face. It's a game machine for crying out loud. Let people stand in line and get one and act human for crying out loud. Why do we have to have line jumpers and people mugging people for there damn PS3's. Down with Sony. Boo! The Wii is a new and unique system and will only get better. Wii sports is just the tip of the iceberg and I haven't even played Zelda yet!

Love of $$$ is the root of all evil. That's all that is. I also noticed an excess of Playstation Magazines at newsstands these days. It's all about the Benjamins baby!

Since you've got a Wii, why don't you start a Wii topic with your impressions on it? It may go on for months.

This thread is a VERY interesting read...I agree, if anyone has a Wii I would love to hear their impressions

There are a lot of reports that the wii's remote strap is breaking and remotes flying in to windows and televisions, destroying them. Another potential lawsuit :/

Where did you hear that? Nintendo has always made durable products to go with their games and hardware. Can you really fault them for people's decisions to overswing a bat or throw a ball too damn hard on Wii Sports games? Next thing you know, the wrist straps are more durable, but they are too sturdy and cut off your circulation. I'd hate to know what goes through the plaintiff's mind these days.

There are numerous reports, with pictures, of televisions being broken by the straps breaking. Some people are saying that they think people just want to get free replacement tvs, but the first person that reported it happening said he did not want nor expect nintendo to replace his television and he had no plans on taking legal action against nintendo for the strap breaking.

Just search for wii broken remote strap or some thing, and you'll see several reports, including one from one of the IGN employees.

As for nintendo's products being durable, I can't comment on the wii because I don't have one, but let's not forget about the flashing light syndrome on the NES system, which in some cases actually destroyed battery/save games when it occured (not physically destroyed the game, but destroyed your saves).

Also, while the SNES system seemed pretty durable when it was built, many systems in the last few years have just up and died for little or no apparent reason. I have been buying and selling video game systems at flea markets and such since the atari 2600 days and have had at least 40 snes systems... It's weird, but it seemed like at one time, you couldn't destroy an SNES system if you tried, but then as they got a certain age, many just went under. I'm sure it's some time of faulty capacitor or some thing, like the taiwanese parts ecs some times uses..

Then we'll go back to the n64.. the analog controller one these are almost always broken when I get them in. The ones that aren't, they're usually worn out.. they're just very fragile and not well made.. I could probably take a brand new one and thump it hard with my middle finger and it would go flying.

Your point is well taken. But where there are such problems as the ones mentioned, Nintendo has also fixed them. The toploader model NES (proud owner of one) ended the blinking/save deleting disaster and all the other bugs and glitches the toaster one produced.

I have had no problems with the SNES models. I've played both and they still don't break easily. Lazy work ethic and complacency is all I can think of as reasons for later 'failures' and isn't all Nintendo's fault.

The same goes for the N64 control stick. If your running away from Oddjob in Goldeneye, then don't clamp the stick so tightly, as it won't make you run faster than the system will let you.

Now that the broken TV issue is alive and well, people will find a way to exploit it and get rewarded for doing it. I'm kinda surprised that guy wasn't trying to weasel his way into a big screen HD by doing that.

At any rate, this is about Sony's woes and I'm sure they're all but over.