Console Wars: Who Won?

The 360 vs PS3 vs Wii generation has been a close battle on many fronts, with all three able to make claims for victory. Here is one interpretation of who gained the most ground this generation.

[blitz0623]

So you pick the 360 as the winner (even if the war isn't really over) and wrote this:

"They had arguably the worst start of all three consoles this generation, but have undergone an amazing transformation"

Sounds more like the PS3 to me.

[bestgamer]

I say the worst start because RROD was killing them. Granted PS3 has come a long way also. 360 has to be the most transformed console in history, if you compare the system software (dashboard) it had originally to what it has today, that user interface, all those extra features and services filled in, tight Kinect integration. And then the hardware itself overcoming the RROD, operating much more quietly, allowing full game installs from DVD and booting from USB drives. The list goes on.

[PoSTedUP]

PS3 had a bigger transformation and is the most transformed in history, it basically started from scratch with the online this gen, look at it now... thats a huge step. it even added it's own huge social network PS HOME. then there's 3D, ps3 motes, it didnt even have rumble in the beginning, it didn't even have games cause 360 was getting them all. Sony added more First party developers and so many exclusive games, how many devs did MS buy and how many AAA exclusive games were funded? now all the extra features and services added in. psp and psV remote connectivity. now the TV that has the hologram split screen thing. not only are they the most transformed, they are the most innovative.

[KMCROC54]

Am giving u a bubble up vote just for standing your ground against the the red sun fans.

[keke961]

the gamers won this gen, straight up

[Gazondaily]

@postedup

You're giving Sony props for its so-called transformation of its online system?? If anything, this is the area where Sony fails. You say it started from scratch; who's fault is that?

Credit has to go to Microsoft for being as successful as it is now considering how it was such a new contender in the console race. People forget how Sony pretty much had a monopoly in the console market in the previous generation. People were scoffing at the one year lead Microsoft was going to have, thinking that once Sony came out onto the market, it would obliterate competition. It obviously didn't.

Let's look at the strengths this generation per company:

Nintendo: Brought gaming to the masses and popularised gaming beyond what many ever anticipated would happen. Gaming suddenly wasn't the past time of a few. The mammoth sales speak for themselves.

Sony: Quite a poor start but the PS3 really regained its ground in the later years. A slew of excellent titles and exclusives keep pouring in and more than make up for the deficit at the start. MGS and Uncharted are seminal titles and the likes of the Last of Us mean there is plenty more to come.

Microsoft: Started the ground running with lots of exclusives and really expanded on its online features. Xbox Live has really become its own and MS really did innovate when it came to the console; well thought out interface, sculpted feel of the controller, achievements, ever changing Xbox Live which social functionality that no console competitor can match. Great exclusives in almost every genre (although more are needed now). RROD was a disaster though (like the PSN hacking fiasco) but MS did rectify the situation somewhat.

This generation has given us the most diverse and brilliant gameplay experiences ever. All three consoles have something to offer and the sheer amount of quality games available is staggering. This generation also marked a true awakening of third party developers and excellent titles like Bioshock, Assassins Creed, Battlefield 3, Oblivion, Dead Space, Call of Duty just to name a few.

There's something for everyone this generation and thus, the real winners are gamers. If this trend continues on into the next generation, we're in for a real treat.

[andibandit]

PS3 was the biggest disappointment, 6 years ago i dont think anyone imagined the PS3 wouldn't live up to the legacy of it's predecessor. I wont deny that today i would pick a PS3 over a 360, but there shouldn't even have been a PS3 vs 360. Sony came from a dominant position and should've squashed MS, but a mixture of.

Expensive entry model.
Ridonculous launch games.
Non existant marketing.
Late Entry to market.
Arrogant minded approach.

Ensured that MS survived.

Sure you could argue that MS had problems with RROD, i could counter with
Credit card theft
mandatory installs
Constant updates
no x gamechat
70,000,000,000$ deficit
and deficit from having to give away free games after Credit Card theft and no online for 1 month.

but it's irrelevant. I just hope for the sake of gaming that Sony choses a diffrent approach when the next generation begins.

MS learned alot from the previous generation when they had their asses handed to them by Sony, and decided to switch strategy, and Sony decided to do NOTHING, thats how you loose.

[darthv72]

They just happen to be the different categories.

For the category of Technical abilities, the winner is: PS3 for its inclusion of the next gen movie format and advanced cpu/gpu design.

For the category of Marketing, the winner is: 360 for its over the top amount of $$$ put into advertising of multiplatform titles, kinect and non-gaming services.

For the category of units sold, the winner is: Wii for its sheer number of units sold to core (minority), casual (majority) and everyone in between.

For the category of entertainment value, the winner is: Gamers for being privileged to play such console exclusives as Uncharted, Mario Galaxy, Halo as well as a slew of great 3rd party multiplatform titles like Mass Effect, Bioshock,Assassin Creed.

Bottom line...we do not need a single solitary winner in a console war. There is room for multiple winners. Especially us.

[AngryTypingGuy]

I'd pick 360 as the winner too. Look at the positions of MS and Sony at this point in the last generation. Look at where they're at now. Big difference, huh?

[Army_of_Darkness]

If the 360 owners are happy with their console from then till now and think MS won this gen, then so be it.
from the RROD to Kinect. yeah, great beginning and end to this gen that the 360 totally deserves to win... Lmfao.

Wii won because of what? they sold the cheapest console available, No HD, with nothing but shovelware crap, a handful of good games, then bail out early to make a new console to catch up with current console power?! yeah okay. great victory nintendo. I'm sure your fans are very happy.

Now the PS3 at first had a ridiculous price tag, arrogant and barely any launch titles to justify that high price point. bluray was not enough to convince me to get a ps3 then because buying a bluray movie was ridiculously expensive and i mainly wanted it to game... The launch titles were not good enough either... But now, sony has completely done a 360 and convinced me how much they improved in every way. from amazing games that come out constantly to improved free online play to PS+ which I LUV! and even when it seems the other console is dependent only on multiplats, they continue to throw exclusive after exclusive still even when no one else seems to care anymore.....
so yes, I pick sony as the winner this gen so far because honestly, it's not even over yet.

[PoSTedUP]

"If anything, this is the area where Sony fails"

im glad i dont need to waste my time and explain anything to such onesided ignorant nonsense. and although i do give Ms credit, we'e talking physical console transformation, Not their success. so i am right and sony wins on that part imo.

[Gazondaily]

@Posted up

How is what I said ignorant one sided nonsense? Someone please explain how this kid has 4 bubbles?

Physical transformation? What do you think I'm talking about?

You describe PS HOME as a 'huge social network', reference ps3 motes and vibration functionality the reasons for this so called biggest transformation in history??! Lol Wtf?!

It's unbelievable how much of a complete blind and hypocritical fanboy you are. As I mentioned in my first post, Sony had a monopoly in the generation prior to this one. You're giving it props for transitioning so poorly into the gen and then recovering from it?

I'm sorry but you're in desperate need of education and I just wasted my time and bubble trying to instil some sense into you.

[ShinMaster]

What credit card theft? That never happened, you *****.

360 required an install to get all the cars and tracks in Forza 4.
Battlefield 3 also required you to install to get decent textures.

Updates are a good thing.

And yet, despite all that, they're tied.
PS3 is one of the only systems that continue to deliver new IPs. But sure, you can try to spin that negatively.

[PoSTedUP]

you sound like you just disregarded all the huge points in my comment on the sony side, a good evasion tactic. your comment it completely one sided, and on top of that the things you mentioned in the microsoft transformation can't touch the incredible amount of molding Sony did this generation. i gave MS credit for things they did, but i honestly cannot make up a list for MS as innovative and big as sony's

[TotalHitman]

How does a console win a war? If it's by sales, then Nintendo won. If it's by popularity, that's difficult to answer. The Xbox is popular in the US and UK but the PS3 is popular everywhere else.

[Hellsvacancy]

The PS3 is popular in the UK, whos tellin you otherwise?

Everybody i know pretty much has a PS3, even those who dont use it to game

[TotalHitman]

I also live in the UK. Everybody I know has a 360. Even the casuals.

[kneon]

Nintendo is certainly leading, but as Yogi Berra would say "It ain't over till it's over".

We can be pretty certain the PS3 will continue to sell for many years to come, but we don't yet know what Nintendo and Microsoft will do after they launch their next consoles.

[AIndoria]

Speak for yourself :P PS3 is popular in all of Asia (Live services are crap here so we don't get Xbox unless we really need Halo or Gears), Australia and Pretty much everywhere where we don't have uncle Sam trying to take over our country :P

[Jazz4108]

If you took a vote on a a xbox fan site then xbox wins hands down
There are more sony fans on n4g so sony will win here. In the actaul real world ms was a underdog and sony was a goliath and foranyone to look at the numbers and say sony won when they lost major marketshare are still in third place overall and hae went from a profit house to currently being worth 14 billion with only 10 million cash on hand and these numbers are recent as in today from business weekly. So anyways Nintendo won this gen from a numbers standpoint, ms would be second as they took on a powerhouse company and won a lot of there marketshare and that leaves sony in third. There is no other way to look at it other than to be a fanboy and I kept my comments out of this post and kept it facts. I expect to get many disagrees since I did not say sony won a. A site that favors sony but if I went to a ms site and said the same thing I would expect a lot of agrees. I just hope people will put aside fanboyism a second and look at the facts at company's marketshare and networth as a company at the start of this gen and where they are today 2012. My 2 cents worth:people on here would fight to the ends of the earth to prove that sonys ceo takes a bigger crap on a daily basis then ms ceo. Numbers don't lie but fanboys do.

[StraightPath]

microsoft came as a underdog with the Xbox alongside well established gaming giants as Nintendo & Sony and look at where they are now. all three done great. Nintendo sale wise and first party games were great. Xbox dominants the living room media device and excellent games too. Sony done great with exlusives and a big change from its launch.

Overall Nintendo won business wise...afterall they do this to make money...nintendo made the most along with the ds and 3ds currently.

[Patriots_Pride]

Sales - Wii
Popularity - 360
Exclusives - PS3

[dafegamer]

ok this post make sense but i thought that ps3 would be more popular actually

[guitarded77]

I'll agree with that, but there needs to be an asterisk next to "Popularity - 360", and it needs to note popularity being in the US, because world wide 360 is not the most popular console.

As a gamer, PS3 is the winner for me. It has given me the most great games to play. Call me a fanboy if you want, but it is my winner this gen. I own multiples of each console, and don't shun the others because they too have provided excellent experiences, but if I had to choose one, it'd be my PS3.

[Clarence]

Very bias article. Its funny that he didn't mention the format war hd vs blu ray. Everyone knows how that turned out. Also as I recall the kinect sensor is not as accurate as he's making it out to be.

Sony has added a new franchise every year. The PS3 already had features that M$ is just now implementing. Wifi, web surfing, youtube, 3d, blu-ray which the new xbox might be getting, because M$ decided to use old format.

sales-Wii
Popularity-PS3
Exclusives-PS3

The only place the 360 is popular is in the US.
The year head start help the 360 get the lead, and RROD is the biggest F u from M$ by far. M$ knew the 360 had major issues, yet they released it.

Also the console war is not over.

As of right now NIntendo is winning this gen, because of sales.

[mike1up]

Aren't sales and popularity the same thing?

[humbleopinion]

Market share gained - Wii
Biggest game selection - 360
Most visionary - PS3

[HammadTheBeast]

@HumbleOpinion Wow really? Are you seriously going to say that? Name me 5 exclusives not including XBLA games or Halo, Forza, Gears etc. Please do. Ps3 has a much bigger game variety and library. I can name 7 rigt now. God of War. LittlebigPlanet. Uncharted. MGS 4. Starhawk/Warhawk. Resistance. Infamous. Killzone. heavy Rain. Need I go on?

[DasTier]

@Hammadtheone you realise there are actually more games avaliable on the 360? It's just there hasnt been many exclusive recently, back in its early life they were churning out things like Kameo, Banjo Kazzoie, Perfect Dark, PGR, however they didn't sell well enough to make money, and that's why m$ business plan changed to less exclusives which sell tonnes, also alot of the old exclusives were from Rare, and we no their now in the Kinect side of things, either way your either trolling or just oblivious.

[humbleopinion]

HammadTheOne, Why should I name just five? Take the whole list instead...

Metacritic rated/unrated game list:
360 - http://www.metacritic.com/b...
PS3 - http://www.metacritic.com/b...
Wii - http://www.metacritic.com/b...

Mobygames:
1737 360 games - http://www.mobygames.com/br...
1371 PS3 games - http://www.mobygames.com/br...
1201 Wii games - http://www.mobygames.com/br...

Assuming you have basic math skills you are probably aware that 1737 is bigger than 1371 and 1201, and so I'm pretty sure you can't argue with these facts and numbers...

Plus, do you even understand how stupid it sounds when you ask me to come up with a game list but write something like "Don't include Halo, Forza, Gears etc."? What do you mean by "etc"? Do you understand that "etc" can count for any game whatsoever and therefore rule out any game come up with?

[miyamoto]

"It Ain't Over 'Till It's Over"

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Sounds like this site need hits

[aceitman]

The ps3 is in the under 2 million gap against the 360 . Hell give it props for coming out a year later and being a higher priced console. It's not over this gen for the hardcore systems . But the wii has this one.

[Tonester925]

The console that I bought and spend the most time on. My PS3.

I just refuse to pay for Xbox Live and my Wii just broke a week ago. Hmm don't care that much even though I want to play smash bros. Yea I miss that game already.

But the REAL WINNER is whatever console that you bought and enjoy. It doesn't matter which one it is and what people are saying in this article or comment section.

It's up to you individually.

[Bowzabub]

At my house it's Playstation 4 (2 PS3s, PSP & PSVita) Nintendo 2 (1 Wii & 1 3DS) and
X-Box 0. That's the only race I'm watching.

[PoSTedUP]

.

[Wintersun616]

From a business point of view, on the console side both MS and Nintendo won by gaining and regaining a lot of market share while Sony lost a lot of it. On the other hand Nintendo is no longer the only notable competitor in the mobile handheld market, with PSP selling a handsome amount of +70 million it isn't all market share loss for Sony after all.

But for me personally Sony is the winner with PS3's game library, free online, PS+ & Blu-Ray.

[stonecold3]

i would go with sony on this one ?

[mike1up]

Nintendo won.

Nintendo not only made the most money, but they also forced Sony and Microsoft to adopt motion control interfaces. Like it or not, the underpowered Wii was a massive hit this gen.

[Hicken]

I don't thin they forced anything. Yes, both Microsoft and Sony did add motion controls, but that was many years after their launches, and Sony at the least didn't go all-out with it. The Wii sold a lot, it's true, but it's also the first to get replaced, and is seeing the largest drop-off in sales currently.

Did they still win? I'd say so. As much as I'd like to give Sony the nod for overcoming a lot of hardships to be as competitive as they are, Nintendo certainly took and has maintained a rather commanding lead this gen. Of course, I don't believe the gen will be over until all competition has launched, and it's highly possible that the Wii could be in third place by then. But if we're talking about RIGHT NOW, then it's not too hard to say Nintendo is winning.

Edit: Really? They didn't overcome a negative view in the press and a much higher price point? They didn't overcome an early shortage of games and the overwhelming popularity of the other two systems to stay right in the race? The hack wasn't something they had to overcome?

And wasn't Nintendo the champ before Sony, the upstart, took the crown? Historically speaking, the winner of one gen isn't necessarily destined to win the next. In fact, except for 5&6, when has that ever happened?

Use your head before you comment. The proof of what I speak is right in front of you, assuming you have the eyes to see it.

[miDnIghtEr20C_SfF]

As much as you'd like to give Sony the nod for overcoming a lot of hardships to be competitive????

LMAO... Sony was the 2 time Defending Champion. They aren't overcoming anything. Next generation they'll be overcoming the PS3, but they're not overcoming anything.

MS over came being the newer face and RRoD, yet in the end Nintendo won this generation.

Sorry dude.. I know you're SDF and all, but Sony didn't have to overcome anything this generation. They were the Champions.

Also.. this Generation doesn't end when all 3 are done. Are you kidding us? So you mean last gen is still going on because PS2's are still selling? That's SDF talk right. Defense.

This generation comes to an end soon. Real soon.

[mike1up]

Agreed, this gen is not over until all 3 companies release next gen hardware. It will be interesting to see if Sony and Microsoft have any last minute surprises to finish strong.

Forced was a poor word choice on my part. I should have said that nobody really expected motion controls to become that profitable, it was "easy money".

[MrBeatdown]

@Endoran

It's funny that you give MS credit for overcoming a self-inflicted and completely avoidable wound like RRoD, yet you criticize Hicken for giving Sony credit for overcoming their own issues, like price, or bleeding exclusives. What's the difference? Oh right, there is none.

What's even funnier is your nonsense about how Sony didn't have anything to overcome. I mean, they are in first place! Right? Right!? Being first place last generation guarantees you won't have issues next gen. This is why N64, GameCube, and PS3 all mopped the floor with the competition. Also, unicorns are real.

Then there is this gem you had to offer up...

"So you mean last gen is still going on because PS2's are still selling?"

This is why reading comprehension is so important. Hicken said... "Of course, I don't believe the gen will be over until all competition has launched" which is the complete opposite of how you took it.

Let's recap.
1. Hypocrisy
2. Logic fail
3. Reading comprehension fail

Bravo. You're doing the anti-"SDF" brigade proud.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

"Anti-"SDF" brigade"

I'm using that from now on.

[maniacmayhem]

"Finally, if you're going to respond to what I have to say, at least have the balls to respond TO ME, and not NEAR ME. What are you afraid of?"

WOW! This is coming from the guy who was dropping names of people (including mine)he felt were 360 fanboys in unrelated articles?

You are a piece of work Hicken, I just love stumbling on to some of your rants.

[BrutallyBlunt]

"As much as I'd like to give Sony the nod for overcoming a lot of hardships to be as competitive as they are,"

Oh please, what hardship are you talking about now? They had 2 generations in a row they completely dominated but failed to keep that momentum. It was nobody else's fault but theirs. They decided to go with BLURAY and they decided to charge a lot of money to play a console game on. They also decided once again to create a unfavorable gaming system for developers who had to struggle with the hardware.

They still managed to outsell the XBOX360 year over year, so what hardships are you going to whine about now, the media treating them unfairly? How about you start leading by example instead of blaming the media while your own actions are 10x worse?

"Use your head before you comment. The proof of what I speak is right in front of you, assuming you have the eyes to see it. "

Yes, please do Hicken. It's hard to use your noggen when it's in Sony's rear all the time. How about you start acting like a real gamer from now on instead of playing your games where it's you constantly fighting a war that doesn't exist?

You know who won? They all won because they all managed to be very competitive this generation. You know who lost? The idiotic fanboys still arguing about who won.

[Hicken]

You said a bunch of nothing. You know that, right?

First, I already outlined what I perceive to be hardships that Sony has faced.

Second, it's been said many times that last gen is no indicator of what will happen with the next gen. Sorry if that's tough for you to grasp.

Third, you didn't disprove anything I said, but instead supported my claims(saying that they made a hard to develop for system, and then saying they "still managed to outsell the XBOX360 year over year sounds like you agree they didn't have it easy), so what's really bothering you?

It's very hard to use a noggen, since that doesn't exist; maybe you meant noggin?

Anyway, the console war, such as it is, has existed longer than I've been gaming, if not with the same intensity. And you know what? It'll be around as long as there are different consoles; you trying to pretend it's simply the product of the fanboys' minds- when simple logic would tell you that fanbos are actually the product, not the producer- won't make it magically go away. These companies ARE in competition with each other, after all.

Or does that not really exist, either?

Finally, if you're going to respond to what I have to say, at least have the balls to respond TO ME, and not NEAR ME. What are you afraid of?

[BrutallyBlunt]

"These companies ARE in competition with each other, after all. "

Yes they are, that's not what i'm talking about. I'm talking about you, where do YOU fit into all of this? Oh that's right, holding a couple of pom-poms shouting from the bleachers 'I Love you Sony and i will fight for you Sony!'.

Get a life kid. They all had hardships this generation. Microsoft had to overcome the domination Sony had within the industry (just ask anybody trying to compete with a tablet against Apple or trying to compete against Nintendo and the handheld market). Instead Sony has mangaed to corrode their own name over the years and that hardship was mostly the fault of their own but you'll do a bang up job deflecting that all the way. Telling everyone to support Sony because they are the only ones that have exclusives for real gamers.

Microsoft had hardships too and they were their fault as well. Remember the RROD fiasco? That's a big hurdle buddy but did you put that into context next to your desire to always root for Sony? Nintendo had hardships too because the Gamecube flopped. The Wii was a major gamble and it paid off. In a world of high tech and online gaming them beat the odds, with poor relationships with 3rd party publishers too i might add. Electronic Arts were slow to support it because they believed Sony would dominate again. Other 3rd party publishers didn't have much faith in it either. The media you love to use as a scapegoat for Sony's hardships too didn't have any faith in the Wii either before launch just like they don't with the Wii U. But hey, it's just Sony they don't like right? What planet are you from anyways, PlaystationLand?

You're a lost cause, you know it, i know it and many others know it and those who don't are just as naive as you or are too afraid to admit it. Have fun rallying behind Sony while i have fun knowing they have no more or no less repect for you as they do for me. Why? Well because both of us are merely just customers and they don't pay people like you who are rampant of forums cheering for them all day long. I've got better things to do like actually enjoying my PS3 instead of worrying about what everyone else thinks or how the media treats the company behind it.

You don't know how to debate because your whole viewpoint is from a Sony fanboys perspective. Full of bias and totally out of context. One minute you'll go after someone for not talking about games on the Vita and attacking them for talking about other things Vita needs while you yourself will go into a topic about 6 JRPG's that would be nice upgraded additions to the XBOX360 and talking about something else because you don't even like the system so why list 6 games, right? Your whole viewpoint is skewed and it all stems from being a deranged Sony fanboy and the inability to see things rationally, normally and sanely.

So just skim over what i just said like water off a ducks back, put in your disagree because you ran out of bubbles and carry on to the next topic either defending Sony or going after someone who's being negative towards Sony. If only you got paid for your efforts.

There's an old say, don't argue with a fool because chances are some might not tell the difference. I'm done lowering myself to your level, you're a complete waste of time who has too much time on his hands. You're far too negative to talk to and it's actually quite depressing seeing what you post around here. You'd think since Sony is doing such a great job fulfilling your needs you'd be much happier.

[jessupj]

I wish people would stop considering the wii when asking the question "who's winning the console war".

Yes it's a console, but it's aimed for a completely difference demographic. You can't compare me with a soccer mum or grandma.

I won't deny the wii's success, but people need to stop thinking it's in the same league as the HD consoles.

[Ck1x]

Only because its ahead in sales, now if it were behind the other two then it would be ok to include the Wii with this generation. That's like saying that the PSP or Vita aren't competing against the DS or 3DS for sells, because they both have more advanced hardware than the closest Nintendo system at that time. What failed logic on your part!

[Kaos_Vll]

so because YOU don't like it it's success should be overlooked? wtf?

facts are facts, sony and ms are BEHIND nintendo so let's just give them props for giving sticking to their guns and making a GAMING machine, not some wannabee livingroom entertainment unit that just happens to play games.

[R_aVe_N]

The gamers won

[Ck1x]

I agree with you whole heartedly and know where you are coming from with this comment. But the people here don't want to hear or think like that, because they need something to worship and brag about...

[LX-General-Kaos]

Nintendo has done a fantastic job dominating the videogame landscape for the current generation. The Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo DS entertainment systems respectively outsold competing consoles and handhelds. Both which have gone on to deliver new and exciting ways to enjoy videogames. New innovative ideas that were soon picked up by competing brands. Nintendo successfully delivered fully realized and supported motion control functions correctly.

Nintendo has successfully pushed for motion control functions, and futuristic dual screen action that has become standard in the gaming spectrum. Giving the Nintendo Elite supporter complete battlefield control in all forms of gaming and entertainment. The Nintendo business model this generation performed heads and shoulders above competing brands. Opening the flood gates to millions of non gamers around the world to give our beloved hobby a spin.

Last generation was dominated by rival forces. This generation when it comes down to numbers, profit, and all around success. Nintendo is the brand that rose to the occasion, and came out in the number one position in worldwide standings. Also delivering some of the highest rated awarding exclusive gaming experiences in the history of videogames.

Nintendo has ended this generation with an almost unstoppable momentum. Already delivering amazing results with the Nintendo 3DS entertainment system. And soon later this year with the next generation Nintendo Wii U entertainment system. Which introduces a new way to experience Elite Nintendo gaming with the Nintendo Wii U entertainment system tablet control functions. Available later this year wherever videogames are sold.

Have a blessed day and happy gaming.

Rated E For Everyone

[MadLad]

internet war soon to come . . .

Anyway, 360 was my personal favorite console this generation.

The 360, despite not having the largest list of first-party or console exclusives, had the most games that I cared about - Alan Wake (personal favorite first-party game this generation), Metro 2033, Witcher 2, the Halo series, Forza, Divinity 2: The Dragon Knights Saga, etc.

I prefer xbox live, despite having to pay for it, if only for the fact that it's more aesthetically pleasing and is better suited for chatting with friends online.

Developers seemed to favor the 360 as their main development platform (should be pc, truthfully), resulting in a good number of titles that simply performed better on that machine. Obviously this isn't the case for all releases. It was the exact opposite for a number of titles as well. I am just speaking in general.

So, to me - the only person that matters - the 360 was my console this generation. And that's why.

[Dms2012]

Its so predictable on this site, if I want to pinpoint a pro 360 opinion, I simply look for disagrees lol. Its true, you all know it.

[BitbyDeath]

Nintendo won, they managed to introduce a whole new market to gaming.

Can't really top that.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

Obviously it's Tiger Electronics....

[Seventh_Blood_Reborn]

The satisfied user. Me.

[darren_poolies]

If you go by sales then Nintendo won. But I couldn't care less about sales. PS3 won in my opinion just by the sheer amount of awesome exclusives it has had which I have played and loved.

[blackblades]

Nobody won yet, cause the war is not over until all 3 discontinue production,
on another note wii got the most sales doesn't matter, ps3 got the best games that what counts and that a win.

[BitbyDeath]

Last man standing wins?

[Gridloc]

I guess the war is over. No more reason to say mines better. Just play what you like too and shut up...

[BitbyDeath]

If only it worked that way...

[MadLad]

This will never, ever happen, sadly.

People aren't mature enough to respect other's personal opinions.

[mike1up]

Agreed, I tend to go a little overboard myself.

I do, however, believe that there is nothing wrong with a little friendly competition. After all, with the exception of dignity, console wars never have any casualties.

[stephmhishot]

I think Microsoft won this generation, going from afterthought to changing the way the average persons approach what they want out of a console. They managed to push their agenda and force Sony and Nintendo to adapt and respond to their gameplan.

It's clear that MS views the games as a necessary part of the Xbox entertainment experience, but its only an aspect of it. Kind of like how smartphones still make phone calls even though that "feature" feels like an afterthought. If the rumors and speculation about the next Xbox being subsidized by cable companies as a cable box are true, we'll be witnessing the evolution (or devolution, depending on your POV) of game consoles. Sure they want to sell millions of copies of Halo, but in the end, they'd rather see you buying music and movies and TV shows and turning the Xbox name into something that is synonymous with an iTunes, Google Play or Amazon marketplace.

Nintendo made their money, and came in and went out in a blur, but its hard to say they didn't have a hell of a ride, selling the most consoles, thanks due most in part to being the cheaper option, but still providing some unique experiences along the way.

Sony entered feeling a little bulletproof, but got humbled. But that was good for gamers, as we got one of the strongest lineups of first party exclusives ever. I think so long as Sony keeps their missteps this generation in mind heading into the next era, they can rebuild their reputation amongst the mainstream, while still managing to be the "kinder, more gentle" Sony we have seen the past 3-4 years.

[thrashermario]

PS3

[Oh_Yeah]

i liked and hated things about all consoles this gen. in terms of bang for your buck, ps3 by far won.

ps3 good; exclusives, chargeable controllers, free multi player, blu ray, changeable hard drive, browser

bad: lacked wireless N speeds, no party chat

xbox 360 good: wirless n speeds, party chat, jtag

bad: lacked exclusives, no chargeable controllers included, no free multi player, no blu ray, no changeable hard drive other than ms, no browser, no wifi without paying for the adapter at first

lol all i had to do was switch the lists around and put no. i own a 360 but only because its jtaged and i can put pc mods on it, i agree xbox is better but only if you have a jtag. a regular ps3 vs a regular 360? lmao ps3 all the way

[ExCest]

Wireless N isn't accompanied by internet speed. It comes with wireless transfer speeds. Your internet determines your internet because your internet is the internet. Your router isn't the internet.

[Oh_Yeah]

wtf are you even saying right now?, i know wireless n is about wireless transfer rates. downloads are faster on my xbox 360 slim which has a wireless N adapter, about twice as fast as my ps3 download rates which has bg. something like 4 mbps vs 2 mbps.
Thats why 360 downloads quicker because of the wireless n card in it right?

[xCaptainAmazing]

Who won? They all lost. Each had minor successes amidst many failures. I honestly couldn't pick a winner.

[oakshin]

the wii won easy why?

95 mill units sold plus they have sold each wii for a profit from day 1 360 and ps3 was sold for a lose when the wii first came out it was 250$ and still it was sold for a profit

personally i got a wii in 2006 throwup on it gave it to my mom and got a ps3 and havnt looked back i have a 360s and my brothers geting that cuz its useless to me at this point but thats me

edit: alil fyi this isnt sony vs microsoft its PlayStation vs xbox look it up the playstation makes money the xbox loses money......................... ....

[cstyle]

props to Microsoft for pulling out a stunner this generation.

[DarkSniper]

There is absolutely no question as to who won. When it comes to quality exclusive content, online interactivity, reliability, and brand recognition PlayStation®3 is the undisputed champ this generation.

What we have witnessed is the first three-peat in gaming history. Since the mid 90's Sony Computer Entertainment have dominated the industry by providing the consumers the richest content that has never been duplicated.

This generation, Sony Computer Entertainment pulled off the impossible by going from 3rd place to first place since the PlayStation®3's inception in 2006. As it stands today, PS3 has usurped the Nintendo Wii and made a laughingstock of Xbox 360 by leading the market in total worldwide console sales year by year. Even in the present moment, PlayStation®3 kills the competition on a worldwide basis.

This means that the brand name of PlayStation is as strong as it's ever been. During the rough economic times, consumers have found the price friendly structure, ergonomic design and the complete package that Sony provides to be the ultimate interactive device for all gamers of all ages.

Dark Sniper knows he placed all of his eggs in one basket for a reason. Those eggs have hatched into an unstoppable force in quality software for the gamers. With upcoming titles such as Beyond, The Last of Us, PlayStation All Stars:Battle Royale and many others, PlayStation Nation is set for another decade of dominance as it was and should be.

Now is a great time to be a part of the PlayStation ecosystem. With their organic environment that blends the line between reality and virtual reality, there is no reason why you shouldn't own a PlayStation®3 Home Entertainment Terminal.

$niper
youtube.com/therealdarksniper
Twitter:@therealdsniper

[StreetsofRage]

HOLY SH*T!!!!! For realz?

[cstyle]

"This generation, Sony Computer Entertainment pulled off the impossible by going from 3rd place to first place since the PlayStation®3's inception in 2006."

You are delusional. The only thing sony is in first place in is money lost. They actually have gone from 1st last gen to 3rd this gen. Which of the 3 had to replace its CEO and who is in financial trouble? Don't kid yourself dude. Sony gave us great games but they are in a bad position because they are in the red and it doesn't look good at all.

[PCGamingNoobs]

playstation isn't in financial trouble one bit. all the other sony departments are in money trouble because no one buys sony bravias anymore or there speaker systems and that kind of stuff.

the Playstation department and sony entertainment (movie and music) departments are making money. why do you thing they have just sold off a massive chuck on there TV business to samsung, because they cant make it work at the moment. but theres nothing wrong with there profits in gaming hardware and software!!!

[HappyWithOneBubble]

LOL you crack me up dude. I like reading your comments.

[Dms2012]

I guess you are an exception to my earlier post, sometimes people disagree with a post because of its sheer idiocy, regardless of console allegiance. You really need to seek therapy and maybe some meds.

[tiffac008]

I have to go with Nintendo. They were not the king the last 2-gen and did not have the deepest pocket. They had the smallest margin of error to make and they did it with a splash with the Wii.

Who would have thought the WiiMote (which confused a lot of people when it was unveiled) would be the driving force that would let the least tech heavy console to lead this generation.

Of course its not going out with a bang but when people look back at the history of this generation. The number of console unit sold will be the main thing that the majority will probably notice and not who won which battle.

[mochachino]

Nintendo but they're in a bad position now, they sacrificed long term core gamers for short term casual gains. Those casuals are probably playing Android and iOS games now while the core just don't care that much about Nintendo.

[BlaqMagiq24]

PS3 hands down for many reasons

[JonnyBigBoss]

PS3 had the most features, games, and best graphics. It gets my vote.

[StreetsofRage]

The Playstation name isn't unbeatable like it once was. The ps1 and ps2 completely dominated the market. You can combine the Xbox and Gamecube TWICE and still don't get close to the domination of ps2.

The PlayStation name and Sony for that matter *was* KING!

And now the present...

Nintendo and Microsoft have both tripled their market share and have been wildly successful in their gaming division. Sony on the other hand, have been stuck in last place this entire gen and have not seen the same financial success as the ps2.

The ps2 used to dominate certain genre's but now they're behind the 360 and multiplats. Forza was critically acclaimed and took the crown for best auto sim game from GT. Halo is still a top dog in the FPS genre and fighting multiplats like COD and BF for top spot. Sony on the other hand tried with Resistance and failed. Their top dog Killzone's multiplayer is so low in numbers that they are offering it for free.

All this talk about the bluray having all this extra storage? Well where is it than? Where are the exclusives that use it to the fullest? Tell me a game that is bigger than Skyrim or GTA4 and a Sony exclusive? Is it Twisted Metal? Socom? Infamous 2? Starhawk? Playstation All Stars? How about the Uncharted trilogy? A great trilogy but a game that is extremely linear and short.

Sony and it's fan for the most part have been all talk and no action.

Sony as a whole just isn't the powerhouse they used to be. Their tv's are stuck somewhere in the middle behind Panasonic and Samsung. Tablets? Cell Phones? Mp3 players? They're all in the bottom on the list. Move and Vita are arguably a flop while Kinect and the DS rack up the $$$.

I own a ps3 for the few awesome exclusive it has, but the fact is it's not the same powerhouse as it used to be.... the numbers don't lie.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

Funny the made up "war" isn't over yet (I guess). So far the Xbox and PlayStation are semi even in sales so technically a tie between those two, right now at least. But the Wii won overall, Its simple cheap concept sold almost 100 million units. But then again that doesn't really matter since nobody talks about it let it alone plays the console anymore.

So its a tie between Xbox and PlayStation at the moment.

EDIT: For whatever reason that's unknown to me, I will get disagrees so please tell me why. I know people disagree out of practice but I want a full logical explanation at least do me that favor.

[MadLad]

Same with me.

I make it perfectly clear that the 360 being the better console is entirely my opinion.

I then backed it up with points. Clearly stating that my points make sense to ME, and that's why I listed them.

Still, the ignorant masses disagree in droves because, god help me, I apparently don't share the same opinion as them.

I guess it is easier for the less eloquent to simply 'scream' "NO", in the form of clicking a button than it is for them to actually form an argument or, god forbid, simply respect the separate opinion of another person.

[Ck1x]

It just comes across delusional to think or say otherwise what the theoretical console wars have always been about. Over the past generations, its always been about the sales lead. So now things have changed and people want to make it about game exclusives, or which system do you play the most right now! That still doesn't negate the fact that even though the Wii was underpowered, low tech, $250 and received none of the most popular franchises this generation. That it sold as well as it did in the face of very stiff competition. Its not that hard to admit facts, just like its not hard to say that Sony dominated the 2 previous generations before this. But this generation Sony had the most to lose and they did... Sony lost marketshare to both Nintendo and Microsoft. They lost the exclusive 3rd party relationships they had with PS2 and they lost some branding loyalty in the process as well. Sony losing big title games like Dragon Quest and Monster Hunter to Nintendo in Japan surely didn't help much either.

[SITH]

People here missed the thesis of this article (first paragraph) and read the last paragraph and ran with it.

"After six years of fierce competition it is clear that there were no losers in this battle. Each of the platform holders essentially had disparate levels of success, making for a healthy industry. I do however have a winner in mind, but first I will list some of the pros and cons of each."

The pros of the Xbox 360 exceed the pros of the other consoles due to its contribution to gaming, and entertainment. Nothing in the thesis is focusing on time frame or sales volume to decide the winner.

[omarzy]

Nintendo won.

1. Introduced motion controls to gaming which became so popular that Sony and microsoft decided to launch motion controls. MOve was in development, but stayed on the sidelines until it was safe to come out.

2.Sales. Obviously the most important as it is the whole purpose behind the gaming industry, and the only thing on a devs mind no matter how much they sugar coat their words.

3. proved to the industry that a powerful console is a double edged sword. one edge creates a fantastic game, and the other edge is pricey dev costs, and needing to sell millions to break even. expectations are also set unnaturally high with more powerful hardware.

4.Nintendo DS. redid the handheld market completely with two screens, and touch screen. Sold over 150 million units.

Ps3/360 have achievements as well, but hardly shaped the current gaming market to the level that Nintendo did.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

I won't disagree that Nintendo did some amazing things this generation but I think you are off the mark if you dont think the 360's version of XBL hasnt shapped console gaming forever.

[omarzy]

XBL set the standard for online gaming and any online interface for gaming. XBL is very user friendly for me. I didn't leave out xbox live, i left out online gaming in general which is actually a huge part of this gen now that i think about it. So your right. XBL changed how we game in its own way as well. I did not say that xbox did not shape anything though. I said that when comparing XBL to Wii motion controls and the casual craze then XBL falls short in COMPARISON. On its own, it is quite something.

[catch]

It is pretty clear gamers won and console war dumbasses lost by wasting their own time and others by bitching and moaning too much to spend any time enjoying the games.

[AngelicIceDiamond]

BTW I believe its strictly opinionated. Sales are even when it comes to the Xbox and PlayStation. Xbox has a 3 or 4 mill lead? Yeah that's nothing, 10 mill is a conversation.

Sales: Even
popularity: depends on where you live, US Xbox, Europe is split, some places its PlaySatation others is Xbox, Japan Yeah Xbox nearly doesn't exist, PlayStation.

Games: Very debatable, MS was very consistent with a flow of exclusive games up until last year, 2011 the only year MS games have vanished while PlayStation was breeding exclusives like rabbits. But was also successful previous years with there games.

Online: Its short and sweet, PSN has free online as well as discounted games and free games its perfect for everyone, even you don't buy PSN+, free is a very, very, attactive word and is great for what it is. Xbl is a tailored online experience That's specifically centered around ONLINE GAMING. So it depends on what you want your experience to be.

Overall they're both strong consoles. The "winner" depends on what you like and you want. So the winner here is... The "Opinion" and your personal experience. Theres no "My opinion over yours." Thats foolish and stupid if you say other wise.

[ChunkyLover53]

Well if you go strictly on sales, its obvious the Wii won. I own all three of the current consoles, so there are no exclusives for me.

I think the winner is the gamer's who looked past fanboy BS and found a way to enjoy gaming on multiple consoles.

[pbasson]

i cudnt agree more with ur statement. for example I like games on ps3 but i wud prefer playing online with Xbox live anyday.

[pbasson]

Their is no such war. Idiots have brainwashed (fans boy/girl)gamers into thinking their is a war. Respect what console people want to play and let them be. After all with out differences we all enjoy one thing, Games.
Each has its strengths & weaknesses.
Here is an example of an strength
PS3 has excellent first party games & graphics
Xbox 360 has excellent online (im talking about playing) & gameplay.
Wii has wide varity of games that casual and core gamers enjoy.

[KMCROC54]

(JMO)Am going to have to chose the Xbox brand just on the sheer fact that they ventured into an industry that was originally dominate by PC, then by the rival imports . but they came in & turned everything upside down. all this while still moving forward & continually turning the industry on it head.

[LAWSON72]

The Nintendo wii won by a land slide with 90 million units sold. That's right 360 and ps3 fanboys the wii is real and is actually counted.

[OC_MurphysLaw]

Nintendo wins for a crazy successful console that made us all forget about thegame cube.

Sony wins for beating the odds of launching one the most expensive consoles in generations and seeing its momentum still rising.

MS wins for being the relative new kid and surviving RROD which should have honestly killed any console hopes of the 360 and actually thriving afterwards.

Bottom line this generation was a win for all.

[Rock_On_PS4]

The PS3 Nazis will vote you down on here if you say X360 or Wii instead of PS3.
PS3 Nazis are literally married to their PS3.

[saimcheeda]

the runaway winner!

[Rock_On_PS4]

Gears 1 to 3.
Halo 3, Halo 3:ODST and Halo Reach have outsold most PS3 exclusive games.

Game sales really count and make profits. High reviewed games do not always result in high sales. The Orange Box and Bioshock: both rated highly bombed in regards to sales.

[YodaCracker]

Nintendo quadrupled GameCube sales with the Wii.
Microsoft tripled Xbox sales with the 360.
Sony halved PS2 sales with the PS3.

It's pretty clear who the winners and loser of this gen are. There's no way you can twist these cold, hard facts.

[DFresh]

If we're talking about sales which I don't care about then Nintendo owned everybody.
If we're talking games specifically consoles then Playstation owned big time due to the wide variety of exclusive games and IPs.

[UnitSmiley]

Why is everyone talking like sales are the only thing that matter. Maybe in the past sales accurately displayed which console was the best but not anymore. This gen a LOT of casuals got into the market. So sale numbers don't mean anything. If we were going by sales then I guess Wii fit was the best game this generation right? /s.

Nintendo is Nintendo, and they always do things their way. I'm fine with that, I like Nintendo and want them to do well. But it cannot be denied that Nintendo got a ton of support from casuals.

Microsoft got away with murder this gen. Again, I contribute this to the PS3's terrible launch AND casuals. Why do I say casuals? Because in my experience over the last 7 years, anyone i've met who preferred the 360 didn't know jack about gaming. They literally only played the games that were trendy at the time. Half the time while trying to debate with them (because THEY said 360 was the best) I had to explain the different between a multiplat and an exclusive. *facepalm* Microsoft gets off on popularity, not quality. "Oh it's popular? It must be the best" <- terrible mentality that led to not only Microsoft making so much profit but also games like COD being as successful as they are.

Sony is my favorite by far. They had an absolutely terrible launch, but they turned things around quite remarkably. They have a large number of diverse, quality exclusives available and their online is free. PSN+ if you choose to pay, (note I said "choose" not "have to") Offers FAR more incentives than the paying for Live. Even now this late in the gen they are bringing in more Ip's. Microsoft looks to be focusing heavily on kinect and shifting toward an even more casual based mentality. Sony is the only one with real gaming enthusiasts in mind.

Not knocking 360 fans, as i'm sure a lot of 360 fans are intelligent and very knowledgeable about gaming.But seriously. Most of the 360 fanbase are only "fans" because it's popular atm. A majority of them don't know anything about gaming.

[oakshin]

u cant look at it as who "won" based on ur personal preferences like the arthur did u have to look at it from a nongamer point of view witch lacks bias

ive ran into alot of xbots myself that really just play call of duty and r anything but "core"

[level 360]

PS3 is the definite game-console winner. They simply had the best quality and most progressive/historic games in every age category.

[Picnic]

A good thing is that there has been no casualty in this generation. No Jaguar, no Saturn, no Dreamcast.

Only relatively speaking to the sales from the last generation, the PS3 has been a casualty. The console may have reached a good amount of exclusives but if you don't like shooters that rules out a lot of them and it has not created as distinctive a line up of third party exclusives as the PS2 did. The PS4 should be easier to program than the PS2 and PS3 though so Uncharted 4 should ideally be a launch game aim for Sony to make sure that people buy the console whilst it is still at a high price point.

Nintendo's sales have ballooned since the days of the Gamecube but their profits have dipped. Some might say that this a fair reflection that the Gamecube had a larger number of really great games but it's not an expected outcome to lose money when the Wii is far more well known to the general public than the Gamecube was.

Microsoft have successfully built upon the Xbox in a solid way, creating a console that, gameswise, is essentially like a hyrbid of the PS3 and Wii, only with HD graphics throughout. Despite not having a series quite like Uncharted , and the RROD problem, I call the Xbox360 as the winner of this generation because its name is synonmous with gaming to many people due to the breadth of its gaming line-up. The console has got a balance between seriousness and fun and doesn't fall back on using 'cinematic' games as a sometimes smoke and mirror device to be taken seriously as much the PS3 does.

[Tzuno]

It's no surprise for me if in the future Microsoft remains the best on the market completely destroying competition. It's very hard to happen but it can throw concurrence really low.

[ALLWRONG]

this gen isn't over yet. only thing we know for sure is last gens winner didn't win, and last gens loser surprised everyone.

[Bonerboy]

Console Wars: Who Cares?

[Vickistheman]

Sales winner: Nintendo

Games winner: Sony (Still releasing core exclusives near the end of the cycle)

Online winner: MS

[Smokingunz]

Postedup u need to be quiet! I can tell u r a Sony fan to death! First of everything u said about the ps3 in your comment is a fail!!! The vita is a fail, the move was a fail, their online is a fail, their first party games is a fail(they don't sell) everything from Sony has been a fail! I'm sorry but the xbox is the system of choice amongst the masses and developers, gaming as a whole. Where the ps3 fails the xbox excels. I even put the wii in front of the ps3. Men lie women lie numbers don't simple. Stop trying to save Sony. Thaw y they're in last place and the 720 will do to the ps4 like when it comes out like the xbox is doing the ps3 now lol Sony had their run. The only good system they had that wasn't a failure was the psp which is one of my fav systems.

As far as this article go's I agree with the xbox being on top, but reality wise, the wii won this gen. Until either ms or Sony can pass that 100 million mark made by nintendo then they'll have the right to say they won this gen. Until then.

[OldSnakePS3]

MGS4
Demon's Souls (best new ip this gen)
Uncharted 1-3
God of War 3
Killzone 1-3
InFamous 1-2
Resistance 1-3
Heavy Rain
Little Big Planet 1,2
GT5
Motorstorms
Yakuzas
Heavenly Sword
Journey
Twisted Metal
Warhawk,Starhawk

Upcoming:
The Last Guardian (yes it will come out)
The Last of Us
God of War: Ascension
Beyond: Two Souls
Sly 4
Playstation allstars battle royal
FF vs 13
Agent

To each his own but i know which console is my winner

[KittyEmperor]

I don't see how someone can be a winner of an imaginary war. But still even if you must declare a winner the current gen isn't even over yet since neither Sony or Microsoft has released any real info about their next gen console so technically the "war" is still going on.

Anyways does anyone else remember a time when there wasn't anything like a "console war" going on and the only thing that really mattered wasn't which console had the games that you wanted and so you would play your games and other people would play that games that they liked and everybody would be happy and that the only time people would fight would be over how good a game was. Maybe it's just me but back then it felt like gamers were a whole lot smarter and were actually capable of talking about games without bringing their fanboyism into it.

[Elite-uk]

No one, round 3 coming soon :P

[Orionsangel]

Before I start. I own all three systems.

In terms of numbers and innovation. The Wii won with the most sales and creating motion controls for better or worse. The Wii started out strong and even became a phenomenon at one point, but after a while the public got tired and too many lazy and bad third party games turned the Wii into a door stopper. Wii's were collecting dust in closets across America.

The PS3 started out bad with a ridiculous launch price. Coming off the success of the PS2 and being king of the hill. Sony's arrogance got the best of them and they paid for it. They learned from it though and got back on their feet and made a huge comeback, but piracy hurt them along the way and in the end they had to settle for third place.

Now what system really defined this console generation? The Xbox 360 by a mile. Xbox Live and online multiplayer was where it was at this generation. Like it or not this generation was driven by online FPS games. The Halos, Gears, Call of Duty, Battlefield etc. The best place with the largest community to play those games was on the 360. So in the end I think the 360 won this generation.

[greenlantern2814]

why not wait till the console cycle is over before you declare a winner? if your gonna call it now than you have to say nintendo wii won. but all 3 are still out there to be purchased
sony is gaining in sales and a lot of people say they have the most momentum right now and surely in the next year it will only get better. the ps1 and ps2 had tons of success at the end of the life cycle ps2 still sales to this day. so the ps3 will most likely have the longest life cycle and may end up selling more that the others. because history shows us that nintendo and xbox will give up on their old consoles when the new ones come out. hell nintendo has already stopped supporting the wii and wiiu is not even out

[terrybogard]

Just saying that both PS3 and 360 graphics have been compared (Many times by many people) and 360 wins but by not much.

Don't want to disappoint you Sonydrones, but google is your friend.

[greenlantern2814]

that may have been true at some point but now there is little to no difference in 3rd party titles and ps3 exclusives like uncharted, god of war, and upcoming titles beyond; two souls and the last of us have far superior graphics than any other console games. sorry xbot but you can't believe everything you see on the internet