Who cares about Japan...
It's brandname loyalty, one way or another. (i.e., Sony wins!)

The 360 will be a certain major hit IF the Wii is briced bare-bones at 250USD. Even if the Wii is at 200, the 360, with the unannounced price cuts (rumours), would be close to it and have 150+ games and much more powerful hardware when the other 2 launches.

Remember, excluding the Japaneese, the Wii's other demographic is non-gamers besides the ones who play Zelda and Mario. To them, 200 is too steep of a price for a novelty-wannabe-item that you can't show off. (Cue iPod?)

This post has been edited by X.E.D: May 26 2006, 07:07 PM

If MS cared so much about Japan, they should have done regional launches there first. And rushed DoA4. And Enchanted Arms. And Blue Dragon.

Imagine this: Wii launches at 200. 360 Core cuts to 250 (imaginary)
Now, if you can get next-generation graphics with the ability to play 100+ games, including INNOVATIVE ones like the arcade Geometry Wars, why not shell out 50 more bucks?

The common user will certainly have that mindset or so (Wii ain't worth it) unless Nintendo quickly does extreme advertisements like the iPod did.

Now for the gameplay...
Is swinging your arms around trying to play tennis with Wii Sports, or using a analog joypad playing Rockstar's Table Tennis fun? Gameplay doesn't need to always come from the hardware. Which one "feels" non-gimmicky and normal? It's a GAME. Not motion capture.

The Demographic that bought the DS weren't mostly non-gamers, they were gamers and despite the fact that unorthodox games like Brain Age recieved some applause, non-gamers didn't rush to the DS for it. Now the Wii doesn't have more unorthodox games. It doesn't have those Popcap games people are crazy about, too. And all you get- Zelda, Mario Galaxy, Excite Truck, for 200 bucks, seems destined for poor gamers, not non gamers.

Prediction in Japan this Q4:
PS3- 1-2m shipped, almost sold out. (Give us more of Japaneese Giant Crabs with weak points )
Wii- ??? shipped, certain sell out.
360- Sorry, 1000 units?

USA/EU
PS3- sells, but not totally sold. (600 bucks/ 425 pounds isn't enough to justify price)
Wii- Sold out.
360- Sold out.

Note the people buying the Wii are hardcore gamers. Casual people won't camp at stores.

Sorry to go off topic, but I hate the fact that Malaysians always use selective reading to make posts. And after that, dismiss people's opinions as fanboyish.