So who is winning the console war?
If you go by sales figures then Nintendo has completely dominated the market. Since they released their Nintendo Wii in November 2006 the Japanese company have sold an astonishing 50m units worldwide. The Xbox 360 was released a year earlier and has shifted 30m units. The PlayStation 3, which went head to head with the Wii, has so far sold a mere 22m units worldwide.
Why is the Wii so popular?
Price may have had something to do with it – the Wii was much cheaper than its rivals when it launched. But what really helped Nintendo was that the Wii persuaded a whole new demographic to play computer games. "What Nintendo did was very clever," says Michael Brook, editor of T3 magazine. "Sony and Microsoft were desperate to outdo each other with their new consoles, particularly when it came to power and graphics, the kind of things that appeal to the usual teenage gamer. So Nintendo went back to the drawing board and developed a console that would appeal to everyone, especially families. The graphics aren't as strong but the game play is incredibly innovative and inclusive." Software developers also brought out a whole range of family-friendly games while applications like Wii Fit – which mixes fitness exercises with a video game – have been a runaway success.

