Quote: "I remember the same thing being said about the DS when it was released. People thought I was stupid for getting one. Who's laughing now people "
I have had a DS since it was released and, much like you, banked on that one over the PSP... and haven't looked back since.
As for the Wii, although it is the one I went for, it is harder for me to see it becoming a sustained runaway success compared to the competition as the DS.
The reason for this is that, as a portable device, the DS is in every term a better machine than the PSP:
1) Loading times are instantaneous vs looong UMD loads in PSP;
2) Less bulky;
3) A lot more "pick up, play and continue later" games on the DS which is what people want;
4) Battery lasts longer;
All of the above are killers for a portable device. Insofar as a living room device requirement goes, there is a lot less between the Wii and the 360 or the PS3:
1) The Wii is nicer looking, so it won't offend the wife as much
2) The Wiimote is not as unsightly as a console controller: really a corollary of 1) above
3) More casual-gaming people are willing to have a go at a Wiimote: really a corollary of 2
So, in "functional" hardware terms it really is a much closer race. In powerhorse terms it won't be able to compete. So we have a tie in this account.
My take is that the Wii will have to stand its own on software "ingenuity" terms. Chutzpah (always dreamt of using that word) instead of muscle. I am hopeful that Ninty 1st parties will do that, because I am pretty sure no one else will...
I have vague plans for World Domination
