| With the festive season now behind us,
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| | Christmas, with the gap widening over the
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| many wonder which of the
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| | course of the year, unless it managed to
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| seventh-generation video game consoles
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| | strengthen its weak position in the
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| came out on top for 2007. The Big Three
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| | all-important Japanese market. On the
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| - the Nintendo Wii, the Microsoft Xbox360
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| | other hand, research group BrandIntel
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| and the Sony Playstation 3 - have all
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| | expected the PS3 to fare worse this
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| partaken in fierce competition, each with
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| | festive period, citing its high price and
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| its own unique selling point and games.
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| | comparative lack of games as the main
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| The short answer is that, for now, the
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| | reasons.
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| winner is the Nintendo Wii. Taking the
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| | With the two consoles appealing to more
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| console market by storm since its launch
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| | hardcore-gamers than the Nintendo Wii,
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| in November 2006, it has seen an
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| | Microsoft announced last week that it had
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| unprecedented popularity amongst what is
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| | sold 4.3 million Xbox 360 machines
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| known as "casual gamers" - those who do
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| | worldwide in the last quarter of 2007,
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| not wish to invest time and emotion on
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| | while Sony announced this week that it
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| what they perceive as overtly complex
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| | sold 1.2 million in the U.S. during the
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| games. Using inexpensive controllers,
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| | Thanksgiving to New Year's period. These
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| known as WiiMotes, that capture the
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| | apples-and-oranges figures make for hard
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| motion of their user's hands, Wiis were
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| | comparison, but it's clear that both
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| scarce as demand for the console surged -
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| | machines are still in the running.
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| making it to the top spot of the
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| | Sony anticipated its issues by slashing
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| Telegraph's "Hardest to find Christmas
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| | prices on the PS3, and sales must have
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| gifts" list and becoming the most
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| | been helped with the news that Warner
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| searched for term on eBay. This could
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| | Bros have decided to drop HD DVD as a
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| have been a conscious effort by Nintendo
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| | format for its home video releases,
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| to avoid saturating the market, but the
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| | making the PS3's Blu-Ray playing
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| company denies this, instead citing
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| | capability a bigger draw than previously.
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| inefficiencies with the supply of
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| | Microsoft meanwhile, benefited greatly
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| third-party components.
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| | from the release of Halo 3. Since its
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| It's not all plain sailing for the
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| | release in September it has sold 8.5
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| Japanese console giant though. Despite
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| | million copies, which means that almost
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| its Wii and Nintendo DS being leaders in
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| | half of the 17.7m Xbox 360 owners bought
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| the home and handheld gaming market
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| | the game. It is currently the
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| respectively, the majority of games
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| | top-grossing video game of all time,
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| available for Wii have been made
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| | bringing in $300 million by the end of
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| in-house. Shunning the market for
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| | the first week of release.
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| decidedly family-unfriendly games like
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| | Perhaps the biggest winner in the current
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| Halo 3, it remains to be seen whether its
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| | console war, however, is the game-playing
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| simple appeal is sustainable in the
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| | public. Gaming is slowly becoming the
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| upcoming year; but for now, the Wii is
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| | leader in entertainment and well on its
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| definitely in the lead.
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| | way to surpassing Hollywood. It might
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| As for who's in second place, the jury's
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| | not do so this year or even this decade,
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| currently out. Analysts were divided
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| | but thanks to the success of games like
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| over what to expect this Christmas. DFC
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| | Halo, the industry is sure to see
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| Intelligence, a video game and
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| | significant investment, widening the
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| entertainment industry research firm,
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| | selection and quality of games for years
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| predicted in September that the Xbox 360
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| | to come.
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| was likely to finish third this
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