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I'm not going to start laying out all the hard facts because people will play what they play, love what they love regardless of what others say.  And there's no need to argue which consoles are better because they appeal to different people, as we've come to realize.

Now I never thought the Wii was a bad console.  I was actually quite drawn to its white and blue scheme, compact design (looks like my cable modem) and affordability.  In fact, the Wii allowed me to better appreciate the Xbox 360's white and green motif.  But I was never the kind of person to dump money without a second thought, especially when price tags run in triple digits, but the console wars were upon me.

So what happened?  Two years ago as I was debating this gamer's dilemma, craving something new to fill that void left behind by completing Okami and Shadow of the Colossus, I saw an ad for a holiday rebate for an Xbox 360 Premium (they hadn't been renamed "Pro" yet).  The rest, as they say, is history.   Numerous friends did invest in a Wii, and I was able to experience the novelty of its motion sensing play, with Wii Sports being the greatest draw.  Cute, really, but what else was there?  At the time, there wasn't much.  Not that it mattered because I had Gears of War and my first "next-gen" console to keep me preoccupied.  Truly, the bright colors and bloom effects of Viva Pinata were astounding for my virgin eyes.  A month or so after the Wii launched, I purchased an Onyx DS, then scoured the lands for an appropriate protective cover of adequate quality.  Even then, popular DS colors were difficult to come by, meaning retailers sold out before new shipments had time to come in -- unless you were looking for Coral Pink.  I never stayed up late a few times following the legal adventures of Phoenix Wright while my 360 sat by silently.  Yeah, that lasted for about a month...

I don't like console stereotypes because like any other stereotype, they can hinder judgement and turn people into blubbering idiots, but it's no secret that Nintendo holds greater appeal to the masses, evidenced by their widespread success over the two more hardcore platforms with their smaller demographics.  But novelty gets old, doesn't it?

Considering Nintendo is still doing all right by themselves and are getting ready to launch their new DSi in North America and Europe next year, it appears that people really aren't getting tired of whatever gimmick the Japanese game company still has up its sleeves.  Who else gets away with selling millions of games that feature the same characters, same storyline, and same aesthetic?  No, I didn't mean Koei.  No, not Square Enix either.

I personally don't consider the Wii to be a direct competitor for the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 because its fanbase is just too different.  I can't look at the Wii's collection of titles and bring myself to even compare them with the ones Microsoft and Sony now fight over for exclusivity.  No, Nintendo has placed their toy console in a league of its own.  But then we begin to consider the issue of time.  There is now a Wii sitting in my living room, where it was left for safekeeping by a relative who is out of town for a few months, and I admit I've been considering purchasing a game or two to try.  Those No More Heroes trailers certainly looked tasty.  Hell, chances are I'd find more titles to pique my interests if I bothered looking for them, but for working adults or anyone with responsibilities beyond gaming, there may not be enough free time for two consoles.

Handhelds are a whole 'nother story.  While you can argue that the DS, like its larger cousin, was made for a different breed of gamer -- the casual kind -- its success has no doubt held back the PSP a bit more than Sony would like.  Sales have picked up, but even non-gaming companies are seeing the beauty of handheld entertainment.  Phones and MP3 players now offer games as well, and though they aren't very advanced (or pretty), they keep people amused just enough.  Let's not forget Apple's aggressive marketing, claiming time and time again that their iPhone is the future of portable gaming.  It's working, actually, because I am ashamed to admit that during my two week trip to Taiwan, I didn't touch my DS once.  Instead, I was absorbed by Hexic on my Zune.

So beyond convincing you to purchase their machine, companies also need to ensure that you, the consumer, remains open to the various games they plan to shove down your throat afterwards.  That is where the Wii and DS lose me, and from what I've heard and read, many other gamers as well.  This only drives back to the sad question of whether Nintendo still cares about their loyal gaming following, or if the profits from those casual markets are getting in the way.  Have corporations ever stuck to loyalty when given another golden opportunity?  I'm not planning to get a DSi when it arrives in the US, but what's one less sale to those guys?

I'm not going to dismiss the Wii nor its little handheld cousin.  I've simply forfeited to the fact that I am simply not one of Nintendo's target demo(graphic).  While I grew up with an SNES and had a Gameboy Color to me occupied the first few years of high school, both remain in storage with my PlayStation 2 for purely nostalgic reasons.  I've heard countless complaints about Nintendo's inventory of hardcore titles, but does it matter when fans are willing to swallow their pride for the sake of brand loyalty?  I would guess not.  Maybe when my Xbox 360 finally breaks -- been over two years, but no doubt it will happen someday -- I'll look into some Wii alternatives while the great lovable brick is being shipped to Texas for repairs.

On another note, Neoseeker launched its Neoseeker Blogs this week.  Users must have 50 forum posts on our site in order to start their own Neoblog, but they really are a lot of fun for the Neoseeker community.  With them comes the question of whether I should move my Sunday Specials to my blog or keep them on the front page?  Some say these weekly editorials are kinda blog-esque, after all!

Edit The move from front page to blog isn't a sure thing yet.  I'm asking readers out of courtesy, but the Neo staff is getting their input too.  We'll see next Sunday what happens.