Microsoft also got the 360 out there a year before the PS3 and the Wii. But my impression is that the other thing that solidified the 360 as a contender is that Microsoft figured out their niche -- action/FPS games, primarily -- and claimed it with games like the Halo series. Nintendo also has had a pretty clear market segment in mind with the Wii, and has been very successful targeting it.
Sony seemed to think that all console gaming belonged to them by right, so they thought they could get away with releasing a console that cost way more than everyone else and didn't have any particularly compelling launch titles. The fact that game companies persist in cranking out perfectly good PS2 games doesn't help.
Unfortunately for me, the game genre I personally like -- RPGs -- has tended to be largely a PlayStation specialty. The good RPG offerings on the XBox or XBox 360 are slim (although there are a few.) Fortunately, I have my 60GB PS3 and can play the good PS2 RPGs, of which there are lots. Or rather, I could play them if I had any time, which I mostly don't. Alas.
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Sony seemed to think that all console gaming belonged to them by right, so they thought they could get away with releasing a console that cost way more than everyone else and didn't have any particularly compelling launch titles. The fact that game companies persist in cranking out perfectly good PS2 games doesn't help.
Unfortunately for me, the game genre I personally like -- RPGs -- has tended to be largely a PlayStation specialty. The good RPG offerings on the XBox or XBox 360 are slim (although there are a few.) Fortunately, I have my 60GB PS3 and can play the good PS2 RPGs, of which there are lots. Or rather, I could play them if I had any time, which I mostly don't. Alas.