In terms of unit sales the Nintendo Wii was the Xbox 360's only real competitor. The Wii outsold the PS3 at a rate of two to one.
"Nintendo seems to have stolen the high ground in terms of playability and entertainment value. Nintendo seems to be surfing this wave of public interest and this idea of accessibility that they started with Nintendogs and these brain games," said Forrester Research analyst Paul Jackson.
Although Sony had critical problems in production of the console, lackluster reviews and the obtrusively high price also impeded holiday sales. As the Wii continued to gain buzz over the PS3, online discussions of where to find Sony's console became overshadowed by parents desperately trying to discover where to buy a Wii for Christmas, in addition to gamers looking to get one for themselves.