GameStop sent out this statement regarding how trends in the last few generations have divided popular culture. The text then came to suggest that the battlefield now is video games and friends are torn between the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. Readers were flabbergasted as to how GameStop came to that conclusion and began asking questions.

The first would be "where in the green and black hell is the Xbox 360?" Others asked "where is the difference in price and specs?" Finally, people asked how GameStop reconciles the fact that the two consoles have different audiences with its claims.

We suppose that the comparison was made under the line of thinking that the time interval between the launches of Sony and Nintendo's next-gen systems were closer than that of the Xbox 360. The Microsoft console has been a smash hit and one in 66 Americans already own it, therefore leading the GameStop writer to think that the choice is now which second console to get than which one the buyer wants to own.

When it comes to price points, there's almost no contest. The world knows the PS3 can run anywhere between US$600 to US$900. The Wii can be purchased from a low console price of US$250 to a bundled high of US$550. That leads us to the question on audience. Even if the Wii's clientele focuses mainly on the younger crowd and the PS3 claims to have something for everyone, the price difference polarizes the market according to purchase power.

Children are not likely to buy the PS3 for themselves and it's quite another issue for them to con their parents into getting them one. That's where the Wii winds the kids. It's more manageable to save your lunch money and get your folks to help you buy Nintendo's box of wonders. The PS3 is a high-end machine that the working crowd will find more appropriate to their category.

Bottom line, we're stumped. GameStop made some good points but we've yet to hear a great interpretation. Better yet, get both the Wii and the PS3. That's double the fun.

*Check out the table attached with this message*