Wii Soon to Replace the Xbox

Smash Bros. update will propel more Wii sales.

Corrected on 2/15/08: An earlier version of this article incorrectly reported the number of PlayStation 3 consoles that will be sold as of 2008. ISuppli predicts that 20 million will be sold.

Apparently, it's no joke in that commercial where a game player's pitch smashes the flat-panel screen. It's a real problem, especially with the Wii console and its interactive games. So we shouldn't be surprised that Panasonic is pitching a plasma TV as Wii resistant.

Plus, Panasonic is going after a fast-growing market. The inexpensive ($250) game console is still selling fast, judging from sites that track the rare Wii. The consoles sell out almost as fast as I can switch to the retailer's site.

"Wii shall overcome," says a note from market analysts at iSuppli. They say the Wii will soon eclipse Microsoft's Xbox as the most popular gaming platform. By year's end, consumers will have bought about 30 million Wiis versus about 26 million of Microsoft's console. Sony's PS3 will trail at 20 million.

But don't feel sorry for Sony. iSuppli predicts the PS3 will regain momentum. The three consoles will have nearly evenly divided the market by then, with Wii holding its own—even if players can't hold onto the Wii.