One console to rule them all.

While Nintendo and Sony's plans for the current generation consoles couldn't have looked more different it now seems that they were both going for the same market share but from completely different ends.

Nintendo were going for the casual gamer and none gamer using the Wii's all new, now all conquering, control method as the hook. Coupled with a large array of casual style games, some massive first party games and a sprinkling of games to please the fans, Nintendo's plan is working better than anyone ever thought it would. The Wii is a massive seller all over the world and even now, more than a year after release, it can be hard to find a Wii for sale on the high street. Nintendo are enjoying a new golden era.

Sony on the other hand went for hi-tech. REALLY hi-tech. So hi-tech that people began to question the sanity of the decision to be quite so hi-tech, not least because of the price that the console was going to cost. Were PS2 owners really going to upgrade to a PS3 at launch? We all now know the answer to that, as do Microsoft and Nintendo who both must have smirked as Sony plummeted into third place in the console war. The PS3 is the powerhouse of the current generation but history shows that this alone is not enough. Sony must have been aware of this as they decided to go even more hi-tech and added another expensive, and unproven at the time, piece of hardware. The Blu-Ray drive

So like the fat kid in the 1500m race on sports day the PS3 is a lap behind in last place. But this isn't a sprint and, just like the tortoise, the fat kid could cross the finishing line first.

With the announcement last week from Toshiba that HD-DVD has gone the way of the Dodo, Blu-Ray is set to be the new DVD. Sony's plan all along was to have a PS3 in every house to play, not just games, but films too. D'oh! How could we have doubted them!? Sony, like Nintendo, targeted the casual gamer and none gamer but they thought they'd lure them in with the only way to buy high definition films and it's worked. Blu-Ray has punted HD-DVD into touch. For good.

Compared to Blu-Ray player prices the PS3 is now a very attractive option for anyone wanting to watch high definition films and PS3 sales will very likely overtake both the 360 and Wii sales very soon. It's only a matter of time for Joe Public to think "Hey, this monstrosity plays games too? I gotta get me some of that!" and it'll have the most software support just like it's predecessor.

Maybe I'll be temped with a PS3 one day. Hopefully Sony will release a slimline PS3 before that day. At least that way it will fit through my front door.

Does Blu-Ray interest you? Does it interest anyone? Could downloadable movies yet usurp Sony's plans? Most PS3 owners are a bit scared of Gameov3r and they don't stick around for long. It could be his flatulence but the rest of us forgive him that. And use pegs. So come and shout for the PS3 on the GAMEOV3R Forum.