On a recent Game Theory podcast it became apparent that there are at this time around 90 million people who had the PS2 and as yet have not decided to buy a PS3. It can be assumed that 90 Million PS2 users will actually want to upgrade in the first place.

There are a couple of scenarios to contemplate before looking at the economy itself. Firstly will all those 90 million users actually opt for a PS3 over the Xbox 360 or the Nintendo Wii? Secondly, will some of those 90 million users actually upgrade at all?

It is safe to say that the Xbox 360 has been more of a hit than the Xbox, so maybe you can say around 10-20 million users have or will switch to the 360, and the Nintendo Wii has gone through the roof with its sales and before the Wii, could Nintendo really claim to have had a strong contender in the console market? Its possible about 20 - 40 million PS2 users have actually opted for the Wii over the PS3. These figures naturally are just my thoughts and no one in the world could claim to know the true figures. The worst case scenario is that 60 million plus PS2 users wont be upgrading to the PS3. Leaving 30 million undecided. Who knows how that split will work. Its arguable that the PS3 and Xbox 360 will level peg it this time round. Leaving the Wii to make its rivals bow down in shame.

Why would this be the case and why is it happening? More to the point why are software sales floundering? Console total sales have not yet been hit by the economic slowdown, but is that the reason software sales are suffering or are the games being released just down right awful?

So many questions and still now answers I hear the you saying...well...remember the idea of 'One for the road' is to get you thinking and pondering these questions for yourselves..however I cant possiblydepart from here without giving you our thoughts on these happenings...

The Economy is a big threat to the console world. So say I. Others say in actual fact the economic slowdown will increase sales as people stay in to entertain themselves rather than spend big money out on the town...quite possibly true.. I however like to be more pessemistic...

If people are buying more Wii's than any other console..and by a fair margin...the cheapest console on the market...could that be because people dont want to pay big bucks for a console? The software is also cheaper...just. When your talking full on family entertainment the Wii also wins..hands down. Family entertainment at an affordable price..who wants to pay hundredes on a PS3 for Blu Ray when not that many people have HD TV yet? Who wants to spend big money on a 360 when it does not even have Blu ray!?

PS2 was the closest console to full on family entertainment that was available at its height. Now the tide has changed...and I believe its due to the financial climate.

Could sales continue to rise? Yes..for the Money friendly Wii. That still means thoughtthough that the big boys wellwill suffer in the next few years. Nintendo might well be thankful for the credit crunch more than most.

The question "will the economic climate impact on console sales?" has a double edged sword as an answer.