One of the major questions in the video game industry for the last six months or so has been which next-generation, now current-generation, console is the best. The three options available in this debate have been Sony’s Playstation 3, Nintendo’s Wii, and Microsoft’s X-Box 360. While there is still considerable time before each console can be fully judged, it is fair to say that after seeing the start each console has had a winner can be determined for now.

The X-Box 360 was, of course, released a year before the Wii and the Playstation 3. Because of this, it has a large lead in console sales. Beyond the inflated number, however, is a genuinely powerful machine which creates unbelievably realistic game play. The true potential of the 360 has already been shown once with the masterpiece game “Gears of War.” The game not only displays the consoles ability to create fun and challenging games, it also showcases terrific graphics and cinematic cut scenes and dialogue that could be straight out of a movie.

The 360 is a true next-generation console as it allows buyers to play games in stunning 1080i resolution. The console also has a reasonable price, retailing around $400 for the high-end model. Add in the fact that Microsoft has established a fun and promising library of games, “Halo 3” is just on the horizon, and the company has good reason to feel confident about their system.

Meanwhile, the Playstation 3 is no slouch in high definition. Sony created their console to play games in full 1080p resolution while using a blu ray disk player. The blu ray disk player is a nice feature for anyone who wants to buy and view high-definition DVDs. The problem with the Playstation 3, however, is three-tiered. Firstly, the console is overly expensive. It costs $600 for the high-end console and additional costs come from expensive accessories. In addition, the game selection available for the Playstation 3 is slim to none right now, with no real appealing exclusive games. Finally, many HDTVs owned today can’t display 1080p, thus negating the effects of such high resolution.

All in all, the high price of the Playstation 3 has caused many to balk at a potential purchase. Sony trails both Nintendo and Microsoft in sales.

On the other side of next-generation consoling, Nintendo created a system that doesn’t need high-end graphics or realistic gameplay to succeed. The Wii works by letting players feel in control of the game they play. Want to play baseball? Grab the controller and swing it like a bat. The concept is unique and appeals very well to casual gamers. The very reasonable cost of $250 is also a good selling point to those who don’t play video games often.

The problem with the Wii is it might not have enough to appeal to hardcore gamers. While Nintendo does boast several heavyweight titles with Zelda, Metroit, and Mario games, the majority of their new releases fall short in terms of depth. Still, the Wii has outsold both Microsoft and Sony since its inception and looks to have a bright future.

As it is now, a clear winner of the three cannot be determined. The one thing that is for sure, however, is that the Playstation 3 is in a distant third place. It remains to be seen which console will be the most beloved in three to four years, but for now my money is on the Wii for its mass appeal.