Fast forward a few years, to the year 2011. Where do you think the consoles will rank by then? According to one Sony rep, they will be ahead of the Wii... with the PS2.

Sony boss Chris Deering has surprised many by predicting that the firm's PlayStation 2 console, which launched in the UK in the year 2000, will have more active users than Nintendo's Wii by 2011.

Speaking at the launch of Edinburgh's Interactive Festival, the games chief said all platforms will see major growth by 2011, predicting there will be 2.5 billion gamers worldwide.

Deering said the DS will have rocketed to 150m users, but top of the home console market will be the PS2 with 90m active users.

The Sony boss added the Wii will be second with 80m users, the PS3 and PSP will be at 70m and the Xbox 360 at 40m. -- SpongyChicken

Guess there's no escaping their ten-year lifecycle talk, though I imagine it would be a little easier for the best-selling system of last generation to keep ahead of the Wii with a six year head start.