So what does that say about Sony and Microsoft, which also are hoping to attract nongamers to their respective new-generation consoles by positioning them as home entertainment hubs?

Both consoles contain hard drives to store content and allow users to stream music and video content from their home computers. The PS3 features a Blu-ray DVD player and is developing a Second Life-style virtual world called PS3 Home, while the Xbox Live Marketplace offers downloadable movies and TV shows.

“Microsoft and Sony clearly have larger aspirations for the game console in the living room as a portal for some of the other services they’re trying to sell,” Gartenberg says. “The hardcore gamer may be the one purchasing the console, but other family members may use the other features. Nintendo’s approach has been to get nongamers playing games.”

According to NPD Group spokesman David Riley, the Wii’s “gaming first” message is much easier for nongamers to grasp than Microsoft and Sony’s more complicated home entertainment message.

Microsoft is showing signs of early success with its decision to add TV and movie downloads to the Xbox Live Marketplace. Since first making such content available last November, the company says it has seen a 400% increase in downloads. Microsoft did not reveal exactly how many downloads that figure represented.

“All of these strategies are viable,” Gartenberg says. “It’s not a question of one over the other. Nintendo has demonstrated that there are multiple ways to get into the hearts and minds of other family members.”

Other factors also play a role in the Wii’s early success. At $250, the Wii is the cheapest option on the shelves, with the Xbox 360 carrying a $400 tab and the PS3 a whopping $600. Additionally, the PS3 was hampered early on with severe product shortages and a dearth of blockbuster games that show off the system’s capabilities.