Buncha negative nancies in here
MICROSOFT XBOX 360: Great games, xbox live, good exclusives, nice media device
SONY PLAYSTATION 3: Great Blu-ray player, Great Games, quiet & works well as a media device
NINTENDO WII: Fun for the whole family. Control scheme opens up lots of room for unique ways to play. Inexpensive to get into initially
SONY PLAYSTATION 2: Unmatched library of games + ridiculous amount of games and accys on the used market. You could keep youself busy for a looong time for very little.
NINTENDO DS: Great handheld, inexpensive to get into, anyone could find a game to like.
SONY PSP: Nice screen for a hand held, ability to play Hot SHots golf on the bowl, great games that might cater more to 360/PS3 fans, multitude of other features media, wifi, etc. yet still not too big to slip in your pocket.