Spain’s favourite game console is the newly-launched Nintendo Wii, according to a recent survey, despite the fact that the previous Nintendo model, the Gamecube, bombed spectacularly in the country and brought disappointingly low sales figures. Barely 200,000 were purchased after the console hit the shelves.

Hot on the heels of the Wii is the Playstation 3, Spain’s second favourite. In spite of its inflated price and selection of games being thin on the ground, the PS3 is as popular as its predecessor in Spain, says the console’s creator, Sony.

Yet the Xbox 360 falls way down the list of Spanish video game fans. Only 4.5 per cent of Spaniards would buy one if seeking a new console, compared to the 31 per cent of 18 to 55-year-olds who would opt for, or have already opted for, a Nintendo Wii and the 30 per cent who would choose a Playstation 3.

The latter’s older model cornered 90 per cent of the Spanish games console market when it was launched, selling some seven million.

The survey, carried out by marketing consultancy The Cocktail Analysis, says young people and men are more keen on the Playstation, whereas the older generation and women tend to opt for the Wii.