Consumer Behavior

When looking at some of the most successful brands and companies, I can't help but notice that the brands/products/companies that survive are the ones that make life easier and entertaining. I think one industry that is successful because of consumer behavior is the gaming industry. Lets take for example, the Playstation 3 and the XBOX 360. Do we really need both? No, but to satisfy consumer needs, they are both  produced and VERY successful companies. Then we can take into consideration all the other gaming consoles that are out today, some not so good, and some that are still holding strong.