Nintendo Wii

Microsoft and Sony had already flooded the video game market with Xbox and Playstation consoles—every teenage boy's true first love. But in 2006, the Nintendo Wii was released to an unassuming public. Now, nearly six years later, the gaming system—first known, and beloved, for its wireless controllers and virtual console service—not only competes with Xbox and Playstation, but often leads in worldwide sales. Even Nate Silver could not have predicted this.