The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) has an article out that indirectly outlines Nintendo’s comeback into the gaming world. Accordingly, U.S. retailers estimate that nearly 1.5 million Wiis will be sold before Christmas, about twice as many as the PS3. Nintendo explains that “Demand, as you can see from the reaction of consumers, has been greater than even we had hoped for.”
Sony’s response? “We feel very confident that the PlayStation fan is going to wait until
they can get a PlayStation 3…If they do pick up a Wii, it’s as more of a novelty,” says Sony spokesman Dave Karraker.
Wow. Strong words coming from Mr. Sony PR. Especially considering that eBay auctions have the Nintendo gaming consoles selling for over $450, not to mention users of Craigslist.org posting offers to trade their unopened, more-expensive PS3s for the Wii, plus the price differential.
And then we have some commentary by game publisher THQ. The company predicted that, due to shortages, it would be less likely to make anything by releasing games for the PS3. So THQ instead released four games for the Wii and pushed back any PS3 games till next year.
During the previous console wars, Nintendo came in third place behind Sony and Microsoft. But this time around, Nintendo, the smallest of the three companies, already seems to have a comeback in the works.
thats just funny
sony screwed this round up royally by not manufacturing enough ps3’s to cover initial demand and they continue to do so through a series of unrelated horrible decisions (i.e. rootkits, viral marketing). i won’t be buying another sony console until they stop all that crap, and i’m going to really think hard about other sony products as well. besides which, i’d rather have a xbox if i was a fps/rts guy and a wii if i was just was a “just want to have fun gamer” so i don’t know what category sony is trying to market to, but they better get their act together
Yea – it should be very interesting to see how this console war unfolds. I have to think that Sony is going to suffer a major blow. The Wii appeals to a broader audience and offers more “kid friendly” games. They also have a lot of exclusive game titles under their belts and the new controller is revolutionary (even if it has been thrown through some TV screens). 🙂
The xbox 360 has had a nice head start and is a clear winner in the “online gaming” department. Microsoft has also won the rights to distribute a lot of the same games offered by Sony. So is there really any reason to buy a PS3? Sony keeps hyping it’s Blu-Ray technology but that has more to do with watching next generation movie (dvd) formats and nothing to do with video games!
I predict that Microsoft and Nintendo will be battling it out for #1.
I think Sony was banking on next gen graphics / technology but has since proven that graphics alone does not a great console make…
I used to be a Sony Game fan…
I have PS1’s \ PS2 and a PSP….
Then I got a DS lite as a gift.
IMHO It blows the PSP out of the water!
With a DS super card it too like the PSP play videos \ Pictures \ MP3s and of course Games! It connects to anyone nearby with a DS and shares almost any game in it fully with the nearby person… The touch screen also works nicely for a Shell on Linux and games… This made me buy the Wii… And so far… I’m not looking back!! SOny’s root kit and other hijinks top it off… I hope your listening Sony… Shape up or bye bye.
Sony have lost the plot. Pure and simple.
Y’all are missing something: he probably meant that the Wii will be more of a novelty for the crowd that PS3 hopes to attract. That is to say that he doesn’t think it’ll affect their predicted PS3 sales; just that a lot of the people predicted to buy a PS3 are also buying a Wii.
So it’s not necessarily a cheap shot.
Kevin, you may have a point in a benefit-of-the-doubt sort of a way… The real shocker is that this guy is on the payroll as PR for Sony U.S.
Next time he may want to articulate a little more. It’s always dangerous business bringing up your competition in press releases. He did oh-so-many things wrong with this one even if he *meant* something else.
I think once the Novelty of the interactive gaming wares off there will be a lot of second had wiis out there. Just look at the eye-toy people don’t like interactive gameing. Ps1 sold over 100million consoles ps2 sold over 100 million consoles i think ps3 will do the same. Also the cheapest blu-ray player at th moment is like £800 so its worth the money just for the player..
I think one reason the Wii is so attractive is that it’s more approachable. Someone can pick up the controller and start swinging the “tennis racket”, etc. I know I’d be a lot less likely to sit down with a traditional game controller if I wasn’t a regular gamer. Plus it’s just more fun! When you look at the popularity of games like DDR and Guitar Hero, I don’t think this is just a flash in the pan.
Oh, and the Sony PR dude’s remarks? Don’t matter what he meant to say or was trying to say. He sounds like a fool. Perception is reality.
yeah, the Wii is only a novelty, and the PS3 will outsell the Wii. what kind of crappy drugs is sony taking? don’t they understand that Nintendo isn’t worried the least bit about their system being better than everyone else? Nintendo made their new system FUN. this is something that, from what i’ve heard about the PS3, doesn’t apply to sony’s new system. not all of us go for the ultra-realistic graphics and big, corporate brand name that sony thrives on with their game systems.
I laugh at those that say “I Think sony will sell XXX amount of PS3s”, is that THINK, ,, or HOPE? Face it, that was pulled out of someone’s backsides, only time will tell how many are sold. If people would look at it honestly, , it does not look good for Sony. Their console isn’t available enough, there are people that bought them trying to unload them for the Wii, more than one report of game studios not fully diving into the PS3 market, their marketing techniques seem like something right out of microsoft’s vault, as well as the PS3 not having much new to offer. Oh, Blue ray. . .I have news for people, ,, most people do not buy a console to play movies. It’s a nice capability, , but be real, nobody is going to buy a PS3 just for watching movies.
The Wii looks promising. Who all has seen Xplay reviews of Wii and PS3 games? Which won that bout? Now, I’m not saying their reviews are perfect, , but it’s another point of perception Sony lost. The Wii’s new controller has many people interested, it just simply looks to many like it is more fun than the how many years old two-handed controller. I’m sure there are some parents even thinking “well, if the kid’s getting a video game console for Xmas, might as well get one they need to get off their oversized butt for.”. . .
Sony got lazy and is losing this round. They are telling people the Wii is a novelty in hopes to MAKE it into a novelty. I agree with what another poster said: Nintendo ignored the other’s specs andmade a system designed to be fun.
Just my $.02
The PS2 was a pathetic console all i know is that sony did not have the smart vote last time so the price tag on there new PS3 will create a crime wave. A moto for sony a chav console for thick people
Win a Nintendo Wii, no purchase necessary.
Register and login by December 18th to enter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYaLZPcjIBo
http://www.midnightbox.com/contest/wii20061218
From a parent’s point of view, my teenagers love their playstation 1 & 2, but in this day and age we would like our kids to get excersize so we litterally have to kick them out of the house. The Wii has given us a somewhat cure for our inactive children by making games so interactive that it is in a sense and excersize program!! Personally, I would rather they spend more time playing games on their Wii system than spending a bunch of money on a playstation that allows them to sit and be lumps all day. I am so glad we purchased a Wii, in the long run it will be well worth it!!