CE-Oh no he didn't! Part LVII: Howard Stringer says the Wii is not 'a competitor'
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted Jul 15th 2008 9:54AM
posted Jul 15th 2008 9:54AM
Further confirming his utter disconnect from reality, Sony head Howard Stringer referred to Nintendo's market-dominating Wii as an "expensive niche game device." Previous to making that statement, Stringer bafflingly said, "I've played a Nintendo Wii, I don't see it as a competitor." Now look -- we're not saying you're in some kind of CEO super-denial, but all signs point to the possibility that you should probably consider the Wii a competitor (since it is... well... a competing system and platform), and perhaps recognize that "niche" is typically not synonymous with "best selling." Of course, you're the guy running Sony, we're just watching the crackup from the sidelines.[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]
expensive? no
niche? no way!
If anything, the PS3 is the niche, expensive console.
@Michael
If anything than the 360 is apart of a niche also, the PS3 and 360 are just about even in price point at this current time.
@maff
And the Wii started off aiming for the niche market of family orientated game play, but then turned that niche into one of the largests markets within the gaming industry and the big N deserves kudos for that!
I think Sony should be more worried about how it is going to respond to losing a MAJOR exclusive in Final Fantasy XIII rather than bashing a system that has an installed base 4x larger than it's own. It is time to start figuring out how to get people to buy the PS3.
@Eric M
I love people like this Eric M guy. The Wii is killing the PS3 on pretty much all levels but he is such a fanboy that he has to try and find anyway to make it look like its not what people say it is. He even will go so far as to compare its price (for some unknown reason) to the 360 (which was not even brought up in this article) and try to find any loop hole so he can to justify is fanboyism.
The PS3 is a NICHE machine 10x over before the Wii is. The PS3 is STILL more then the 360 and STILL more then a Wii (a lot more). Not to mention the games @ $60 to $70 a pop.
You probably spent $600+ on your PS3 because you stood in line to buy one the day they came out so of coarse you are going to try to defend your precious NICHE MACHINE.
@jason51873
One thing, how am I a fanboy? The PS3 and the 360 are comparable in price. 360 wasn't mentioned, but I used it as a comparison. And I couldn't care less, I have a PS3 and a 360 and yes I do think the PS3 is better hardware than the 360, but the 360 has the games.
And the Wii is killing EVERYTHING! You just seem as if you're a Sony bashing more than I look like a fanboy. And if you're telling me that you predicted that the Wii was going to be such a hit, you're a freaking lier. No one could have predicted that the Wii would be such a hit. The Wii started off aiming for a niche in the gaming market that wasn't there. The Wii was Nintendo's last stand, and it became a success and broadened the gaming market.
So how about you actually READ my post and tell me how I'm a fanboy? And no I didn't wait for my PS3, it was a gift and I actually purchased my 360.
@jason51873
One thing, how am I a fanboy? The PS3 and the 360 are comparable in price. 360 wasn't mentioned, but I used it as a comparison. And I couldn't care less, I have a PS3 and a 360 and yes I do think the PS3 is better hardware than the 360, but the 360 has the games.
And the Wii is killing EVERYTHING! You just seem as if you're a Sony bashing more than I look like a fanboy. And if you're telling me that you predicted that the Wii was going to be such a hit, you're a freaking lier. No one could have predicted that the Wii would be such a hit. The Wii started off aiming for a niche in the gaming market that wasn't there. The Wii was Nintendo's last stand, and it became a success and broadened the gaming market.
So how about you actually READ my post and tell me how I'm a fanboy? And no I didn't wait for my PS3, it was a gift and I actually purchased my 360.
@ Eric M
I hate it when people cry "fanboi" as much anyone else. But you have your facts wrong. Nitendo didn't really target a different group, rather they simply didn't focus on the core gamer like the other console makers. Core gamers are something like 8% of the US population. Casual gamers are something like 30-40% or more. So saying the the Wii is niche is completely wrong. They used this strategy for both the DS and Wii and it makes sense. Let Sony and MS fight for 8% of the pie, we'll go for the other 22+% that they simply forgot about. I'm a core gamer myself, but just because something is not catered to me doesn't make it a bad product.
In other news, the PS2 remains half the price of the wii dispite having twice the hardware.
of course it isn't a competitor, Sony would have to be selling the PS3 as a GAME CONSOLE for it to be one instead of a 'cheap blu-ray player'
Just look at this guy. Does he look like someone in tune with the industry he is supposedly leading?
Never trust a guy in a suit to run a video game company.
@inteller
From that picture, I'd swear there was a touch of the Jerry Springer about him...
Yeah i agree with you Static. After buying Wii i just simply got bored with it after rather short time i can't say i enjoy PS3 games as much i used to enjoy N64 and PS2 games. I have't touched the gaming department for some time on the PS3, but at least you can play blu-rays on it and that function i use every week.
I just don't agree with the:
Wii=kids
PS3/xbox=adults
@ Kelmon
Is he Stringer, or is he Springer? I'm so confused!
It's a competitor. Every $250 someone spends on the Wii is $250 they're not spending on your platforms.
Every franchise Nintendo secures is a game, or several, not appearing on your platforms.
Every piece of media coverage it and its high profile titles like Wii Fit gets are eyeballs lured away from your platforms.
It's a competitor, and you are an idiot if you don't recognise that, regardless of teraflops, gigabytes, fill rates and the disc format it uses.
Its not. People who buy Wii's don't usually play mature games which are on the PC/Other consoles. Majority of the people who own Wiis wouldn't have bought a console if there was no Wii.
you win teh internets
But all those kids wanting (and mostly getting) Wiis for Xmas and Bdays means all those kids not getting PS3's or 360's, and judging by the sold-out demand for the Wii not too long ago, that is quite a lot of them.
This "Wii players aren't mature" just dosen't fit to my head. To me this sounds like 14 years talking who thinks that it's not cool to play Wii.
I'm 20 years old and have had N64, PS2, GC, Wii and PS 3 and Wii is the console that feels like it actually is something different and i don't get bored to it as i do with many PS3 games that just feel like i have played already hundreds of time.
Thought PS3 is the better console even if i play the fraction i used to play beofre, but with friends and large TV you can get so much out of the Wii than any other console. If the console has under 18 age group games it dosen't mean it's a kids console.
Thats a weak assumption the point is that the majority ofe people spending money on the wii most likely would not have spent money on a PS3 or 360 Anyways. My workplace is the biggest example of that.
The wii has captured many nongamers but how many are going to transition from a person with a new trendy toy into a gamer? Just going again by my workplace and other people who own a wii it seems as if gamers such as myself and friends are going to be overshadowed.
He has a point and I think he is right. How many gamers here still play the wii? I am still waiting for the new Crystal Chronicles but other than that my Wii isn't getting much play time. Maybe if I was more interested in 'games' such as wii fit, I could join in with trumpeting the wii as a growing addition to gaming culture. But for some reason I feel like they just created a new NICHE market within the gaming community.
@Kurian
I don't neccesarily agree. I was a big fan of the original XBOX and loved Halo 1 & 2, Need For Speed Underground, NCAA 06, etc. However, I just got a Wii because its affordable and fun as hell... so far I have the Nintendo exclusives (Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart, Zelda) but I am getting NCAA 09 today and from the reviews, it looks great.
I don't really need my game system to be the "center of my digital world." That's what a computer is for and it hooks up just fine to my stereo and TV if I need to play music or do something else. I'm of the mindset that my gamesystem should be fun, which the Wii certainly is. I would no doubt think about getting a 360 or PS3 if I was not a poor law student (if not just for the Blu-Ray player in the PS3), but for now, I'm having a great time with the Wii.
Just my thoughts.
I have both the Xbox 360 and the Wii. I have no intention of buying a third system... and personally regret even buying the Wii. I don't deny that there are plenty of people out there who, like me, have two of the three systems. They are very few and far between. Fewer still are the people who own all three systems.
But we have to get out of the mindset that everyone who owns a video game console is a hardcore gamer or technophile. We are not representative of the typical gamer. If that were true, the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, DS and Wii would not have accrued such phenomenal sales figures between them.
Sony are falling into the trap of thinking in terms of the hardware's capabilities and targeting to what is clearly a niche - as impressed as anyone is with audio-visual fidelity of new technology, the best selling home and portable systems are the most underpowered in that regard.
It's not only about spending the money, but spending the time. Every minute spent on a Wii is time spent not playing the PS3. If it's either/or, and people are choosing to spend their time on the Wii, then it's a competitor
It is my guess that the vast majority of people who may lay out 250$, and love the wii, have little or no interest in killing games, high involvement games or games that require 6 button combos to play.
My mother (56) and aunt (48), neither of which have ever played a video game in their lives, both own a wii and wii fit. They would have NEVER bought a PS3.
In my opinion the Wii is not a kid or an adult console, it is a casual console. You can play games like sport and fit (not really a game I guess) with one button.
The Wii is destroying everything in it's path.
Hasn't it already blown past the 360 in units sold?
And they have this other little thing called the DS.
Good God! Nintendo is f-ing brilliant.
As far as a "niche" market, wouldn't that mean a narrow age group, gender, social status etc...
The Wii is absolutely loved by children all the way up to the senior crowd in retirement homes...
So if by "niche" he means: People, then I guess he's right...
Do all high level executives have their heads up their asses? It just seems to me that they all live in some alternate reality than the rest of us.
No, they're just stupid!
This is called damage control, make it look like you aren't even worried about the console race when you are losing it or even just not #1.
It works better if your comments aren't completely outlandish.
This isn't news, nintendo said themselves along time ago that they're not trying to compete with Sony or Microsoft with the Wii. Come on Engadget, really?
Nintendo can say whatever they want.
The truth is people will spend their console budget $$ on either a Wii, a PS3 or an XBox. That fact alone makes them all competitors.
The fringe that have to have two or three consoles probably don't make up a significant share of the market.
They didn't say they weren't trying to compete with Sony and Microsoft. They said they weren't going to get into a "graphics" war with Sony and Microsoft. Instead of spending a ton of money developing a super system with all of the bells and whistles and then selling that machine at a loss while trying to gather market share.
Nintendo didn't have the power to pull off a system like that. Instead they completely re-thought the game system and pulled off a winner.
They're competing alright. And they're kicking ass.
Typically Sony defense mechanism... act like the competitor isn't really the competitor.
Yeah, kind of like Microsoft forgetting to mention that the Wii just overtook them in consoles sold. Whoops. Let's not mention that little tidbit.
Of course M$ does it too but definitely not to the same extent that Sony does. Sony is obviously on a high horse that isn't warranted.
No, Sony is not on a high horse. Everyone's taking Stringer out of context. I think what he was trying to say is that the Wii's market (that being younger gamers and family members who are not heavy players) does not compete with Sony's market (the hardcore, heavy-playing, 20+ hrs per week crowd).
Gosh, why do people continue to use "M$". I don't get it, I'm guessing you use it to suggest Microsoft has a lot of money, but then again I bet people wouldn't mind having the kind of money Microsoft and Bill Gates have - I know I wouldn't!
Well maybe Sony should say that then. They may not have the same target audience but they are competitors in the same field which makes the Wii... TADA, a direct competitor with the PS3.
@ Eric M.
They do it so it is easier for others to realize that there isn't going to be any sort of rational argument made in the post.
@ Eric
Yes, that's why I use it, lol. Bill Gates is rolling in cash (but he's also very charitable, awwww. I love Billy.)
(double post? maybe, gosh I hate engadget's commenting system, even wordpress is better than this!)
@Steven
Yeah, you gotta love Billy, not only does he give to developing countries, he also gives millions in software out to school districts!
But yeah, I agree with Silverfrog, and because Sony is goign after a different target audience, that means the Wii is not a direct competitor with the PS3, but I you better believe Sony (and Microsoft) wants to compete with the large market share/audience that the Wii just created!
Stringer's kind of right. When it comes to blu-ray (or any movie playback for that matter), HD graphics, 7.1 sound, and some type of online plan, the Wii isn't a competitor.
Yup, the Wii is fighting for a different market share than the PS3 and the 360. The Wii started off as creating a niche in the market, but has turned that niche into a one of the largest markets in the gaming industry at the moment. This is evident by the fact that the PS3 and 360 are now both fighting to gain some of that family orientated market share.
Well, atleast there's plenty of competition, better for the consumers! =)
The thing is, Howard is betting that the likes of HD graphics and whizzy sound is what is important to people. Unfortunately, the reality appears to be somewhat different. Yes, there are lots of people who do think this sort of thing is important, and they've no doubt already bought a PS3 or 360. However, it's also fair to say that there are those (like myself) who really don't give a monkeys about HD and just want something fun to play. The Wii has sold a heck of a lot more than Sony and, probably, Nintendo expected, and it's unlikely that the people that bought them were really all that bothered about the likes of Blu-ray. I think Sony got things right by addressing what their existing PS2 customers wanted but didn't look widely enough to see what the untapped market wanted (i.e. cheap and fun).
Actually I agree with him but not for the reasons he stated. Blu-ray and full Internet aren't what make them not compete. Its the games stupid. The type of games and even the type of gamers that use the two systems are for the most part completely different. Nintendo is family/casual friendly and the PS3 is a more "serious" system. If you want fun, casual games and don't care about HD graphics the Wii is great. If you want more hardcore games with great graphics the PS3 is great (as is the 360 - Sony's actual competition). So I really don't see somebody deciding to get only one of those two systems, therefore they aren't competing. Only real competition is when the same game is on both systems which is pretty rare.
And for the record I have a PS3 and 360. And personally I think the Wii is overpriced for what it is but clearly over 22 million people worldwide disagree with me.
I think his use of niche was inaccurate -- as you said, the difference comes down to games. When he says "niche" he means "kids/adults playing games" and he is differentiating because his system is for "hardcore gamers"
I would considr the PS3 a niche device since it's really a BluRay player doing double duty as a gaming console, and the Wii is a gaming console only
I'm glad Nintendo is dominating the console world right now. I was fed up with people giving all the credits to graphics and forgetting about game-play and the WII put all those people in a dark room and locked them up. Screw Sony and screw Microsoft. Soon we're all gonna see them both releasing similar controllers in order to let the user interact more with their games since that's what has the WII killing them! Dude i'm "IN THE GAME" with the wii and with all else i'm "on the couch". eh this is getting boring so i'm done.
Sorry, but graphics DO matter for some games (I've got a Wii & 360 and love them both). I NEVER worshipped graphics, but have a real problem with knee-jerk responses like 'graphics don't matter'. For some games, they sure as hell do.
The more complex and realistic graphics get, the more nuanced environments a game developer can create. This in turn allows for more complex emotional responses from the gamer.
Not all games require this, and nor should they aspire towards it. Other games do. Super Mario Galaxy doesn't need anything fancier than a Wii to play, but Bioshock, Assassins Creed &, GTA IV (for example) benefit greatly from the graphics, and not in a flashy special effects way. It's just more immersive.
Imagine GTA IV rendered at a Mario graphics level. It's just wouldn't cut it. On the other hand, Mario doesn't need the level of detail that GTA does, and in some cases, I've seen platformers that use too much flash, and it irritates me.
If the Wii (cheaper and selling more briskly) is a niche product . . . what does that make the PS3? Niche within the niche?
Jeeesh . . . why is it that people so often cannot see their own situations clearly?
"expensive"???
Last I heard the PS3 was more expensive than the wii.
Disclaimer: I own a Wii and DS, and have no desire to ever touch a PS3 or X360...I use my PC for 'real' games.
In a way, he is right. The Wii applies to a different market than the PS3 or 360. It appeals to a much broader, more casual crowd (far from a niche though), as well as serious gamers. There is considerable overlap, so he should be concerned, but the PS3 has the edge over the Wii for it's primary audience, and they will usually end up getting both I would think anyway.
I entirely agree.
PC's are, without a doubt, where "true" hardcore gamers should be.
I own a DS and my older brother has the Wii because Nintendo knows how to make a game console. Consoles should be for the casual/multiplayer crowd, which the Xbox 360 and the PS3 aren't.
The PS3 and the Xbox 360 are the ones that shouldn't be considered the competition. The PC simply does everything better than those two consoles.
You're right about the console being a better platform for multiplayer...however you can still do serious gaming on them, there are many games of all types developed for them now since they are the dominant platform. Consoles reign supreme (and rightly so) because the PC has two major problems:
1) More difficult to use
2) Presumption of higher cost
1 has gotten a lot better from the installation part, especially with the GFW intiative. The other part is the platform's biggest strength and weakness...varying hardware. It makes it harder to produce the games, and the end result is buggier due to the wide variety of hardware configurations.
I say presumption in 2 because anyone with a recent PC (~3 years or so) can by a $100 video card and get nice gaming performance in most games. People look at the cost of a whole computer for some reason, and look at the overpriced gaming PCs or $600 video cards and state that it is too expensive. But pretty much everyone already has a computer, it just needs a halfway decent video card. You don't factor the TV into the cost of a console, do you? And again, this kind of links up with number 1, because it can be very intimidating for a novice to install a vide card, despite how simple it actually is to do. But they can always overpay Best Buy to do it for them, and still end up ahead on the costs.
To resolve these...number 1 is just going to have to resolve itself over time. Number 2 will require marketing initiatives to educate consumers. MS should put some GFW standards out into the video card market and onto pre-configured PCs. Get HP, Acer, Gateway, etc. to put decent, cheaper video cards (9600GT, HD3850, etc) in lower-end PCs and slap a Games for Windows Approved System sticker on them or something.
They really are different markets. This is the same as pretending the Eee PC is a competitor with a high end XPS laptop or something of the sort. Sure it's technically a laptop, but it's not on the same playing field.
The nickel and dime majesty that is the Wii empire may be technically in the console market, but it is certainly not a direct competitor to the 360 and PS3.
Netbook VS Notebook. Same deal, methinks.
I'm under the impression that in many cases that people who are buying a Wii aren't people who would pick up a PS3 anyways. As far as people I know personally, this is fact. There honestly isn't a single game on the Wii that I find intriguing; I can't say the same for the 360 or PS3. While there is going to be a crossover at a certain point of people who will own both a Wii and one of the other systems, and I'm sure there's also some people who jumped ship to nintendo from another platform on the previous generation, I don't really disagree with Howie here.
There's an arguement both ways on this one. I agree that in some ways, the Wii isn't a "competitor" to a PS3. The games you get on a PS3 and a Wii are different, the capabilities of the PS3 as a HD Media Center and Linux box also set it apart from a Wii.
Another consideration is the target market of the two devices. The Wii is marketed as a system anyone can enjoy, whilst the PS3 is marketed as a high-end HD next-gen gaming console.
That being said I agree it is dismissive to say that any console selling as many units as a Wii isn't competing.
As my own anecdotal evidence goes, this might not be true. I was a PS2 owner and therefore, presumably, a target sale for the PS3. However, I didn't buy the PS3 because I have no interest in Blu-ray, the system was expensive, and the games are all the same. In contrast I went with the Wii because it was affordable and it was prepared to try something new. In this respect Sony lost a customer and it's hard to say that I wasn't in Sony's market.
I guess I got confused when I saw them next to each other on the shelf of every store and nudging pixels on every online store. But I guess that's business. He can't really say anything else, can he?
Huh. I guess Engadget was so preoccupied with their iPhone fetish this 1 day old news story that even hit Routers yesterday missed them.
I have a question for all of you that have two consoles, i.e. 360&Wii or PS3&Wii. What console do you play the most out of the two the Wii or the 360/PS3?
Definitely my 360, Wii is collecting dust. I'm just not into the kind of games on offer for it.
Might change when I move in with the other half later this year though.
i own all three. i play 360 the most (95%). i use the ps3 for blu-ray only. i had one game for the PS3 and it is on ebay right now. The wii is a fun family game. The 360 has the best games, the best controller and the best online experience. (imo)
I have a Wii and a PS3. I play the PS3 more. Often for games on the PS2 and things like Pixeljunk Monsters, but I tend to get more involved on it. The Mrs plays more on the Wii, and I enjoy the quick play style too, picking up 5 minutes of Wii Sports, Warioware or House of the Dead. There is a distinct lack of depth in comparison to the PS3 though. I think his comment is fair, as were it not for the Mrs, I'd never have bought the Wii
My answer will be different. I own a ps3 and wii and i play my wii more. I have very little time for my self with my job and house hunting. The wii has more and better games that you can pick up and play for like 10 - 15 minutes then leave.
if playing games by myself, most of the time the PS3, if playing with others, most of the time the Wii.
I find the Wii to be much more fun in multiplayer mode than the PS3.
I am with Mikeg and Kane on this one. I like my Wii but I'll usually only play it when friends are over. I find myself playing my PS3 constantly now and I used to be a Wii fanboi too.
Nintendo took a different strategy with their GAME CONSOLE, and therefore they are not a competitor?
Then I suppose that if none of the 25 million wii units were sold, that the PS3 would have the exact same amount of sales, right?
This just in - Pepsi doesn't compete with Coke because Pepsi tastes different and they have a different marketing strategy.
It really would have been better if he said "no comment" than to lie to a national audience who knows better. It just makes him and his company look bad.
He knows damn right it is.
I guess the niche they are talking about is all of the old people playing Wiis in nursing homes.
No, Sony is not on a high horse. Everyone's taking Stringer out of context. I think what he was trying to say is that the Wii's market (that being younger gamers and family members who are not heavy players) does not compete with Sony's market (the hardcore, heavy-playing, 20+ hrs per week crowd).
He is wrong. Lots of hardcore gamers like the wii.
I have a 360 right now and eventually I will buy EITHER a wii or PS3, depending on the games.
I bet most Wii households play more hours on average than the PS3 household. This whole "hardcore" gamer tag the PS3 is trying to attach to itself is pure bull, the PS3 is a BluRay player first and foremost, and a gaming console second.
I completely agree that more hours total probably get put in on a Wii than other game consoles on a weekly basis. Because the Wii has my wife and my daughter involved in it almost daily now, more hours get put on that system than the Xbox 360 in the house.
I can see his point a little. Microsoft and Sony are slowly trying to become more than console games. They are trying to reshape gaming in to a media distribution service, much like Cable or Satellite TV. But, I think Sony would be kidding itself if it didn't acknowledge that Nintendo's strategy may be the better one. It is cheaper, and has just as much potential to capture the same size audience and capital. Which it has proven to do. Nintendo is building a huge nest egg with the Wii. They are making money hand over foot. I would imagine they will be in a position to use these profits to capture an even larger audience with their next system. To call the non-competitors is just ignorant, or actually, egotistical.
"...making money hand over foot"
Are you saying they're monkeys?
Hey fucking idot, now you wonder why people complain about CEO salaries and bonuses? You don't deserve either.
Now I am just waiting for him to say XBox is not a competing 'system' either. Or perhaps the 1 Billion of downloads on XBox live doesn't sway your thoughts on Microsofts 'platform' being number One.
C'mon guys, the "niche" market of all ages and genders is much smaller than the ps3 target market of 18-35 yr old males.
I look at it like this, I'd rather own my Wii and Xbox 360 than a PS3. (You know kind of like what Nintendo and Microsoft said when the PS3 was about to launch).
I get two really great gaming systems one for graphic intense games, and one with a really unique gaming style. When the PS3 is cheaper, has more games I care about, and when Blue ray actually costs the same or less as a regular DVD then maybe we will talk.
As for right now, I don't see the PS3 as competition.
I would say at the moment, I play the ps3 more than wii or 360.
the reason?
The games I feel like playing at the time I guess....
The wii has its role in our house, as a party game kinda thing, more social. whereas the 360 & PS3 tend to be just me ploughing valuable hours of my life into them by myself.
So I dont really see them as directly competing.
"The PS3 sold 1.2 million units in the US in the first five months of the year, compared to the Wii's 2.8 million, according to data from NPD."
Numbers (usually) don't lie. Whether or not Nintendo said they're not trying to compete with Sony or Microsoft, it doesn't matter; they're doing one heck of a job.
Hate to say it but he's right. Sony essentially killed themselves. The average consumer still hasnt invested in a $10,000 HD entertainment system so Sony can't even compete with Wii on an average Joe basis. Also, I'd take fun and interactive games over FPS after FPS after FPS with the same story line displayed at 10 million pixels per square inch.
You don't need $10k worth of HD equipment to really, really enjoy the PS3 as a HD media player/game console. I agree you would want a HD TV or monitor with DVI/HDMI in, but they're becoming more common in an average consumers home.
Wii is the exact opposite of niche gaming. It's what brought gaming out of its niche and into more widespread acceptance. Little kids, teens, young adults, parents, grandparents; everybody plays the Wii. It's market spills over into all demographics, at least noticeably.
PS3 appeals to... males age 18-35 (by my own guesstimation, based on who I know owns one and who I see talking about them), who value graphics over everything else.
Which is more of a niche here?
@Steven
Yeah, you gotta love Billy, not only does he give to developing countries, he also gives millions in software out to school districts!
But yeah, I agree with Silverfrog, and because Sony is goign after a different target audience, that means the Wii is not a direct competitor with the PS3, but I you better believe Sony (and Microsoft) wants to compete with the large market share/audience that the Wii just created!
I saw this yesterday and went WTF??!! That's the stupidest ass comment I have ever heard in my life.Nintendo pulled off the impossible and came back from the dead with a product that outpaced even its creators ambitious hopes in terms of sales. Is it not STILL rather dicey to go to the store and pick up a Wii?? After a year and a half? Sorry, but that game system rocks my house, keeping me and my kids happy. My hat is off to Nintendo for creating something unique, that brought on a paradigm shift in the way we played games. Sony can talk the talk all they want, but they lost this battle!
How can you possibly dismiss something as niche when it's outsold your own offering two to one? Sony's leadership needs to get their heads out of their collective ass and realize that there is some ground to be made up here.
He is right... the Wii is like the "Madden" football "game thing" that you actually do a throwing movement and run on the pad to play a crappy graphics version of the madden game... that is what the Wii is... don't try to say that the Wii is stealing away sales of other consoles... seniors buying consoles doesn't equate to people not buying the PS3 or 360... I know more old people and kids (little kids like under 7) that have Wii's...
Just look at the attach rates for systems like the Wii... they are not as high because you get people buying the system to play Wii sports and are not interested in all the crappy kiddy type nintendo games out there... and the other "real" games that are ported from real game consoles like the PS3 and 360 have crappy and hard to understand control schemes.
My nephew (he is 5) has a Wii and we tried playing Lego Star Wars on it... MAN it was the most awkward and hard to to thing... swinging the Wiimote around hardly ever swung the saber... it was alot easier to play the game by clicking a button to swing the light saber...
What he is saying is right... the Wii is really just an expensive gimmicky game device that can play different games... sure I bet there are a few games that drunk teenagers can have alot of fun playing... but in general it was designed for older people and young kids... not the average 16-25 year old male LIKE REAL GAME CONSOLES ARE!!! Stop blasting Stringer... he may be an idiot but he is kind of right...
your right. The Wii appeals to a diferent (but still valid) market segmant of gaming. people go to the Wii to get a specific experience not offered by other systems and when the tire of that experience Microsoft and sony will be there to offer a diferent expericne. The Wii has served as a platform to get non gamers intrested in gaming again, nintendo did this with the NES when everone was fed up with Atari's shenanigans (thats probably misspelled).
Honestly people, mariokart and boom blocks are fun but at the end of the day, when you want a more developed game like Metal gear solid, or Oblivion you will look beyond the Wii.
it will be interesting to see if people use the Wii as a gateway into more mature gaming, but as for now it seems that they are having trouble moving games for the system. maybe, they shouldn't have made Wii sports so damn fun. oh, and where is Contra (original) on the Wii console, come on.
The problem is that "mature" games are kinda boring. The PS3 and 360 are producing the same stuff that was on the last generation of consoles, and even older, except now with prettier graphics and online play. This is mutton dressed as lamb. I'm bored of the same old crap that's been rehashed time and again. If you are new to gaming then I'm sure the 360 and PS3 are a blast but if you've been playing games for the past 25-years then it's all getting a bit stale.
The idea that games are "mature" is also pretty funny. They're bloody video games, not an episode of Mastermind.
@Eric
Well, I don't use it derogatorily, it's just shorter than spelling out the whole name, and less confusing then abbreviating it MS (which can mean other tings I suppose)
I suppose the real question to ask, is has Nintendo taken any customers who were going to buy a PS3 away from Sony...?
big price difference, so its a tough one to answer.
but yeah. you can guaran-damn-tee that sony & microsoft will be going all motion sensing on your asses in the not so distant future.
Its not a competitor, most people who buy a Wii didn't buy it 'instead of a PS3', it appeals to a different market sector.
Both systems are 'niche' markets, catering to a certain type of customer.
Its definitely not on the same level as PS3 vs 360.
I own both a PS3 and a Wii. I use PS3 for the more mature games (MGS, GTA, etc) and mostly for single player games and the Wii for family/party games.
I understand exactly what Stringer is saying.
In our house, the wife has her wii for her keep fit stuff, party games, and some weird sim/fluffy toy games.
Would that be enough for me ? Erm... Hell no. Ive looked at the Wii library and its woeful.. Far too family oriented for my liking. Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart etc etc do not appeal having tried them... repetitive and boring.
So I had just 2 choices to consider - a 360 or a PS3.
There was no Wii cluttering up my decision..
Quite a few friends of mine think the same way... its either a PS3 or a 360 for their core gaming needs.. The Wii is a nice to have side offering for the odd 'niche' activity.
Counting sales is meaningless... so what if it sells billions... for people who want hardcore games the choice is still PS3 or 360. They have just tapped into the Family market which is probably bigger than the hardcore... but a hell of a lot of people who would buy a Wii would never consider a PS3 or a 360.... different market you see..
Get it now ? Its pretty simple really.
Yup, I totally agree.
When I decided to get a console in November 2006, it was either a Wii or a PS3. I went with the wii, because it was the 'less expensive' one and had more games I wanted. So I totally do not understand what Howard is saying. Just because it doesn't play blurays so it's not a competitor? Then what's a 360? It doesn't play blu-rays either. Based on his comments, it seems like if it doesn't play games AND play bluray AND go online, it's not a competitor. That dismisses the Wii, the 360, and every existing standalone bluray player in existence as the PS3's competitor.
Here's a good one:
PS3 Speaking: "I like to look in the mirror and admire how great I am, and then I realized the image in my mirror is my competitor!!!!"
(And yes, I do have all 3 consoles, but Howard's statement just shows how ignorant Sony's CEO can be.)
Give the guy a break already. (I say this as a PS3 owner - for the Blu-ray part.) He got is PR savvy from hanging out with Steve Ballmer.
lol, PR savvy. I bet they get together on weekends and plan how to rile up fanboys.
First off I love my PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii, and like Sony products in general (sweet new laptops coming! Time to upgrade to a Z series with Blu ray). However either everyone is not telling him the actual sales numbers or he is just blowing off steam related to the PS3 sales performance.
The PS3 is currently the DEFINITION of niche. It was designed around Blu ray. Currently a niche technology compared to the DVD. It was designed around HDTVs, which are a niche compared to SDTVs. It is last in sales numbers, making it a niche market compared to Xbox / Wii. Sure this may be an oversimplification, and as time goes on things can change, but ol' Howard is quite off base on this one. Gotta love that Sony arrogance!