Wii an "expensive niche" says Sony boss

By Robert Purchese Published 14 July, 2008

Stringer bangs Blu-ray drum.

Sony super-boss Howard Stringer has dismissed the Nintendo Wii as an "expensive niche game device".

Speaking at a media conference in the US last week, Stringer underlined Blu-ray and internet connectivity (er) as capabilities that set the PS3 apart.

"I've played a Nintendo Wii. I don't see it as a competitor," said Stringer, according to Bloomberg.

"It's more of an expensive niche game device. We're selling a lot of PlayStation 3s now and it's still the best way to buy a Blu-ray player."

The PS3 sold 1.2 million units across the US in the first five months of 2008, compared to the Wii with 2.8 million sales, according to NPD data.

Currently the PS3 costs USD 399 (GBP 200) and the Wii costs USD 249 (GBP 125).

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

You may also like...

Comments (113) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Vin #1 4 years ago

    Man the lifeboats.

  • wattoo #2 4 years ago

    That's rich!

    I have 9 games for one of those consoles and 1 game for the other one.

    It's not the Wii that's the "expensive niche".

  • Carlo #3 4 years ago

    Expensive for Sony. They've been butt-fucked by Nintendo

  • Dizzy #4 4 years ago

    ROFL!

    "it's still the best way to buy a Blu-ray player"

    I think this shows how much he knows/cares about gaming.

  • the_dudefather #5 4 years ago

    My Wii has a much thicker layer of dust than my PS3

  • Eraysor #6 4 years ago

    It may be the best way to get a Blu-Ray player, but nobody really wants one anyway.

  • speedjack #7 4 years ago

    Someone just failed basic math.

  • Widge #8 4 years ago

    Sony & Microsoft in "hating on Nintendo" news articles shocker

  • Prime #9 4 years ago

    I think I missed the joke

  • ZuluHero #10 4 years ago

    OMG are they still banging on about this? Man the lifeboats? That ship sailed a long time ago... Sony, it seems, is still stuck on dry land, while the rest of us are having fun on the good ship Wii.

    360 are here too, until they betray us in the next E3 conference and we push them overboard :p

  • robg #11 4 years ago

    I think he meant "expansive".

  • paulf #12 4 years ago

    'we don't see it as a competitor' because if we did we'd have to admit that its caning our ass in sales - this marketing spin gets funnier and funnier each time you read it

  • login_name #13 4 years ago

    and it's still the best way to buy a Blu-ray player

    How about a games console?

  • Darren #14 4 years ago

    Strikes me as a bit odd for Stinger to label the Wii as expensive when the PS3 is the most pricey of the three current consoles. Also it makes my heart skip a beat every time I read a Sony exec praising the PS3 for its BD playback instead of its ability to play games... :?

  • monkie_king #15 4 years ago

    In other news, PSP is still the best way to buy a UMD player.

  • scouserfuller9 #16 4 years ago

    Critizising one of it's rivals. I suppose they're fearing things are gonna get worse for them in their money war!? The three of them always do this when they know they aren't No1

  • yupyup #17 4 years ago

    Wow, internet connectivity you say? Someone should tell Nintendo to get on that, stat.

    ...

    Oh wait...

  • robg #18 4 years ago

    I think he meant "expansive".

  • HEAVYface #19 4 years ago

    his definition of niche is truly staggering in relation to wii vs ps3.

    also, blue ray is niche, dvd is ubiquitous.

    idiot.

  • LazyDan #20 4 years ago

    Did Eurogamer swap in "Wii" in the headline when it should've said "Blu ray"? Because surely no one called the Wii an expensive niche when Blu Ray exists as it does right now. Even if they do work for Sony.

    No, that just makes no sense. The only logical solution is that Eurogamer swapped "Wii" for "Blu ray" - and that's very naughty of you EG and you should be ashamed.


    FOR SHAME.

  • TheWretched #21 4 years ago

    Man, although I prefer Sonys console, I'd rather prefer them NOT saying such crap...

  • MrFlintBlackman #22 4 years ago

    I think the real question here is whats better?

    Ninja Breadman or Genji 2?

    You decide!

  • Skurmedel #23 4 years ago

    His target group is probably investors and shareholders, so you shouldn't put too much weight on what he says. Also, he probably never plays PS3 so I guess the blu-ray player is the feature most relevant to him.
    Edited by 1 at 14/07/08 @ 11:50

  • seasidebaz #24 4 years ago

    So everyone outside "hardcore gaming" is a niche?

    Oh well, at least Nintendo aren't the only company doing it. Ford and Volkswagen target a similar niche market.

  • gingerlink #25 4 years ago

    I don't see how he's seperating "expensive niche" and "blu-ray player"...

  • SixFootHalfling #26 4 years ago

    @MrFlintBlackman

    Ninja Breadman is by far the best obviously with its superior Toast playback ability

  • JediMasterMalik #27 4 years ago

    The Wii is expensive for what you get, but saying it's niche is a bit of a catch all phrase. At least in terms of who is buying the Wii, it's not niche, in terms of whose playing it on the other hand, it probably is. But then gaming as a whole is an expensive hobby so the relevance and important of the statement is ropey.

  • consignia #28 4 years ago

    @Skurmedel

    Yeah, these comments shouldn't be taken out of context, but still, the Wii is far less of a niche market than either the PS3 or Xbox360, and it's also not really expensive either. It's hardly going to win confidence from investors when bullshit you throw out has no match at all to the reality. Expensive is fair enough in terms comparable functionality, but niche is so wrong.

  • ghearoid #29 4 years ago

    LOL

    D'you think Sony and Microsoft will still be dismissing the Wii as a fad when this gen ends with the Wii on 100 million and the 360/PS3 on around 30? Probably.

  • afghan_jones #30 4 years ago

    BLU RAY IS AN EXPENSIVE NICHE YOU UTTER UTTER MONGTARD

  • thedaveeyres #31 4 years ago

    This must've been said in jest. It's a perfect mirror image of reality.
    Edited by 1 at 14/07/08 @ 12:22

  • DrDamn #32 4 years ago

    It's badly phrased but look at the context. Both MS and Sony are trying to put a super box that does lots of stuff under every TV in the world. They are just using Gaming to get it there. That has and always will be their aim. Nintendo make a great games machine. Their targets are different. It's not actually a criticism of Nintendo.

    Nintendo want to sell as many machines to people as possible and have them play games on them.
    MS & Sony want to sell as many machines to people as possible and have them do *everything* on them.

  • Fwing #33 4 years ago

    He lives in opposite world where "expensive" means "cheaper than the others" and "niche" means "sells more than all the others combined".

    Sonylol

  • CallousB #34 4 years ago

    Sounds almost like he's saying Wii is niche as it only plays games.

    Of course the lack of focus on PS3 as "just a gaming machine" is what caused it to stumble in the first place.

  • Bitkari #35 4 years ago

    We're selling a lot of PlayStation 3s now and it's still the best way to buy a Goat Milker.

  • Skywise #36 4 years ago

    I bet Nintendo don't see Sony as a competitor anymore ;-)

  • Kami #37 4 years ago

    Sony, one of your idiots escaped! Get the duct-tape!

    No, seriously.

    "I've played a Nintendo Wii. I don't see it as a competitor,"

    Because if they did they'd have to admit that they're losing to a cheaper, less powerful and less functional rival. Does this ring bells for you Sony, it's what you did last-gen with the PS2.

    "It's more of an expensive niche game device. We're selling a lot of PlayStation 3s now and it's still the best way to buy a Blu-ray player."

    You know, this is where they miss the point. I'm a GAMER. I want GAMES. I could care less about Blu-ray right now. Yadda yadda it's the future but the future is certainly not now, DVD is still the giant and Blu-Ray is the niche. A lot of push for HD but it's a few years too early I think, give HD and Blu-Ray a couple more years to get cheaper and perhaps make the quality a lot more noticable and then perhaps people will go for it...

    I mean, why buy a HD system if you don't have an HDTV? A lot of people don't, after all...

    The PS3 sold 1.2 million units across the US in the first five months of 2008, compared to the Wii with 2.8 million sales, according to NPD data.

    They can't sugar-coat those figures.

    Currently the PS3 costs USD 399 (GBP 200) and the Wii costs USD 249 (GBP 125).

    And with some fun economic times, is it any wonder that people go for the cheaper system?
    Edited by 2 at 14/07/08 @ 12:54

  • bitesize #38 4 years ago


    this is probably the most hilarious sony pr gaffe yet. "expensive niche"!! fool!

    strange how neither ms or sony see the wii as a competitor these days, i wonder why??

  • timberwolf #39 4 years ago

    ps3 please get some good exlusive games... anything will do... please... something... mgs4 doesn't count as i think i missed the part i actually controlled snake because i blinked. :(

  • Garulon #40 4 years ago

    "He lives in opposite world where "expensive" means "cheaper than the others" "

    You can pick up a 360 Arcade for less than a Wii these days, but yeah, 2006-era Sony are BACK! Six months without fucking up horribly (apart from that whole bork your machine with our new overhyped updated thing) and people think the PS3 is on an even keel. Guys, it's a £300 minimum games console. Nobody's buying Blu-Ray.

  • Shadman #41 4 years ago

    "I've played a Playstation 3. I don't see it as a games machine," said Shadman.

    "It's more of an expensive niche media player device. Nintendo are selling a lot of Wiis now and it's still the best way to buy a games machine."

    Look, I can do what he did too!

  • Toothball #42 4 years ago

    I suppose the Wii is a niche machine. Only the niche seems to be non-gamers, who make up a pretty large group. And since they're going after different audiences, they're not really competing very hard.

  • Moz #43 4 years ago

    can we have the £125 and £200 prices over here please??? Damn the dollars week at the moment!!

  • moggsy #44 4 years ago

    Went into a Zavvi store yesterday. Lot's of room to browse the Xbox 360 and PS3 sections but couldn't get near the Wii and DS sections as they were heaving.

    Nintendo have played a blinder this gen.

  • bad09 #45 4 years ago

    Everyone getting upset but he does actually have a point and might be right. Many people can't seem to grasp that Ninty (by their own admission) went for a different market with the Wii. Sure they are trying to keep the "hardcore" happy with a few games here and there but their core audience is family and casual. Not a fanboy comment, just a fact that has never been a secret, for some reason though the Ninty faithful get offended if you say it.

    Yes it's sold more but the PS3's demographic (and 360's for that matter) is completely different to the Wii's.

  • CaptianScarlet #46 4 years ago

    How to stop this sort of nonsense being spouted by these morons! ->

    When a ridiculous spin comment like this is made the whole audience/interviewer should burst out into side splitting laughter as if they've just heard a fantastic Billy Connelly toilet joke and keep laughing as they leave the room.

  • realworld666 Verified Lead Programmer, Fuzzy-Frog Games #47 4 years ago

    Not a competitor yet both Sony and Microsoft are both rumoured to be ripping off the motion sensing controller idea. Actually come to think of it Sony already did though its easy to forget.

    I presume hes talking as a movie enthusiast rather than a gamer. Wii IS an expensive niche for movie enthusiasts because it doesn't play movies. See? Do you see now?

  • moggsy #48 4 years ago

    Also I'm not sure that a Sony exec should be showing off about the fact that the best way to watch a Blu-ray is to buy an expensive games machine. It kind of underlines the fact that Blu-ray has a long way to go before it's anywhere near mass market. It could still fail completely, especially if PS3 owners don't actually buy any Blu-ray's themselves.

    I'm still mourning the loss of HD-DVD as it was a truly mass market format (the spec was stable on day one and the players were cheap) which I feel would have stood far more chance against DVD's in the long run. .
    Edited by 2 at 14/07/08 @ 13:19

  • DrDamn #49 4 years ago

    @bad09
    I don't think the real target demographic is different, they all want to sell to as many people as possible. The approach is different though. Nintendo want to sell them easily accessible games, MS & Sony want to sell them a multimedia box that does a lot of things (one of which is games).

  • mcwildcard #50 4 years ago

    If you want to play the Wii 'properly' then you need to buy another 3 controllers, which at RRP comes to £150, effectively bringing the price of the bundle up to £330.
    So if you do a bit of research, that can amount to a PS3 + BD game + 3 controllers.

    I know which I'd rather have for the money, but then I don't have the cosy family with Ikea furniture and a house painted in pastel shades, which seems to feature in all the Wii adverts.

  • Doctor_What #51 4 years ago

    I think his point (although made very stupidly) was that there seems to be a pattern of limited interaction methods with Wii games. Most of them just boil down to waving the controllers around randomly and hoping the character on screen vaguely mimics something that you're doing.

    In fairness to all the systems:

    Wii: limited range of very good games, and rarely played except when guests are over

    PS3: used every night for streaming films and music, watching Blu-Rays, playing some games, but there's still a limited range of very good games

    Xbox 360: Quite a lot of decent games, but the machine is horrible (noisy, unreliable, hates streaming things, DRM-riddled, constantly needs new batteries in the controllers)

    In other words, they're all a bit crap at the moment. If you want really good games then the 360 is currently best, but it'll only take the other two releasing a few decent games for things to balance out. Frankly I'd love to never turn on my NoiseBox ever again, but while it's got the best games I'll have to put up with it.

  • Darren #52 4 years ago

    @moggsy - If BD isn't a mass-market product than neither was HD DVD, especially as that format had less support than BD in terms of actual movies. If HD DVD was a mass-market product then movie studios wouldn't have abandoned it and Toshiba wouldn't have pulled the plug on it either. ;)

    Yeah, BDs specs were finalized late but since it hasn't yet achieved mass-market success then it's a moot point because by the time it does (if it does) then these new buyers won't even be aware that it was ever incomplete. Given the split in support for BD and HD DVD, the only way that either could have succeeded was at the expense of the other format dying and that's what happened. Fortunately. Since then the BD market has increased noticeably according to various sites, with it being a format that you'll be able to buy all your new movies on. It still has someway to go before it outsells DVD though... if it ever does, of course.

  • Darren #53 4 years ago

    @Doctor_What - Nice summing up of each machine there... I completely agree with you as an owner of all three systems. Not one of them is the "perfect" console for me but between them they offer me pretty much everything I want in terms of exclusive and multiformat games.

  • bad09 #54 4 years ago

    @ DrDamn

    Possibly, indeed many will argue that the Wii has returned gaming to fun (I don't agree personally) while the other two continue a pissing contest of power and multimedia features (I do agree!). Of course there is crossover and all want to hit as many people as poss, the new motion controllers, Lips/Singstar, Buzz/Scene. Still it's very clear to me which demographic each is going for.

    I used to work in advertising and done a few courses and studies on demgraphics and targeting of products and Ninty is casual/child/family all the way as it's core audience (in truth it always has been), sure games for everyone but that is it's core. Not a bad thing in any way don't get me wrong, but hard the compare to 360/PS3 as different people (in general) are buying the different machines.

    (Of course there is also us sad hardcore gamer gits who have 'em all!)

  • Rodney #55 4 years ago

    bad09,

    the thing is, you can spin it that way, but thats not what he said. He could well have meant that, but if he did he didnt go about saying it in a very good way.


    I guess if by 'expensive' he meant cheapest and by 'niche' he meant 'biggest selling' then he made perfect sense.

  • gaselite #56 4 years ago

    Doesn't this just feel like preaching to the converted to anyone else?

  • DrDamn #57 4 years ago

    @Farticus
    Ok maybe current target audiences are different but that's not the end game for the PS3 or 360. The higher price points they both had to start with meant they had to target more focused audiences. This will branch out as they can drop the price. Sony & MS want a box in *every* home - that is the goal.

  • moggsy #58 4 years ago

    @ Darren

    I didn't explain myself very well but what I meant was that HD-DVD stood more of a chance of mass market penetration than Blu-ray currently does. Blu-ray is currently way too expensive - when will this situation change as I really would like to adopt the format myself but I'm not paying £300 for a PS3 in order to do so?
    Edited by 1 at 14/07/08 @ 13:53

  • bad09 #59 4 years ago

    @ Rodney

    I see what you mean and that part of what he said is silly, but IMO what he meant is exactly what MS said, that many will buy the machine and leave it to collect dust after a while. I know my girlfriend and I did and many others have too. So in a way (even though it doesn't apply to EVERY Wii owner) he does have a point.......

  • DrDamn #60 4 years ago

    "Expensive" is not just about price. Anyone commenting along these lines is making as big a mistake as Stringer himself.

  • moggsy #61 4 years ago

    @ Doctor_What

    Xbox 360: Quite a lot of decent games, but the machine is horrible (noisy, unreliable, hates streaming things, DRM-riddled, constantly needs new batteries in the controllers)

    Eh? I'll give you it's quite noisy (although I'm getting a bit sick of people whining about that TBH) but mine has been very reliable, streams everything I've thrown at it (including BBC programmes via the iPlayer), the one DRM issue has been fixed and my controllers run for ages on my rechargeable batteries.

    It's the best games console I've ever owned and I've owned quite a few of them over the years (including the PS3 and the Wii).

  • Darren #62 4 years ago

    @moggsy - BD is still too expensive? Well HD DVD is only cheap now because it's DEAD!!! LOL

    BD prices now are comparable with those of DVD at the same point in its life (2 years old). Dedicated players can now be bought for under £200 and the movies are typically £18 or less each (at least when bought online), about the same as two-disc DVDs were a few years back. Sure, they're still more expensive than DVDs but that's because the picture and audio quality are generally much better so that's what you pay extra for. It's all relative IMO and, in time, prices will come down such that you'll be able to pick up a cheap BD player in Tesco for £50 and the movies for £10 each.

  • Eighthours #63 4 years ago

    Begun, the Sony PR gaffes have. [/Yoda]

  • moggsy #64 4 years ago

    @ Darren

    @moggsy - BD is still too expensive? Well HD DVD is only cheap now because it's DEAD!!! LOL

    I bought my HD-DVD player for £100 long before the format was dead. Yeah, the discs were expensive, which is why I rented them from LoveFilm at no extra cost to normal DVD's ;-)

    Where's this profile 2.0 player for under £200 you talk of?
    Edited by 1 at 14/07/08 @ 14:03

  • Darren #65 4 years ago

    @moggsy - " Blu-ray is currently way too expensive - when will this situation change as I really would like to adopt the format myself but I'm not paying £300 for a PS3 in order to do so?"

    Well you wouldn't have to if Microsoft released a BD add-on for the 360 but they've been "stung" by the demise of HD DVD and want everyone to download (inferior quality) movies so that's not going to happen unfortunately. You can buy a standalone player for £200 now - Play.com have the Samsung BD-P1400 for £199.99 - and by Christmas I reckon sub-£150 players will be available. Best just wait until then really.

  • eurisko2k #66 4 years ago

    End of the day nintendo are making vast sums of money on every machine sold, have microsoft or sony managed to get this yet during this gen?

    Sony want to pump their chests out and say we are still the be all and end all of console gaming...

    TAP TAP MR SONY YOUR NOT GET OVER YOURSELVES

  • Darren #67 4 years ago

    @moggsy - Well personally I couldn't care less about downloading features for BD movies and I'm sure that's probably true of most people. I see it as nothing more than a gimmick myself as I buy movies on a disc for the sole reason that the content is on said disc!!! I don't want to have download stuff personally and so far most Profile 2.0 stuff is just downloading trailers, something you do quicker and easier from ANY PC. If you're that concerned about Profile 2.0 then you'd be better off waiting for the PS3 to drop in price as its 40 GB HDD makes it far better for downloading stuff onto than any standalone player anyway.

  • timberwolf #68 4 years ago

    wii and ps3 both have no good games... but i'm not buying a machine that fries itself and charges for the internet because i'm sane... PS2 all the way until all 3 of you stupid games companies sort it out! ffs...

  • Garulon #69 4 years ago

    "End of the day nintendo are making vast sums of money on every machine sold, have microsoft or sony managed to get this yet during this gen? "

    Well Microsoft's Home and Entertainment business is turning a profit and has done for almost a year now. Sony's games division's about $3 billion in the red and rising so far.

  • moggsy #70 4 years ago

    @Darren

    The Samsung BD-P1400 isn't profile 2.0 though is it? I hope you're right about sub £150 players by Xmas but I can't see it myself. Since HD-DVD died the companies involved with Blu-ray seem to have done nothing to encourage it's adoption. Maybe I'm just too impatient...

  • des #71 4 years ago

    If something is niche,it is PS3 and blu-ray,he is probably on crack or drunk or both.

  • DrDamn #72 4 years ago

    @Farticus
    I'm not commenting on the success of the approaches - current or future - just pointing out that is the reason they are in this market in the first place. It's very much a long term goal too. In fact MS's entry into the market in the first place is in some small respect related to this approach by Sony. If someone is going to make a box like this a success then we want it to run our software and the best way to do that is to make a box ourselves.

    The business models are very different between MS/Sony and Nintendo too. Sony and MS aim to get a lot of value out of each customer with downloadable content (for games and movies) and other areas, whereas Nintendo can be a lot happier with selling the machine some extra controllers and a few games. They don't care how much the people play so much as they have already made a load of cash out of them at point of sale - this is where the expensive bit from Stringer comes in - stupid comment as will obviously be misunderstood by the majority.

  • moggsy #73 4 years ago

    @ timberwolf

    Are you seriously still using a PS2?

    Christ are you missing out on some great games.

  • Kami #74 4 years ago

    Can I bring up about the person who said WIi with all remotes is as expensive as PS3...

    Let's look at it this way. You buy a PS3, sans rumble pad so you'll want one of those. Oh yes, you'll need an HDTV or a decent PC monitor so there's another couple hundred quid...

    If you're going to factor in the extras, then bloody do it for all systems or you'll make yourself look really, really stupid. PS3 is in no way comparible to Wii on price whichever way you look at it... 360 might be but you have to give up a fair bit for it...
    Edited by 1 at 14/07/08 @ 14:21

  • MrChuckles #75 4 years ago

    Added together at the moment, i still only want about 5 games on PS 3 & Wii combined, when will one of them have about 5 decent games on it so i can justify buying one...]

    I think the hardware of the Wii is a great idea, but the software? yeuch...

  • bad09 #76 4 years ago

    "Are you seriously still using a PS2?

    Christ are you missing out on some great games."


    + infinity!!!!!!!!!!!

  • bdc #77 4 years ago

    What the fuck? The PS3 has less users and is more expensive. How the fuck can he say that? It doesn't make sense to say that when you're the guy selling the least consoles at the highest price.

  • sneetch #78 4 years ago

    @DrDamn
    "It's badly phrased but look at the context. Both MS and Sony are trying to put a super box that does lots of stuff under every TV in the world. They are just using Gaming to get it there. That has and always will be their aim. Nintendo make a great games machine. Their targets are different. It's not actually a criticism of Nintendo."

    Weeeell, only time (hopefully this E3) will tell whether or not Nintendo have made a great games machine. A machine with successful sales? Sure, that's undeniable. Unfortunately from what we've seen recently and as far as I can tell Nintendo aren't too concerned with games as such. Of course your definition of game may vary from mine but for me Wii Fit and it's ilk aren't really games (just more junk peripherals clogging up the space under the TV).

    I mean we've seen this generations iterations of Mario et al but very few, IMO, ace titles; Nintendo have just produced a lot of games that, for me, look and play almost identically to their cube predecessors. Zelda is the most obvious one, being an actual cube title but Metroid, SSBM and Mario Kart all have a strong sense of deja vu for me (Metroid is still excellent mind you, just familiar and SMG was fantastic).

    I'm expecting big things this E3.

  • Bitkari #79 4 years ago

    "Of course your definition of game may vary from mine but for me Wii Fit and it's ilk aren't really game"

    What exactly is your definition of a game?

    How is Wii Fit not a game?

    I think some could even argue that it's more of a game than, say, Metal Gear Solid 4.

  • interceptor #80 4 years ago

    Its a hell of big niche!

    Sony would *kill* for the sales figures that the Big N are getting...

    Sony are this generation's runaway winners of talking total sh*te.
    Edited by 1 at 14/07/08 @ 14:43

  • Rodney #81 4 years ago

    bad09,

    if that was what he meant then he indeed had a point. He could have worded it better

  • drxym #82 4 years ago

    The Wii is expensive. The thing is WAY overpriced for its capabilities which are comparable to last gen, not next gen. However the PS3 is hardly cheap even if I personally think its great value for what it contains. It would serve Sony well to either knock the price or release a slim to reinvigorate sales.

  • bad09 #83 4 years ago

    @ Rodney

    Absolutely, but has anyone at Sony not made themselves look like a prat by opening their mouths? :)

  • LazyDan #84 4 years ago

    Guys, guys it's all been a misunderstanding - I figured it out.

    The sony boss never said "Wii is an expensive niche" he said "Knee is an expensive wish" - he's blown his knee out and needs a replacement but it's too costly for him right now, bless him.


    What with the PS3 pissing their department's money away that is. OHHH!

  • timberwolf #85 4 years ago

    ok... i'll be getting a ps3 for ff xiii and turismo, but if there are good games on any of the 'next generations' yet i haven't seen them, just smoke and mirrors. including mgs4,bioshock,dmc4,uncharted,halo,gears of war blah,blah,blah in my opinion...i'll give you lot oblivion,but other than that... why would i waste a couple hundred quid.

  • themorganator #86 4 years ago

    Why are Eurogamer listening the PS3 at £200 when they start at £300 in the shops?

    oh... I see, the exchange rate.... Europe gets buggered again.

  • monkie_king #87 4 years ago

    Those NPD figures in the linked article are interesting -- for the 5 months through May, PS3 sold 1.2 million to 360's 1.12 million.

    So PS3 is catching by 16k units a month (and that's including the MGS4 bump in May).

    Wii sold more than both of them put together.

  • mcwildcard #88 4 years ago

    @Kami
    "Let's look at it this way. You buy a PS3, sans rumble pad so you'll want one of those."
    Nope, sixaxis is just fine ta, I prefer a lighter pad with a longer battery life.

    "Oh yes, you'll need an HDTV or a decent PC monitor so there's another couple hundred quid..."
    Some of us already owned an HDTV, do you think some people already own the extra Wii pads?
    The PS3 works just fine on an SDTV anyway, stop talking rubbish, I was just pointing out that the prices between the two systems are far more comparable than on the face of it. Sorry for using facts, I know they can be irksome.

  • InsoFox #89 4 years ago

    Ahahaha. Ahaha. Ha.

  • Amicus #90 4 years ago

    @ Bad09

    Er yes... Expensive Niche is of course interchangeable with Affordable Mainstream, which is actually the reality.

  • bitesize #91 4 years ago

    Sorry for using facts, I know they can be irksome.

    given that your 1st 'fact' was that you need 4 wiimotes to play the wii 'properly', then i don't have much faith in your definition of the word...

    i've been playing on the wii since launch, and i've only got 2 controllers. have i not been playing properly???


  • spazmo #92 4 years ago

  • spazmo #93 4 years ago

    Hooray! Another article that gives the brainless the chance to argue the same old points all over again for the Nth time.

  • gingerlink #94 4 years ago

    my wii's gathering dust because I don't need to move it to play on it...

    yay, smash bros.!

  • mcwildcard #95 4 years ago

    @bitesize
    "given that your 1st 'fact' was that you need 4 wiimotes to play the wii 'properly', then i don't have much faith in your definition of the word...
    i've been playing on the wii since launch, and i've only got 2 controllers. have i not been playing properly??? "

    The key selling point of the Wii is that it's a 'party game' system, so you need 4 pads to get the most out of that element.
    Most of the adverts tally with this, with the 2.4 children family all enjoying their Wii together in one big middle class haven of gaming bliss.
    By having only 2 controllers, you're simply not getting the most out of the system.

  • bitesize #96 4 years ago


    fuck's sake man, do you not see the hole in this argument?? i could just as easily say sony's advertising all revolves around HD and having a massive telly - by not having one you're simply not getting the most out of the system. but that would be a bit stupid, right? lots of their announcements also talk about blu-ray - if you don't buy loads of blu-ray discs then you're simply not getting the most out of the system. i could go on...

    if you're gonna add all sorts of extras that you 'need' to play 'properly', at least do it for all systems or don't bother. obviously, i realise you're only doing this to score a point for your ps3 against the wii. so i don't really know why i'm bothering to try + use reason here...

  • mcwildcard #97 4 years ago

    @bitesize

    You can play a PS3 with an SDTV and still be in awe of the graphics.
    You can't play a Wii in full 4 player split screen, the main selling point of the system, without the appropriate number of pads.

    Anyway, stop concentrating on the specifics of what I've said and think about the point I'm getting across.
    The Wii is actually a fairly expensive system when you hold it up against the other consoles.

    Yes I own a PS3, no I'm not trying to score points against the Wii.
    If I wanted to do that I'd start doing the sums for the 360 vs Wii, which prove beyond all doubt that the Wii is overly expensive, but it's not MS that have been quoted in this article, is it?

    Fuck sake, they're only games.

  • Kami #98 4 years ago

    Exactly, mcwildcard is a PS3 fanboy and will warp the facts as much as possible to make PS3 look good.

    Simple truth is if you want to play technicalities, do it forall or don't do it at all or we can, justifiably, call you a raging fanboy.

    Who says we MUST have four wiimotes? Online play mean anything to you?
    Edited by 1 at 14/07/08 @ 16:20

  • bitesize #99 4 years ago


    :facepalm: okay man, the wii is the most expensive console. i reckon it's also a niche product, how bout you?

  • Pac-man-ate-my-wife #100 4 years ago

    I've said it before and I'll say it again.

    Anyone who calls themselves a gamer (hardcore or otherwise) yet dismisses the Wii (or any other format) is just a troll.

  • zzyzx #101 4 years ago

    Looks like some questionable economics going on here. When the dollar is weak against the Euro or Yen, then these systems should be relatively more expensive, not less.

    And that raises a point that directly contradicts Stringer. The fact that all 3 *still* cost less in the US, even with the weak dollar, shows that they are obviously very much in competition with one another - Mr. Stringer's PR spin notwithstanding.

  • timberwolf #102 4 years ago

    no... i'm sorry all those wii games are casual... especially metroid 3 and no more heroes. how do you define hardcore?

  • mcwildcard #103 4 years ago

    @bitesize
    Where exactly did I say it was the most expensive console?
    You're really not grasping my point at all, I can only assume you're either being deliberately obtuse, or you're missing a chromosome.

    My point is that it's a lot more expensive than people realise.
    That simply put enough for you? Or is that still points scoring in an imaginary competition where the winner gets a best console in the universe trophy and medal?

  • moggsy #104 4 years ago

    @ timberwolf

    ok... i'll be getting a ps3 for ff xiii and turismo, but if there are good games on any of the 'next generations' yet i haven't seen them, just smoke and mirrors. including mgs4,bioshock,dmc4,uncharted,halo,gears of war blah,blah,blah in my opinion...i'll give you lot oblivion,but other than that... why would i waste a couple hundred quid.

    You forgot Call Of Duty 4. Oh and The Orange Box (Portal in particular). And Mario Galaxy. And PGR 3 & 4 and Forza 2. Also GRAW 1 and 2. Mmmm and Crackdown. FEAR and Mass Effect are worth a look too. I'd recommend Zack & Wiki too.

    Have I missed anything? I have haven't I?

  • Carrybagma #105 4 years ago

    What the fuck? The PS3 has less users and is more expensive. How the fuck can he say that? It doesn't make sense to say that when you're the guy selling the least consoles at the highest price.

    It's KenK's birthday today, and all Sony execs are required to celebrate by making things up. You'll hear how the Wii has failed to sell later, and that the 360 has no popular games, and that all PS3 games are 1080p etc etc. Zzz.

  • holydrone #106 4 years ago

    Perhaps he meant to say that the Wii is a "nice" gaming device, but he was "piched".

  • Pulsar_t #107 4 years ago

    @moggsy

    Get off timberwolf's case. The PS2's library still pips what 360+PS3 have to offer, and if his PC isn't too ancient he can play most of what you mentioned on his PC with better spec. Of all the 7th gen titles that are really something I'd only count MGS4, simply cos I've played everything else on PC. What we need is awe-inducing stuff like SotC and God of War 2. In all fairness the PS2's library can sustain healthy gaming for the next 12-24 months, until this gen's stagnation is sorted out, or till the big boys roll out more feasible, power-efficient and non-multimedia-bullshit machines.

  • zzyzx #108 4 years ago

    Hey - let's leave Okami out of this. Sure, people are allowed to have their own opinions, and the premise may not appeal to everyone. But even if it isn't your thing, you have to give the developers credit for a little bit of originality and style.

    Or would you rather that all new releases just feature tweaked game engines and storylines, and have titles like "FPS Nazi Shooter XVIII" :)

  • sneetch #109 4 years ago

    @Bitkari
    ""Of course your definition of game may vary from mine but for me Wii Fit and it's ilk aren't really game"

    What exactly is your definition of a game?

    How is Wii Fit not a game?

    I think some could even argue that it's more of a game than, say, Metal Gear Solid 4."

    Actually, you're completely right, I misspoke; what I meant to say was, I don't like the prevalence of these kind of mini-game compilations on the Wii. They are, of course, games they're just not my kind of games.

  • sneetch #110 4 years ago

    @zzyzx
    "Or would you rather that all new releases just feature tweaked game engines and storylines, and have titles like "FPS Nazi Shooter XVIII" :)

    Aw, I read that as "Final Nazi Shooter XVIII" I thought it was a new title from Square Enix.

    You made me want a game that doesn't exist. :(

  • DAN.E.B #111 4 years ago

    strange how neither ms or sony see the wii as a competitor these days, i wonder why??

    to be fair they both said that at E3 when it was first unveiled and everyone thought it would flop so its not a new thing for them to say
    however the 360 is still the best GAMES console around.


    this is probably the most hilarious sony pr gaffe yet.
    not sure about that!
    Edited by 1 at 14/07/08 @ 18:13

  • secombe #112 4 years ago

    @ mcwildcard,

    I know 10-15 Wii owners (in the real world), not one of them has more than 2 controllers. Also, you eluded to the 360 in your bizarre battle...checked out the price of a wireless network adaptor lately?

    Average spend on a Wii excluding a game of the people I know is around £230...and by that point they already have 2 games (Wii Sports and Wii Play) and 2 full controller set-ups. Now I come to think about it, did you factor in Wii Sports to your calculations? YOU may not consider it a game, but it means a lot of people have no need to buy an additional game for a while and I would hazard a guess that many people get an awful lot of hours play out of it.

  • robson_wii #113 4 years ago

    Wii £180
    Wii Play (with additional controller) £30
    Additional nunchuck £15
    Component Cable £20
    ...
    Sony chiefs comments: Priceless