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Sony PSP man slags off Nintendo DSi

Third parties struggle, for kids, etc.

Sony's John Koller has issued a ranty missive accusing the DSi of missing out key demographics and being rubbish for third parties.

In a statement apparently issued late last week (thanks Kotaku), US hardware marketing man Koller wrote: "If Nintendo is really committed to reaching a broader, more diverse audience of gamers beyond the 'kids' market that they've always engaged, there isn't much new with the DSi to support that.

"Significant gamer demographic groups are being ignored, and there continues to be limited opportunities for games from external publishers to do well on the DSi."

Guess where Koller reckons there are opportunities for games from external publishers to do well? That's right - on the PSP.

"Compare that with the PSP platform, where we have many blockbuster franchises from our publishing partners launching this year, representing a wide variety of genres and targeting diverse demographics," he wrote, listing Rock Band, Assassin's Creed, Dissidia Final Fantasy and, er, Hannah Montana, which sounds like a kids' game to us.

"From our own first-party studios, we're launching unique versions of LittleBigPlanet and MotorStorm, and we're also planning a steady stream of downloadable games - both new titles and PSone classics - to add to the content that PSP owners can already purchase wirelessly through PlayStation Store."

The DSi, which launched on Friday in Europe for GBP 149, amassed tons of pre-orders and introduces new hardware features (including a sped-up processor and more memory) and a game download service in a reshaped dual-screen format.

Speaking at GDC, Nintendo's US boss Reggie Fils-Aime said that the company's competitors like to talk up "an inability for others to succeed on Nintendo platforms", but said, to cut along story short, that he thought that was bollocks.