Sony CEO Knocks the Wii, Can’t Knock Sales

Howard Stringer dismissed the Wii last week as an "expensive niche gaming device" that he doesn't see as a competitor, despite the machine's impressive sales.

Just as in boxing, episodes of Jerry Springer, and presidential elections, things can get rather snippy between players in the console wars. Sony CEO Howard Stringer demonstrated that quite clearly last week with comments about the Nintendo Wii that knocked its viability as a competitor for Sony.

Speaking at a media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho , Stringer dismissed the Wii as competition for the PlayStation 3, despite Nintendo’s stranglehold on sales in the console market. “I’ve played a Nintendo Wii,” Stringer said, according to Bloomberg. “I don’t see it as a competitor. 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.”

Despite Stringer’s eagerness to write off the Wii, the system has trounced both Sony and Microsoft in sales since its introduction late in 2006. Although recent months have shown the PlayStation 3 making some ground, the latest figures available still show the Wii dominating the PS3 with nearly 70 percent more units sold in May.