Sony’s PlayStation 3, the 2007 loser in the fight for second place in videogame console sales, is said to be gaining ground on Microsoft’s Xbox 360. The PlayStation 3 outsold the Xbox 360 in the U.S. in the first five months of 2008 after trailing Microsoft’s console in 2007. New exclusive games, such as Metal Gear Solid 4, and the rise of Sony’s Blu-ray as the dominant high-definition DVD player may enable PlayStation 3 to hold onto its lead, report Bloomberg-interviewed analysts.
Meanwhile, the Nintendo Wii is outselling both those consoles put together. Sony Chief Executive Officer Howard Stringer said in an interview last week at the Allen & Co. media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, that: “Wii isn’t a rival to the PlayStation 3 because it doesn’t offer the broader features of the Sony console, including the ability to watch movies and access the internet. I’ve played a Nintendo Wii. I don’t see it as a competitor [of the PS3]. 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.”
Looks like the E3 rivalry started early. Although it’s more misinformation than anything else since the Wii does have internet functionality and is the cheapest of the next-gen consoles (because it’s not a media center). The PS3 has some great exclusives, but the Xbox 360 definitely has a lot more. So it all sounds like PR-speak to me, what do you think?