In statements made to the New York Times, Sony’s Director of Corporate Communications, David Karraker, suggested that Nintendo’s reported success in selling 3.2 million Wiis and 17.5 million games–as opposed to Sony’s 1.84 million PS3s and 5.2 million games–was merely due to "an impulse buy more than anything else."
He further asserted that the two game consoles were aimed at different game audiences; the PS3 towards hardcore gamers, and the Wii towards non-gamers. Karraker said that the two machines didn’t even belong in "the same category."
According to reports from around the nation, the Wii constantly sells out as soon as stock is available. John Weeks, an employee in the electronics department of a Boston Target store said, "The last time they were here, we had 40 and they sold out in 15 minutes. I heard there were people here at 5 a.m. waiting [for a Wii]."
In direct contrast, there seems to be an unexplained availability of PS3 game consoles in various retail stores and online shops. Sony has inferred that the extremely high demand for the Wii is a result of a lower available supply of machines than the PS3. Perrin Kaplan, marketing VP for Nintendo dismissed the claims by Sony and said, "That’s absolutely inaccurate." She went on to indicate that shipment numbers of the Wii were at least as high as those of the PS3.
Karraker’s claim that the Wii’s success is because of "an impulse buy" is illogical in the face of the high praise the machine has received from both the game industry and the general public. The remarks are an attempt to downplay Nintendo’s success–not to mention the PS3’s woes–but the hard numbers indicate that the Wii is more than just a purchase made on impulse alone.
Tracey Ciardiello, a new comer to gaming, told the NY Times about her experience with the Wii, confirming the feelings of many Wii owners. "You’re up and you’re moving, and it makes you feel more involved. After an hour, a thing pops on the screen that says, ‘Why not take a rest?’ That just made me laugh."
