Nintendo trumps PS3 in Japan

Last Modified: 06 Jun 2007
Source: ITN

The Nintendo Wii console has been outselling its PlayStation 3 rival by more than five to one in Japan.

Sony sold 45,321 units of the PS3 in May, compared with 251,794 units of the Wii. In April, the ratio was four to one in favour of the Wii, according to a Japanese game magazine.

Nintendo launched the Wii in November, and the device features a motion-sensitive controller that allows users to direct on-screen play, introducing a new way to play games.

Sony also started selling the PS3 late last year, but has seen slow demand due to its high price tag and limited availability of good software titles.

KBC Securities analyst Hiroshi Kamide said: "If there were half a dozen good titles people wanted to play on the PS3, I'm sure it would actually be doing quite well."

Sony ruled the multi-million global game industry over the past decade with the original PlayStation and PlayStation 2.

Mr Kamide added: "We are only less than a year into the new (console) cycle. It is wrong to say Nintendo has won and Sony has lost ... It's not game over, but it's not very encouraging."

Sony aims to ship 11 million units of the PS3 in the current business year to March 2008, up from 5.5 million a year earlier.

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