More evidence that Wii is thrashing PlayStation 3
By John Pospisil
As if we needed any more evidence of Nintendo Wii’s popularity, a new Nielsen//NetRatings study has shown that Nintendo has enjoyed the fastest Web traffic growth over the past year with the much-anticipated release of Wii.
Unique visitors to Nintendo.com increased 91 percent, from 856,000 in February 2006 to 1.6 million in February 2007.
Xbox.com also saw significant year-over-year growth in February, increasing 47 percent from a unique audience of 827,000 to 1.2 million.
Traffic to Playstation.com dropped 8 percent in the same period, from 1.1 million to 1.0 million unique visitors.
Once considered a niche player in the console market, this study confirms that the popularity of Nintendo and Wii has exploded over the past year, eroding Sony’s once market leading position. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 seems to be holding its own.
Sony was recently criticised for cost-reducing the PAL version of the PlayStation 3 (PS3) by removing PS2 chips from the PS3 hardware. Instead backwards compatibility with PS2 games on the PAL PS3 is handled through software emulation. And as we all know, software emulation is slower and less reliable than hardware. Sony also blamed the PS3 for a profit decline of 5.3% for the quarter ending December 31, compared to the same quarter in the previous year.
The Nielsen//NetRatings study also looked at other games-related web sites.
Among retail Web sites, Best Buy’s video game site has the highest concentration of game console
owners, who comprise 90 percent of the site’s audience.
Amazon’s video game site and Gamestop.com rank a close second and third, with console owners comprising 89 and 88 percent of their unique visitors, respectively.
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March 13th, 2007
That’s very interesting. I’m not really suprised the Wii is winning; it’s the best in price, arguably the most rounded console as far as being able to be picked up, played, and most importantly enjoyed by men AND women of all ages, and has the name to back it up. Sony’s PS3 will not have nearly the same performance as the PS2, simply because of all the hiccups in the marketing, integrated technology, and small target audience. I’m a 360 man myself, but every time I pick up a Wii, I want to spend that 250 dollars I don’t have. Sigh. If Nintendo can continue to produce fun, ingenuitive, and easy to pick up games like Wii bowling, I don’t see how they won’t dominate this current generation of consoles simply in sales and users (although we all know graphics and next-gen performance aren’t really even a category they can be classified in).
March 13th, 2007
Good article for a Last gen system…People stop trying to make Wii a next gen system that in the race ..it isn’t. I’m glad people like it but it’s a novel item at best. I’ve tried it and it’s funny at best the graphics are below the ps2 . Its sells are going against the ps2 not the 360 or the playstation 3. Next gen is label given to the type of games (graphic, potential, and AI) that a system to produce. So basically you are looking at 100+million ps2 vs 1.6 million Wii’s. Sorry guys but you got a long way to go. And frankly I don’t think any system out there will match what the playstation 2 did and still is doing( And I was cheering for Microsoft). Every person I know that has a wii had to go out and get a 360 or a playstation 3 because they understood that the system just isn’t enough after you get over the new controller. And to be honest ..when you get home to relax the Wii is the last thing I want to see. I just want to play games man.
March 13th, 2007
I just got a PS3, and I know quite a few people who own a PS3 and say they like it. Most people I know can’t get a wii because its sold out, so some of them have bought 360 and enjoy it and some still own ps2s to play their old ps1 and ps2 games and dvds (blu ray is not as popular with my clique as dvd) plus most people would rather play online on a computer (e.g., WoW) rather than a game console (excluding Xbox Live). In the next few years, expect better stuff ahead for all three systems for the next 5 or so years until the next video game crash!!!!
March 13th, 2007
Interesting article. It’s even more interesting that people like Jones are still bashing the Wii and trying to downplay it, even though its success is obvious. A console’s power is not the only thing that determines whether or not it can be called “next-gen”, Mr. Jones.
March 13th, 2007
Mr Jones:
Whats Next Gen? Predictible steps like upping the anti on graphics, or a completly new control system? We will look back to this as a significant road to new systems with both incredible graphics as well as awesome controls. Also, maybe future consoles wont attempt to push media standards down our throats etiher.
March 13th, 2007
Whoever wrote this article is insulting gamers everywhere, yes they are both gaming machine, one is a nice little second console at best. PS3 is a multimedia beast with all the fixing, if you are going to compare, try comparing it to the 360. Heck the freaking Wii doesn’t even support something as simple as Digital Suround Sound!!! There are still using analog now what kind of mess is that, the Wii may be jumping right now but the game flow is about to come to a strecthing hault so lets see how many will fly off the shelves then……….it is just another Gamecube in a shiny white little box!!! Please don’t get me started about there online service it is a freaking JOKE!!! 3rd party companies have no idea when they will be able to use there game for online……..but people are making the Wii out to be perfect!!!!
March 14th, 2007
whoever wrote this article is clearly an idiot…
PS3 are 3 times more expensive than Wii’s
saying what the author of this crap said, it’s insulting and
it shows how mediocre he is, he’s doing like everybody else
giving sony all the bad press they can get…
guess what? toillet paper sells more than hummers…
March 14th, 2007
This is more an anti Sony article than a praise Nintendo article. The real test is this christmas for all three consoles.
March 16th, 2007
The 2 perfect consoles to have would be a Wii and depending on which video format comes out a winner then Xbox 360 or PS3 ( I really hate sony now for making a console I can’t afford). I really think the Wii is a nice peice of work and if they just continue to come out with some really good games then they may win this round.