Sony: PS2 Will Steal Wii Market Share

Following the PS2 price cut announcement yesterday, Sony has said that the now sub-$100 PS2 could steal some market share from the Wii.

"We do look at those as similar consumers. So, yes, we do think the $99 price point could steal some share [from Wii]. From a technological standpoint, the Wii is much closer to the PS2 than it is to the next-gen consoles. It's obviously not an HD box and the software development is on a par with where PS2 development is, so that's a much more realistic and similar demographic", said John Koller, director of hardware marketing for Sony Computer Entertainment America.

Giving Nintendo a complement after his tirade of dirty insults, Koller conceded, "Nintendo has done a fantastic job of capturing young and female, which are two areas the PS2 has started to really grab a lot of share recently as well. That's an interesting battle and we'll see how it shapes up, but we feel very confident that the $99 price level will allow us to grab our share."

The interview went up on March 31st, so we don't think this is an April Fools prank.

The Wii currently has a recommended retail price of $249 in the US, with Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aime, having said that there won't be a price cut this year. So, yes, the PS2 is now $150 cheaper than the Wii in America. That's a lot.

But, yesterday it was $120 cheaper than the Wii. That's also a lot. Is an extra $30 off the price really going to make much of a difference, even with the sub-$100 psychological threshold having been crossed?

It's unlikely that the PS2 will suddenly start pinching market share from the Wii in the UK, of course, since we won't be getting a price cut.

^{Source: GameDaily}