Anaylst: Wii owners will want to move to PS3

by Nick Doerr { Mar 3rd 2008 at 5:30PM }

iSuppli (makers of iAnalyze) has determined PS3 to be the victor of the current "console war." There are millions of Wii owners right now, and many will likely want to upgrade to a new system in a few years time. 2008 is already being hailed as the PS3's big turnaround; Wii owners will look to it as their second console of choice.

This is in part due to their assumption that Sony will slash the price of the PS3 again this year to entice the Wii audience. Blu-ray dominance also plays a part in this, they say. Mix in some AAA titles as well as the variety of pick up and play titles on the PSN, we'd say that there will be a big jump in PS3 sales, too. But whether or not it's due to the Wii audience seeking a more powerful console is anyone's guess. We'll just say it's because the PS3 will rock this entire year.

[Via GameDaily]

Tags: analyst, isuppli, predictions, ps3, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Tranando @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:36PM

Don't forget all them PS2 owners looking to upgrade. A Major reason why Sony needs to keep at least one model on the market with PS2 backwards compatability.

NineT9 @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:13PM

or how about this:

1) Hack the PS3
2) Emulate the Wii so you can play Wii roms
3) Use the SixaxiS as the Wii controller (Of course they are a tad different, but im sure they can pull it off)
4) No need for a Wii anymore yay!

k but seriously, the Wii & PS3 is a sexy combination, I like the sound of it

CJLopez @ Mar 5th 2008 7:40PM

Won't work

Ya forgetting of the IRCam all wiimotes have??

The best would be to make work the Wiimote on the PS3 as it works on the Wii

Brarei2oo @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:42PM

Yeah I agree Tranando

Roto13 @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:42PM

That would mean Sony would probably end up winning the console wars. That seems pretty unlikely.

JKPierce @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:01PM

Hence 'second console.' Short of making puppy-kicking simulators, nothing really has much chance to slow down the Wii's progress.

adolson @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:42PM

Well, I bought a Wii on launch day and tried hard to stick with just it, but no dice. Early 2008 I picked up a PS3. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's sick of the garbage that's coming out on Wii (there are some great games too, but few and far between..).

timmy @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:49PM

Same happened with me.The Wii was fun for a while but I needed to move on to the PS3. The 360 was not a consideration because of the reliability probs and the jet-engine fan noise. My wife still loves the Wii (there are a few decent games), but the PS3 is my console of choice by a wide margin.

Eddie @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:35PM

I'm with ya'

Same experience.

ArmorForVictor @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:52PM

same here. wii has some good games like brawl which i'll be picking up, but there where just too many games on the ps3 that i wanted not to mention the hd graphics.

Wonderflex @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:56PM

I waited out in the cold for almost two days to get my Wii, and I really felt it was worth it. Around January aught seven though I got board with it do to a lack of FPS love, and some poor controls on the third party market. That's when I bought a PS3 - and I've been converted ever since. Sure, I can't wait for Smash Bros., but other than that I don't really have a whole lot of care for my Wii. I think I bought into a hype machine, and found that I was too hardcore a gamer to stick with it. I hope for the future though.

Dahk @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:57PM

Lol I was sorta-not-exactly the opposite.

Bought a PS3 end of 2007 and stuck with it for a whole year. 'Till this day I'm still loving it and craving at this year's line up (heart attack comes June 12th for you know what =P).

But then... stupid Brawl has to come out this Sunday. And really that's my sole reason for duking out over $300. Lol. As an afterthough, I guess i'll still get Galaxy/Wario ware and ... maybe wait for a FF:CC title to come out. But really that's all i have to look forward to.

Clayforce @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:22PM

Same here only it was back during the days of the 64 that I came to this conclusion!

Lars @ Mar 4th 2008 5:47PM

Same here. It's sad really. I was very excited for the Wii, but it just hasn't lived up to anything more than occasional amusement. I got the PS3 with just one or two titles in mind, but the games have been so awesome that it's taken over my life. I actually am hoping for a break this summer, once I finish up all the games I have, I want to actually leave the house and do something productive. I've just never had a console this good.

I would have thought this article was BS, had I not experienced it first-hand.

Nate @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:52PM

Honestly, I don't know that Wii owners looking to upgrade will be a huge part of the growth the PS3 sees, but I suppose it's possible. I think that to the average person, the two consoles' game libraries probably look pretty similar. The only other big things the average person knows about the consoles is the red ring of death and blu-ray, both of which point to the PS3.

Are Wii owners more discerning, will they investigate more closely the game libraries and various online capabilities? I don't know. Would that sway them towards a 360? Maybe. But it seems to me that the one thing that the 360 touts so hugely - Live - may not be something Wii owners care about. The Wii is a group oriented platform, but not via the internet, but in person instead. I think both platforms need to do better with same-console multiplayer titles. That's the one thing that the Wii definitely does right.

Jason B. @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:56PM

Not sure if that is what you meant to say, but the Red Ring of Death is the 360, not the PS3.

JKPierce @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:10PM

Think he meant that as a 'point toward' the PS3.

Jay @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:54PM

Well, actually letting us non-Americans have High Velocity Bowling and finally delivering proper PS Eye games with head and hand tracking might help.

Not holding my breath.

Popfrogs @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:04PM

Yeah I gotta say, for all the promise the Eye has, they really haven't done much with it. EoJ should have been the stepping stone for some smart developer to come along and make a tactical war game where you build paper models and push them around or something. There are a million things you can do with it...but so far nobody has stepped up.

ElLobo @ Mar 3rd 2008 5:57PM

I think when a kid with only a Wii wants one of the other consoles because it has a great looking game (like a Little Big Planet or better sports games), he'll ask his parents. The parents will look and see that they can get a console that not only allows little Timmy to play games, but they can also watch High-Def movies on there.
Then like Tranando mentioned, there's lots of people with PS2's that will be far more inclined to stick with Sony than to try out the 360. People like my girl cousin bought a PS2 after it slimmed down and dropped below $200. Those people are not going to be Blu Ray adopters and will see the, later on, slashed price of the PS3 and find a great value to it.
Eventually, PS3 will catch up to 360, but just barely beating them out will be seen as a disappointment and a warning of things to come next generation.

bigd7387 @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:01PM

Don't want a Wii. I went with the 360 and use the PS3 when the 360 goes into the shop to get fixed.

Dxw @ Mar 13th 2008 4:01AM

So you play a lot of ps3 right?

When everyone who bought a Wii reaches puberty, they soon want something other than mario, I suppose they could turn to the ps3.

ZLB @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:04PM

I had a Wii for about a year, and just got tired of waiting for good games to come out. Sure, it's going to get better this week with SSB, but after that there's going to be another huge gap. To be honest, what annoyed me the most is Nintendo's stance on online games, and the lack of a hard drive. I could live with only releasing three games a year that interested me, but the lack of VOIP was really annoying. Take SSB for instance, I can accept not being able to talk to players not on my friends list, but not being able to talk to them on my list? Just doesn't make sense. I got myself a PS3 for xmas and haven't touched the Wii since. The other day I looked at the IGN reviews, it's laughable the titles that have come out recently. If it's "hard" to program for the PS3, it's got to be next to impossible for the Wii. Either way, I think anyone that is in a similar position to myself, will ultimately become so frustrated they'll make the switch.

Rowdehaj @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:04PM

This article is perfectly true for my case. Bought a Wii about a year ago, but I just wanted something more. Still have the little white bastard of course, but my PS3 receives much more playtime. My sister's been trying to coerce me into selling it to her, but I told here there's no chance in Hell of that happening :D

I bought the PS3 when Blu just started winning, so that was a big factor too. Got Ratchet with it, what an awesome game. I enjoyed it more than Super Mario Galaxy, which to others would say a lot. I guess it doesn't for me. Currently playing Oblivion. And again. And again :D

x silence x @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:08PM

I don't see this at all. Actually, I see more 360 owners buying a PS3 for the Blu-ray player.

Wii owners already own a 2nd system or they are not willing to pay the high price for a PS3/360 in the first place.

Again, this site is alway graspin for straws...

JKPierce @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:19PM

You seem to know a lot about straws, but you're projecting. Let's take your juice box and relax a minute.

The sheer number of Wii owners is a demographic that's extremely difficult to pin down, and it keeps growing. To even consider their not purchasing another console is frankly ridiculous.

The software attachment is so low, though, that one can only speculate a migration toward a second console--hence the 'few and far between' references with triple-A titles. With the PS3's monstrous momentum this year, and a possible SKU to give that much more appeal, it's a solid enough choice. Particularly with concerns that Nate mentioned above with the Xbox 360.

The article references a Reuters story, anyway. Not a PS3Fan or Joystiq article.

SKI @ Mar 3rd 2008 8:47PM

PS3 attachment rate = Wii attachment rate

Donato @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:20PM

So this insn't developing news or even a petty rumor. It's just fanboy speculation, and perhaps some hope for something that will never happen. The Wii is practically a fun toy appealing to younger or casual gamers while the PS3 is a media powerhouse. Ain't gonna happen.

upz @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:41PM

Actually, it's none of the three. I highly doubt "fanboys" work at a highly regarded market research firm like iSuppli. What's funny, though, is how the Reuters writer makes himself look entirely clueless on the subject he's addressing by calling LittleBigPlanet a "puzzle-solving" game, Metal Gear Solid a "military combat" game, and Gran Turismo a "street racing" game. Though they could all be technically considered true, they're pretty obviously the descriptions of someone who's spend 30 seconds looking at static screenshots as research.

Eddie @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:43PM

Really?

What happened to me was that the Wii "woke-up" the gamer in me, not because it was great, but because i looked accessible.

After getting hooked again, I realized the Wii was far from what I wanted to play. Et vuala: I bought a PS3.

Eddie @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:34PM

I upgraded from Wii to PS3.

I bought the Wii for Zelda, and never used it again (other than entertaining my lil' cousins and the in-laws).

I bought the PS3 when I realized my Wii was a piece of junk (for my gaming taste), which I would only use to play Mario Kart Wii or a future Zelda title. Now I can play and enjoy some great gaming, not a dried out, dumbed-down, minigame-based experience. I've payed and enjoyed until the end a lot of games, and some are even re-playable. Folklore, CoD4, ES:Oblivion, Fifa08, Heavenly Sword, MotorStorm, ... and so many more to come!!!

Thanks Sony, I promise I'll only be unfaithful to my PS3 when a new Zelda comes out (in like 3 years probably).

Andy @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:43PM

I never really got into the Wii. My friend got one on launch and I played it a bit (Red Steel). It was just kinda gimmicky for me. Add to that the fact that there aren't really any games for the system that I really want (Brawl may change that). I may buy one in the future, if only cause it's cheap, but for now I'm happy with my PS3.

KonohaShinobi @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:49PM

The ironic thing about me finding this post is that one, I was in the Wii FanBoy blog, and two, I have been looking into a PS3. There is some truth to this seeing as I and many others are living proof. I would love to have a PS3 as a secondary console. In fact it would be my first Non-Nintendo console, ever.

TriFF51 @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:49PM

interesting.....my friend who's had a wii for a long time and always argued with me against ps3, just bought himself an 80gb last week. Maybe there's some truth to this.

Reckoning @ Mar 3rd 2008 6:58PM

I agree, they make a good combo.

Playstation @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:13PM

We are welcoming 360 users as well to the glorious land of PS3. Welcome.

moo083 @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:15PM

They have to be at least a little right. I bought a Wii on launch day and a PS3 about a year later. I love both. The Wii hasn't had a good game in a while though. Looking forward to SSBB. The PS3 has a few good games and I use it as a media center all the time (THANK YOU MediaLink!).

Rob @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:24PM

Well I had a a Wii, 360, and PS3. Now I Have a 360 and PS3, because I ended up selling the Wii.

Now I'm about to sell the 360 with all my stuff and use it for all the great PS3 games coming out this year :)

playcrackthesky @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:33PM

I dont think PS3 will have a 100% turnover rate from Wii, obviously...but im pretty darn sure it will have the lionshare of people making the jump.

Sony need's to get off its arse and start a lengthy campaign in luring both PS2 and Wii users.

XanthouS @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:34PM

I've had a PSWii since shortly after launch =]

playcrackthesky @ Mar 3rd 2008 7:35PM

We welcome you with open arms my son..

DarthSteve @ Mar 4th 2008 9:05AM

I bought my Wii in feb07 and really like the first party Nintendo games. Unfortunately, third party games can't seem to coax the same level of graphics and generally fail at making quality use of the motion controls. For that reason and with BluRay's victory in the format war, I just purchased a PS3. I'll still be hanging onto my Wii though, for the "good" Wii games (usually identified by Zelda or Mario in the title).

Bluebreaker @ Mar 3rd 2008 8:14PM

The reason I'm going PS3 all the way is because this late in Spring '08 there are STILL Wii shortages!! So for me with the games ALREADY out, the games coming up combined with the new $400 base price I'm choosing a side and (for better or worse) it's gonna be Sony.

LeChuck @ Mar 3rd 2008 8:14PM

I think a majority of people who have ONLY a Wii are the casual non-gamers who aren't really interested in PS3/360. But regardless PS3 is going to do really well this year and if there's yet another price drop it'll really take off. Don't know if it'll catch up to Wii though.

Impulse @ Mar 3rd 2008 8:15PM

hey thats what happened with me, i bought a wii when it came out and then in november 07 i bought a ps3. The combo is great - snake in MGS4 and smash bros brawl double the awsome!

sizzlebox @ Mar 3rd 2008 11:26PM

I am one of the analysts people... I got a Wii opening day...just bought a PS3 1 month ago... soooo amazing..haven't picked up my Wii since.

although SSBB looks pretty sweet.

wukong @ Mar 3rd 2008 9:15PM

Hmm...I guess I fall into that catergory but...I'm only getting a PS3 because I already own a 360 and a Wii, of course.

But I'm not really interested in ANY of the PSN games. To be fair, I'm not interested in any of the XBLA games either, WiiWare games look interesting but don't know if I'll actually buy any.

Anywho, now that the format war is officially over is Blu-Ray's favor, yeah, higher sales are to be expected.