Sony Says Nintendo Is Irrelevant

Fighting words from the company ahead of the PSP's launch this week.

There have been many pretenders to the portable gaming throne since the original Game Boy was released and Nintendo has seen them off with ease. But this week Sony brings the battle to the company with the release of one of the most anxiously awaited portable games system of the last decade: the PSP.

Nintendo has had a six-month head start on Sony. The DS launched in early March and easily became the fastest-selling game system in the UK. But Sony's Phil Harrison, speaking to MCV, said Sony doesn't think of Nintendo as a true rival:

"The idea of a handheld rivalry with Nintendo is an irrelevance. Those formats [DS and Game Boy Advance] don't appear in our planning. It's not a fair competition; not fair on them, I should stress. That sounds arrogant, maybe, bit it's the truth."

Harrison points to Nintendo's mantra of gameplay over technology as the differentiator of the portables.

"With the DS, it's fair to say that Nintendo stepped out of the technical race and went for the feature differentiation with the touch-screen. But I fear it won't have a lasting impact beyond that of a gimmick."

Anecdotal reports from retailers point to a greater public interest in the PSP in the run-up to its launch than the DS enjoyed in March. Whether or not the PSP will be the runaway success in Europe many expect it could be will be clearer when the handheld is released on Thursday, 1 September.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo Games