Kutaragi was perhaps the sacrificial lamb to keep shareholders quiet, but he didn't even have much day-to-day involvement with the PS3 any more. The support the Wii's getting doesn't matter much. Here we are 6 months and a strong launch in, and the Wii has yet to get one major announcement that didn't come from Nintendo. Gamecube at least had Resident Evil. All Nintendo's gathering is second and third tier games developed by second and third tier teams. As for the PS3, they're not losing anything. They're just having to share some of what they had with Microsoft. We're talking about a company that had 100 million units in each of its last two efforts. If they're scared by a 1.5 million disadvantage, they shouldn't be in this business any more. That list of handheld games (and Mario) does what for me exactly? An aggressive holiday push has historically been far more important than what's happening in May. A 6 million unit holiday season can alter the shape of the landscape. I know Sony can produce that many units. Can Nintendo?

Shane, The question is that during Holiday 2007, will Sony have enough big titles amassed to counterattack Nintendo at a $600 price point? It's obvious that it'll sell well for a $600 system. But if we're trying to compare how many units a $600 system can do against a sub-$250 system, it's going to be difficult to deal with. Maybe this is why Sony keeps preaching a 10-year cycle for the PS3 - they know sales will be horrible for awhile, so they just podder along for the next 1-2 years, then hope the PS3 begins to sell well, and stay there ala-PS2 (for what its doing now). The next-gen Wii probably won't even have the same power as the PS3 (possibly). Obviously the next 360 will. Outside of that, its theoretical that the PS3 could sell 100m IF Sony kept it out as long as they claim.

well, the question is can sony sell 6m units i think.

but about games announced for the wii, i think some sega fanboys would claim nights to be a major announcement, but even if we don't count that one, you have to agree that the ps3 didn't get one since holiday either. Publishers are not telling at the moment were their big franchises go to; but if they do, they go to a nintendo console (sonic, dragon quest, soul calibour, to mention three). When the sales stay as they are, you will see more and more announcements of big franchises for the wii.

but if the sales stay as low as they are for another two years, this would be suicide. Imagine Nintendo would have kept alive the n64 or the gamecube for ten years, or microsoft would have done it with the xbox...

Nintendo uses the same OEMs as Sony uses to build their consoles. So as far as production goes, Nintendo can produce whatever companies like Foxconn, Asus, etc. can pump out based on availability of parts and whatever contract they can negotiate. It's not like Sony builds these things in Japan in their own factories anymore, that business model is history.

It doesnt matter how many units sony can produce at this point. Sony produced 6m by early April of this year the same way Nintendo did, but they didnt sell anywhere near that many. How much does it matter that they can produce 6 million for the holiday season. Whats in question is how many can they SELL at 600 bloody bucks. The Wii has shown it can sell, and it has shown it can ship respectable numbers also in the last two weeks pushing over 100k a week in Japan.

But expecting any of the three consoles makers to sell 6m this holiday season is reaching IMO. Not even the infinitely supplied 360 and Halo are going to get those kind of numbers IMO.

Sony won't be able to sell 6 million this holiday, they'll be luck to sell 7 million for the entire year WW

I do think that success within the first holiday season will probably be impacted by whether there's a price cut or not, though I'm not necessarily suggesting it has to be this holiday season. As for the lifespan, even if they just kept it alive for as long as their previous systems, we're looking at 8 years. The original didn't hit 100 million units shipped until April 2004, nearly 10 years after it launched, and the PS2 is only starting to slowdown in one territory 7 years after launch. Here we are 6 months after launch, and Nintendo is just barely showing some signs of boosting production. The only way they're going to have massive holiday inventory is to begin stockpiling now, unless demand completely tanks in the near future.

Holiday season meaning Thanksgiving through January, the Wii will sell 6 million EASY

 I still dont see that happening. You are saying from the last Thursday of November through January 31st 2008, Nintendo will sell through 6 million Wii's? What is that like 10 weeks? 600k a week for 10 weeks straight and dont forget 4 of those weeks fall outside of the holiday shopping craze as they are in the month of January. I think thats a bit a wishful thinking IMO. I dont have the numbers, but wouldnt that set some type of holiday season record? I cant see any console doing that. 600k a WEEK? Thats insane enough, but possible during the holidays. However 600k a week for ten consecutive weeks.

I dont see it happening.