Sony boss Stringer praises Nintendo Wii

But says the PS3 is still the Mercedes of Video game field

19 March 2007 20:12 GMT / By Stuart Miles

Sony's boss, Sir Howard Stringer, has praised Nintendo's Wii games console in a yet to be aired interview with the on American PBS program CEO Exchange.

In the wide ranging interview that also talked about music downloads, the iPhone and Blu-ray over HD DVD, Sony CEO is quoted as saying:

"Wii is a wonderful device."

Of course that's not all he said, marking out the new PlayStation 3 due to be launched at the end of the week as the "Mercedes of the video game field".

"If we fail, it is because we positioned PS3 as the Mercedes of the video game field", Stringer said in the interview. "PS3 is after a different audience and it can be whatever it wants — a home server, game device, even a computer."

Perhaps on the back of this Stringer said he expected Blu-ray to succeed over HD DVD because of the support from major studios.

"We have exclusives with Disney, Fox, Sony [and Lion's Gate] and they have the top 15 of 20 movies at the moment. At some point Blu-ray will take over based on ... this support."

As for HD DVD according to Stringer it's a "transitional technology".