Wii will follow in DS's footsteps, says Fils-Aime

Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime has declared that the DS is the clear winner in the war of the handhelds - and that the Wii is set to follow suit in the home console market.

Speaking to USA Today, Fils-Aime said: "Nintendo DS in Japan outsells all of our competitors by a factor of five to one. We are so far in advance of our handheld competitors that they're not even on the map.

"That's all based on a market expansion strategy. And that's what we're looking to do with home consoles," he continued.

By expanding the market, Fils-Aime said, Nintendo will attract new consumers to gaming and dramatically increase its market share - leaving Sony and Microsoft to fight it out at the higher-end price range.

"Our competitors are both going down the same path. Both believe that more and more performance with a higher and higher price tage are their keys to success," he stated.

"What do I see? I think our two competitors will trade share between them, while we go off and grab share in a completely different way."

Fils-Aime went on to dismiss suggestions that the Wii will become the second home console of choice for consumers who have already purchased a PS3 or Xbox 360, stating: "I'd much rather have the consumer buy a Wii, some accessories, and a ton of games, versus buying any of my competitor's products."

Nintendo has yet to announce a price and release date for the Wii, although it has been confirmed that the console will launch this year. The company is still riding high on the success of the Nintendo DS, which has proved a hit with consumers around the globe - and particularly in Japan. According to recently released CESA figures, Nintendo sold 4.25 million DS units during 2005, while Sony shifted 2.61 million PSPs.