Can't Buy a Wii (or a PS3)

The Nitendo Wii is a lot more popular than the Sony PS3, but you can't buy either one where I live. Maybe they sell them all in Tokyo or ship them to other countries. The Wii is more innovative, a lot cheaper, and seems to say ahead of Sony on the fun factor. Sony sold just under 2 million PS3s last year, while Nitendo shipped 3.2 million Wiis.

I have yet to see either a Wii or PS3 for sale. just demo models, stacks of empty packaging and signs saying that models for actual purchase, while currently unavailable, were on their way. While you can check out a game on a PS3, the Wii is encased in a Plexiglas shrine and can only be admired from a distance.

Last Sunday was no exception. I walked into the local Kojima Denki with my son and saw a PS3 demo model in front of the game section. Kids were huddled around the two controllers, so we walked on and looked at the computers.

Later though, the kids left and Ray and I got to do some racing on the PS3. The graphics were great especially on the cars--metallic surfaces, reflections and shadows were all meticulously rendered, but the game was nothing special. We had to flag down some kids to show us how to use the controllers and did a few laps around the track. We kept bouncing off roadside barriers, getting spun around and driving the course backwards, but gradually got the hang of it--good fun, but not worth the yen equivalent of 400 to 500 bucks. People who purchase the PS3 are not buying them to play mere racing games.

After our PS3 experience we walked through the game section and saw the usual signs. Kojima would receive 5 units each of the Wii and Playstation 3 next week. Interested parties should contact the clerk in the games section.