Sony theory: From PlayStation to Wii and back again

SCEA marketing whiz Peter Dille has pitched the company's new game plan, and Wii's the bait, according to a recent interview with Gamasutra. Opting for more concession speech than victory declaration, Dille offers a "hats off" to Nintendo and its Wii for "doing something that hasn't been done" by expanding and diversifying the demographic of game console owners. Dille proposes that if this new class of gamers gets "hooked," then PS3 is in position to fulfill the next logical acquisition in their newfound "gaming habit."

Dille suggests that the prospect of a "high-definition gaming experience" might drive a Wii family to invest in a PS3 as their living room "centerpiece," but doesn't specifically suggest why Sony's console might be favored over the other high-def game platform currently on the market. Still, Dille clearly understands the strength of the PlayStation brand, established by the ridiculously pervasive PS2 (which is still pervading in certain markets) and, likely, rightfully assumes that a significant chunk of Wii converts were once PS2 owners. Do you see the plan coming together now? "So we think that over time all those folks will migrate back to the PlayStation 3 -- when I say 'back,' that takes the view that they were PS2 gamers, went to the Wii, and then would come back."