Just ahead of E3 (the Electronic Entertainment Expo), Sony CEO Howard Stringer has spoken dismissively of Nintendo’s Wii, continuing the company’s prior assertion that the console is still not a direct competitor to it or Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Sony has previously remarked the Xbox 360 is the only real competitor the PlayStation 3 has.

In comments made at a media conference, then quoted by Bloomberg, Stringer said, "I’ve played a Nintendo Wii. I don’t see it as a competitor. It’s more of an expensive niche game device. We’re selling a lot of PlayStation 3’s now and it’s still the best way to buy a Blu-Ray player."

Additionally, Gamasutra reports that while the PlayStation 3 remains in third place overall, in both worldwide and U.S. hardware units sold, the console did manage to edge out of the Xbox 360 in hardware sales in the first five months of 2008. While the low-cost Wii sold 2.8 million consoles by the end of May, the PlayStation stayed just ahead of the Xbox 360, with 1.2 million units sold for the PS3 and 1.12 million units sold for the 360.