Nintendo Wii game console outsells Sony PS3

Competition in the video game console market is heating up to furnace-like conditions ahead of Christmas. Nintendo’s new Wii console sold out at many major Japanese electronics retailers on its launch day on December first. The player is seen as a viable competitor to Sony Corporation’s PlayStation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360. Nintendo is the last of the makers to launch its new product. Sony had a much-troubled launch in November. After months of delays due to technical difficulties, the electronics giant could not produce anywhere near enough PS3 units to satisfy demand. This frustrated and angered many fans, especially in Japan, where sales of the product were made by lottery. Even worse for European fans, who have to wait until March for the console to reach store shelves.

           

            Like the PS3, the new and oddly-named Wii sold like hotcakes. Japan’s largest electronics store, Yodobashi Camera, opened its doors at 7 a.m. – two-and-a-half hours early - to cope with the demand. However, at 8 a.m. it had sold out of Wii units. One satisfied enthusiast, Tomokazu Nakajima, said: “I'd waited outside the store since 6:30 p.m.” He added: “The Wii is amazing fun, while the PS3 is too expensive.'' His sentiments sum up Nintendo’s game plan in capturing a significant part of the games console market. Rather than opt for expensive graphics, Nintendo has gone for easy-to-learn games with a wireless, palm-sized motion sensor that is brandished like a sword or tennis racket. Nintendo expects to sell four million units worldwide by Dec. 31, compared with Sony's target of two million PlayStation 3’s.

Look at the article and decide whether these sentences are true or false:

a. Sales of computer games in London outstrip supply.

b. Nintendo sold out at its launch in Japan on December first.

c. European fans will have to wait until May 2007 for the new Sony console.

d. Sony had a troubled launch in November of its product.

e. Sony could not produce enough of its new PlayStation 3

f. Sony’s sales target is three million PlayStation 3’s.

g. The new and oddly named Wii sold like pancakes.

h. Nintendo expects to sell 4.5 million Wii’s worldwide.

SYNONYM MATCH: Match each of the following words from the article to its synonym:

            heating up                    choose

            retailers                        realistic

            viable                           strangely

            delays                          stores

            satisfy                          fan

            oddly                            strategy

            cope with                     intensifying

            enthusiast                    meet

            game plan                   handle

            opt for                          hold ups

KEY

TRUE / FALSE:

a. False

b. True

c. False

d. True

e. True

f. False

g. False

h. False

SYNONYM MATCH:

1.heating up/intensifying

2.retailers/stores

3.viable/realistic

4.delays/hold ups

5.satisfy/meet

6.oddly/strangely

7.cope with/handle

8.enthusiast/fan

9.game plan/strategy

10.opt for/choose