Yoshida: Wii and Wii U stand outside generational cycles

Sony Worldwise Studios boss Shuhei Yoshida thinks of Nintendo's recent consoles as a separate market to that dominated by PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

"Personally, I have always thought Wii was in a generation of its own. I always thought PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are in the same generation, but Wii was not the same," Yoshida said in an interview with Eurogamer.

"To me, the industry was growing really fast when those three platforms came up because the focus is so different. The PS3 and the 360 were the closest in terms of high definition and networked services. But Wii carved out a large niche to itself. To me, it was like two generations going at the same time."

It doesn't sound like Yoshida expects the Wii U to join in the current generation - or kick off the next one, either.

"Wii U is the next generation of Wii. That I understand. To me, it's its own generation," he said,

Asked whether the Wii U would be a competitor to next-generation PlayStation hardware, Yoshida politely evaded the question; Sony is yet to confirm the existence of a new console.