The handbags are out once again, as Sony takes a swipe at Nintendo in the New York Times.

In an interview with Sony Computer Entertainment of America spokesperson Dave Karraker, printed in the New York Times, Karraker claims the Wii cannot be directly compared with Sony's own PS3. While this is a sentiment in part echoed by Nintendo on many an occasion due to the two machines' completely different stances on gameplay and graphics, Karraker said that this was because "the Wii could be considered an impulse buy more than anything else."

Citing that the launch frenzy Nintendo had "at the holidays has subsided a bit,", while Sony is now reportedly selling out of each 100,000 unit shipment of the PS3 which reaches America every week. He also said that the Wii is selling more to casual gamers than committed ones, who will likely buy less games in the future.

Nintendo has responded by saying that its Wii shipments into the US are equal to that of Sony's PS3, and that reports of shortages due to lower shipments were "absolutely inaccurate".