The Wii U is in a console generation of its own, according to Sony Worldwide Studios president Shuhei Yoshida. Speaking to Eurogamer, the executive said he believes when Nintendo launched the Wii in 2006, it in turn created a parallel console cycle that will continue with the company's new console. The Wii U represents its own generation, says Yoshida.

　　"I always thought PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 are in the same generation, but Wii was not the same," he said. "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."

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

　　The Wii U is due out worldwide this holiday season and is Nintendo's first high-definition console. Its CPU will be powered by an IBM multicore processor and its GPU by an AMD Radeon card.