Nov. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Nintendo Co. sold more than 600,000 Wii video-game consoles in the Americas during the product's first eight days on the market as the company battled to take sales from Sony Corp.'s PlayStation 3.

Sales of consoles, games and accessories totaled about $190 million, the company said today in an e-mailed statement. The Wii went on sale Nov. 19, two days after PlayStation 3.

Nintendo has positioned the $250 Wii as a simpler, cheaper alternative to the PlayStation 3, which has a more powerful processor and sells for $499 and $599. Nintendo plans to ship 4 million worldwide by the end of the year and has told retailers it can replenish supplies at a rate of 250,000 a week.

``Whatever Nintendo is shipping is still being gobbled up,'' Mike Hickey, an analyst with Janco Partners in Greenwood Village, Colorado, said in an interview. ``There's huge demand for these things.''

Sales include 454,000 copies of the game ``The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess,'' Nintendo said.

Shares of Kyoto-based Nintendo rose 100 yen to 26,430 yen today in Japan. They have gained 85 percent this year. Sony American depositary receipts fell 95 cents to $38.68 as of 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading and have dropped 5 percent this year.

At the suggested retail price of $250, Wii comes with five Nintendo sports games. Some retailers are bundling in additional games, pushing the price much higher.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, sells the console and a total of 13 games including ``Madden NFL 07'' on its Web site for $648.38. A PlayStation 3 with 12 games cost $1,421.98. Toys 'R' Us Inc.'s Web site listed the Wii console and selections of four to six additional games for $489.94 and $589.92.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michael White in Los Angeles at Mwhite8@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: November 27, 2006 20:52 EST