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Analysts Predict Consoles Sales Peak Reached
Thanks to Yahoo News for reprinting the press release regarding financial analysts' predictions that the current videogame console cycle has peaked. According to a spokesman for U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, "We believe spring 2003 marked the midpoint of the current video game cycle", suggesting 2003 "will be the peak year for unit sales of current generation hardware." This may mean leaner times before the next generation of console hardware debuts, predicted by Piper Jaffray for "autumn 2006", and meanwhile, the company is forecasting "...that 22.3 million hardware units will be sold in North America in 2003, a modest increase from 21.1 million units in 2002 and will subsequently decline in 2004 to sales of 20.3 million units as the installed base of video game hardware becomes saturated."
This may mean leaner times before the next generation of console hardware debuts
Not really. Even the companies that don't lose money on their console sales aren't making a whole lot. Game sales are what is important, and the larger installed base should help those.
Who are these guys? Do they speak with any authority on this subject? I read the article and as far as I can tell they're a bunch of financial analysts. Do they have a history of predicting this kind of thing accurately? Is there any reason to listen to these predictions?
I have a lot of opinions about Cyborgs and Architects
Consoles are cheaper than computers for gaming, I don't care what funny math you freaks pull up. =)
I bought my PS2 for $75 a year ago. It will continue to play brand-new popular games until 2006 when the PS3 comes out. That's 4 years of gaming vs. the 6 months to a year of a video card twice the price. Not counting keeping up with the rest of the hardware and the headaches that come with analyzing system requirements. It's just cheaper and easier to get a console.
"What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.
PS2s use a regular USB keyboard, by the way. As for control, some games are better with a keyboard and mouse (FPSs, Civ, etc.) while others (Final Fantasy, Tony Hawk, Dead or Alive Beach Vollyball) would be really hard and a lot less fun without a controller. I personally find controllers easier and more comfortable than keyboards and mice for games.
As for bugs, I rarely see any. Enter the Matrix was a terrible game, badly rushed and a horrible waste of money. Same with Tomb Raider Agel of Darkness, the other famous recent bug-fest. As for the good games, bugs are few and far between.
"What is Internet Explorer 7? Are you saying we can't access the normal internet?" - I love tech support. Really.
So, uhh, basically what they're saying is in about a year i'm going to have to purchase a Playstation 3, a Gamecircle, an XBox2, and upgrade my graphics card/processor to keep current with the video game market.
Between owning 3 PCs, an Atari 2600/7800, NES, SNES, Genesis, SegaCD, Dreamcast, a PS, PS2, a Gamecube, and tons and tons of games over the last few years, I can honestly say this hobby is more expensive than a crack addiction...
"In a Democracy, people get the kind of government they deserve." -Winston Churchill
I think a lot of it may have to do with PS2 market saturation. There are so many PS2s in living rooms around the world that even if the next must-have game comes out for PS2, there aren't that many people who want one and don't already have one.
GC and XBox could see a spike, but it would probably get swallowed up by the overall decline in PS2 sales. This is talking about the market, after all. Nintendo and MS could easily have a banner year in 2004 while the total consoles sold goes down.
Bite the hand.