PS3 Delay May Hurt Current Gen Too

Next Generation reports that, in some analysts view, the real victim of the PS3 delay may actually be current gen console publishers and gamers. Houses like EA and Activision have a lot of money tied up in creating games for the next generation, and if the PS3 isn't launching here in the states until after summmer... They end up laying out four increasingly bad scenarios for the industry. From the article: "The third scenario theorizes on a 25 percent price cut on current generation software. We've already seen substantial price-cuts from EA, as the current-gen versions of The Godfather, Black and Fight Night Round 3 all debuted or will debut at $40, a 20 percent cut from the normal $50 price tag. The erosion of sales prices may be caused by publishers trying to unload inventory, or by publishers that target budget shoppers. This scenario could cause major publishers' earnings to drop between 35 and 49 percent."

Comments

Who cares?

[Anonymous Coward]

EA and Sony deserve to go down in flames. The steaming pile of lead they have become should no longer be the dominant game producers. This will only be good for gamers; we can get our gaming fix cheaper, and indie game producers will have a better shot at getting their games out there. Granted they probably will have to distribute them through EA or something (happens so often).

IMO the current atmosphere that the gaming world has cannot last. There's only so much you can overwork your employees before you run out of talented people and have to go looking for people who are genuinely interested in making good games.

Another culprit

[Snap E Tom]

If the price is what has been rumored, that's going to really hurt adoption rates. Who's going to buy the games if no one's buying a console that costs $800?