Fri, Apr 01, 2011 | 04:15 BST
Analysts disagree on outcome of US console wars
A group of analysts have offered differing assessments of the PlayStation 3 versus Xbox 360 debate, with Wedbush Morgan’s notorious Michael Pachter predicting the Xbox 360 will win everything forever.
“The only way PS3 passes 360 is to be priced at a lower level, and I don’t see that happening,” Pachter told Industry Gamers.
“Microsoft appears determined to ‘win’, so I don’t see them allowing Sony to gain a pricing advantage, ever.”
Pachter also commented that Kinect has driven Xbox 360 sales, while Move is under performing, and that while the PS3 feature list is strong, it isn’t well communicated to consumers.
EEDAR’s Jesse Divnich agreed, stating that the gap between the two consoles continues to widen in Microsoft’s favour, but said he didn’t feel this necessarily made the Xbox 360 the “winner”.
“As someone who isn’t afraid to claim winners and losers in this industry, I must say the PlayStation 3 never gets enough credit for its accomplishments. I don’t foresee being third-place this generation as the ‘loser,’” he said.
Divnich said both consoles have extremely healthy install bases driving huge absolute profits with third party publishers, above and beyond other platforms, but that the PS3 had a greater percentage of active users.
Divid Cole of DFC Intelligence agreed, saying hardware revisions and failures meant Microsoft had shifted more hardware, but could be overtaken by Sony in terms of users.
“When we look at active units we see the PS3 passing the Xbox 360 in the U.S. in 2014,” he said.
“However, the Xbox 360 is forecasted to have sold more units at that time…actually a slightly wider gap than today.”
M2 Research’s Billy Pidgeon concurred.
“Speculatively, PS3 achieving a larger installed base in the U.S. is possible in two to three years, particularly in the event of Microsoft launching a next generation console in that time frame,” he said.
“Of course, increased PS3 penetration is also contingent on Sony’s continued release of quality first party system selling games.”
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Posted in: America, Microsoft, PS3, Sony, Trade, Xbox 360
Tags: analyst, billy pidgeon, console wars, David Cole, dfc intelligence, EEDAR, Jesse Divnich, M2 Research, Michael Pacher, wedbush morgan
20 comments
#1
AJacks92
01/04/11, 5:13 am
Fanboy. Haters gon’ hate.
#2
Christopher Jack
01/04/11, 5:22 am
I’d love to see itsucks comment on this.
#3
metamorphic
01/04/11, 5:29 am
Who pays these guys? A motley crew of overpaid, overpublished no-name bimboes if I ever saw them. Do other analysts from other fields even know who they are?
#4
Christopher Jack
01/04/11, 5:42 am
@3, We only ever hear their relevant predictions, of course they do much more than simply guess who’s going to shift more consoles.
#5
neon6
01/04/11, 7:34 am
It doesn’t matter which one you prefer, you’re already a part of the game.
#6
Blerk
01/04/11, 8:39 am
These guys basically get paid for doing what we do for free – argue about shit that they read on the internet.
Anyway, Divnich talks the most sense – there haven’t really been any ‘failures’ this generation. When the lowest-placed machine has still sold over 40m units, how could you say otherwise?
#7
Dralen
01/04/11, 9:54 am
Haha! They just stated their opinion on the topic, they didn’t even give any facts whatsoever. In the end they just sound like some fanboys who are upset with yesterdays news.
#8
itsucks
01/04/11, 9:58 am
lol, “active user base”, how desperate can it get? And i thought analysts and phonybots like cocktopher jerk love facts & numbers.
Welcome to the tird place, babys. Ya’ve been there all along.
#9
Lounds
01/04/11, 10:22 am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWtxs5rl7jk
360 suck on that
#10
Alakratt
01/04/11, 11:56 am
” with Wedbush Morgan’s notorious Michael Pachter predicting the Xbox 360 will win everything forever”
…will win everything forever…
That sounds like something a little kid would say! Whoever believes this guy is a retard!
#11
DarkElfa
01/04/11, 1:45 pm
Sony is teh new Sega.
#12
Gadzooks!
01/04/11, 2:31 pm
#11
“Sony is teh new Sega”
Ideal situation would be for Sony to leave the console hardware market. They have made a disasterous mess with the PS3, and without the burden of such an awful machine with its archaic OS and PSN, I think they could bring thier games back up to the standard they were during the PS2 days.
I’m sure if Sony were to do the right thing and announce there would be no PS4, there would be another contender stepping up to keep MS and Ninty on thier toes.
#13
Lightmanone
01/04/11, 2:55 pm
What is this “xbox 360 win” they are talking about.
Last time I checked Wii was DOUBLE the sales of the xbox360.. Meaning that whatever way you are looking at it, Nintendo owns them both. I am getting so tired of the fact that the big winner, Nintendo is being left out. So their console can’t display HD, even WITHOUT it they still win the console war, doesn’t that say enough????
#14
ManuOtaku
01/04/11, 2:58 pm
#13 Yes it is speak for itself, but i think they mean the batlle for second place, because number one is out of the equation, the lead is to big
#15
Lounds
01/04/11, 3:10 pm
@12 stfu
Sony still have some amazing titles this gen, i suggest you watch that youtube link i posted it’s video about an xbox! cause thats what i think about shitxbox360
#16
Kerplunk
01/04/11, 3:22 pm
RE 12. Yes, stopping production of your best known and most successful brand would clearly be “doing the right thing”. I suggest that you return the business diploma to whichever website you bought it from and request a refund.
#17
Christopher Jack
01/04/11, 3:31 pm
@12, If that were the case, we’d either be tied to a super kiddy/casual console or one where you are forced to pay to play online.
The more competition the better IMO (of course there is a point when it becomes too much) but I think 3 main competitors is the perfect amount.
Also, what do you mean bring their games up to the PS2 standard? This is Sony’s best generation ever for their internal studios, all MS have are Halo, Fable & Forza (Gears has the potential to end up on another console once it’s exclusivity contract runs out).
Here’s a list of all MS owned franchises:
* Aegis Wing
* Age of Empires
* Alan Wake
* Azurik
* Banjo-Kazooie
* BattleTech
* Blinx
* Blood Wake
* Blue Dragon[6]
* Brute Force
* Combat Flight Simulator WWII Europe
* Conker
* Crackdown
* Crimson Skies
* Fable
* Forza Motorsport
* Freelancer
* Fuzion Frenzy
* Game Chest Series
* Grabbed by the Ghoulies
* Halo
* Hexic
* Infinite Undiscovery
* It’s Mr. Pants
* Jawbreaker
* Jetpac
* Joy Ride
* Kakuto Chojin
* Kameo
* Kinect branded games
* Kung Fu Chaos
* Lips
* Lost Odyssey
* Magatama’
* Maximum Chase
* MechAssault
* MechWarrior
* Microsoft Flight Simulator
* Microsoft Train Simulator
* Microsoft Space Simulator
* Midtown Madness
* Nightcaster
* Ninety-Nine Nights
* Monster Truck Madness
* Motocross Madness
* N.U.D.E.@Natural Ultimate Digital Experiment
* Perfect Dark
* Phantom Dust
* Project Gotham Racing
* Quantum Redshift
* Rallisport Challenge
* Rise of Nations
* Shadowrun
* Starlancer
* Sudeki
* Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus
* Tork: Prehistoric Punk (character)
* Toy Soldiers
* Viva Piñata
* Voodoo Vince
* Whacked!
* Zoo Tycoon
Out of all of these, how many would you consider AAA franchises?
Now let’s compare it with Sony’s owned franchises:
* 3D Dot Game Heroes
* Afrika
* Alundra
* Ape Escape
* Arc the Lad
* Buzz!
* Colony Wars
* Cool Boarders
* Dark Cloud
* DC Universe Online
* Demon’s Souls
* Destruction Derby
* Dog’s Life
* Downhill Domination
* Dropship: United Peace Force
* Eight Days
* Extermination
* EyePet
* EyeToy
* FantaVision
* Folklore
* Fat Princess
* Gangs of London
* Genji
* Getaway, The
* Ghosthunter
* God of War
* Gran Turismo
* Hardware
* Heavenly Sword
* Heavy Rain
* Hot Shots Golf
* Ico
* inFamous
* Intelligent Qube
* Invizimals
* Jak and Daxter
* Jeanne d’Arc
* Jet Moto
* Jumping Flash!
* Killzone
* Kinetica
* Kung Fu Rider
* Lair
* Last Guardian, The
* Legend of Dragoon, The
* Legend of Legaia
* Lemmings
* LittleBigPlanet
* LocoRoco
* MAG
* Mark of Kri, The
* MediEvil
* ModNation Racers
* Motor Toon Grand Prix
* MotorStorm
* Okage: Shadow King
* Omega Boost
* PaRappa the Rapper
* Patapon
* PixelJunk
* PlayStation Move Heroes
* PoPoLoCrois
* Primal
* Pursuit Force
* Rally Cross
* Ratchet & Clank
* Rise of the Kasai
* Resistance
* Rogue Galaxy
* Shadow of the Colossus
* SingStar
* Siren
* Sly Cooper
* Sports Champions
* SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs
* Sorcery
* Start the Party
* Syphon Filter
* The Fight: Lights Out
* The Shoot
* Tourist Trophy
* TV Superstars
* Twisted Metal
* Uncharted
* War of the Monsters
* Warhawk
* Wild Arms
* Wipeout
* White Knight Chronicles
Out of all these, I’d say that Sony are in a far better position.
Now let’s compare it with the ‘innovative’ Nintendo.
* Animal Crossing
* Brain Age
* Custom Robo
* Donkey Kong
* EarthBound
* F-Zero
* Fire Emblem
* Game & Watch
* Golden Sun
* Kirby
* The Legend of Zelda
* The Legendary Starfy
* Mario
* Metroid
* Pikmin
* Pokémon
* Punch-Out!!
* Puzzle League
* Star Fox
* Super Smash Bros
* Touch! Generations
* Wario
* Wars
* Yoshi
#18
Lounds
01/04/11, 5:04 pm
The Getaway ftw!
#19
Cort
02/04/11, 1:40 pm
Hasn’t the PS3 sold more in every region except North America? Most people forget that when the monthly NPD’s come out. There’s a whole world outside there…
The 360 has a good lead on global numbers, but that is thanks largely to one country (the US). Factor in the later launch for the PS3, and always being more expensive (much more expensive at the beginning) and it would be reasonable to call it a tie at the very least. Calling the PS3 a failure is just plain dumb.
#20
Lounds
03/04/11, 12:25 pm
only thing I hope sony learns is how to my a good network because PSN is lame compared to Live. Personally Steam is the best platform but hey ho