Piper Jaffray: XBox 360 will lead the pack
Piper Jaffray analysts had both good news and bad news in store for some gaming enthusiasts with their latest hardware estimates encompassing the years up until 2008. Good news? They predict a 30% increase in the number of hardware units sold between 2006 and 2011, including a massive 45% increase in mobile gaming platforms. Software purchases should also increase by $3 billion dollars in the next three years. Counter-Costik, the industry appears to be doing just fine, thank you.
The bad news? Well bad for Sony PS3 and Nintentdo Revolution fans out there… The gurus have looked into the future and seen that the XBox 360 will come out on top of the next-gen console race at least up until 2008. The 360’s earlier release will give it the jump on both the PS3 and the Revolution, who will then have to play catch-up. They suggest that 19.5 million XBox 360’s will be sold before 2008, compared to only 15.5 million PS3’s, and a less-than-encouraging 5 million Revolution units. Unlike the Nintendo console, PS3 sales are expected to rise swiftly, and surpass the XBox 360 in 2008.
In the hand-held market, it appears that the PSP and the Nintendo DS will duke it out neck and neck, save for a boom year for Nintendo in 2005. They hint that Sony may tilt the tables in its favour in mid-2006 with the release of its next-gen PSP, complete with audio/video hard drive.
Related Stories
POSTED IN: News
8 opinions for Piper Jaffray: XBox 360 will lead the pack
Jason K. Dove
Sep 30, 2005 at 10:49 am
I think we are in for a big surprise this time around..I’m really wondering…Playstation took the world by storm and why? I believe it was the types of games they were offering, thier market was the older crowd. XBox is going to have to push in the same direction to make it happen. Personally, I’m a huge Bill Gates fan…call me silly.
Erin
Sep 30, 2005 at 11:49 am
Everyone has their fandom…
I’m honestly not sure what will happen, but I think that people are being bombarded by the XBox 360 at the moment and the other ones aren’t available yet. I can see a mad rush to the store to get the XBox, giving it a huge head start in sales. It’ll be very interesting to see what happens when the PS3 in particular comes out, if they continue their whole air of mystery campaign. It’s a stark contrast to the XBox open book policy, and I’m wondering which will be more successful.
Robyn
Oct 1, 2005 at 11:51 pm
I am in agreement here. Gates is a saavy marketer as is his 360 team. The viral marketing used by Bungie (for the one person in the world who doesn’t know it, that’s the company that made Halo and is owned by MS) has always been top-notch and the little leaks here and there really keep the buzz going. I do really think the origenxbox360.com crappola was poorly done, however.
I am looking forward to playing Oblivion and FEAR and PGR. Everyone has been talking up Perfect Dark and Call of Duty too, so there are some great games (just at launch) to look forward to. Nov. 22 can’t come soon enough for me.
::off to play MK: Shaolin Monks::
Kamyar
Oct 2, 2005 at 12:51 am
Overall, just based on the specs alone, the PS3 seems to dominate the XBox 360, but not by much. The earlier release of the XBox 360 and cheaper per-unit price will give it an early advantage. In fact, I went to a local EBX store today and saw XBox 360 games ready for preorder and did not see anything regarding the PS3.
Having said that, I’m saving up for the PS3. I think its potential is great and it looks like Sony has designed it to be fully upgradeable in the future.
I’m just waiting for Google to make some sort of an announcement for a console. Not that I’m expecting it to, but it might as well.
Erin
Oct 2, 2005 at 9:29 pm
An XBox and a PS fan…hrm…
Robyn, I absolutely agree that MS viral marketing has been a smashing success. Even though people hated the Origen site, it still got people talking and that, after all, is the point. I don’t think it annoyed people to the point that it will negatively impact them in the sales department, so if I were MS, I would call it an astounding success.
Kamyar, yes by specs alone I would agree that the PS3 is a pretty spiffy machine. Sure some in the industry have grumbled that its architecture is too complicated, but at the gamer level, who really cares?? If it plays better and looks nicer, then I really don’t mind that a little extra work went into it. The industry is there to entertain me and I was the best of what they have. As far as a Google console goes…that would be awesome. I can see it coming too! They will slowly take over the world.
Jeremy Wright
Oct 3, 2005 at 5:26 am
I’m buying a 360. I refuse to wait a year (or even 6 months) for the next-gen experience. Especially since every major game will be done for the current gen AND the 360.
Once the PS3 comes out, I’ll happily evaluate it as well, but based on the PS1 and PS2, I’m 90% sure Sony will once again miss the mark with people like me (people who play games because they want to play with FRIENDS).
Robyn
Oct 3, 2005 at 9:11 am
LIVE! is definitely the best reason to buy an XBox over any other system, and as far as I’m concerned, it will be tough to compete with it as it is so deeply imbedded in the 360. Sony doesn’t ‘get’ this so we’ll see a console betting entirely on graphics, if my guess is correct.
Of course, as the PS3 is months away it really is just a guess. The Revolution will bet on innovation and kitchy (sp?), fun games. I definitely will get all three, but I am not a typical consumer. Most will get one (PS3, Revolution or 360) or one+the Revolution.
Erin
Oct 3, 2005 at 10:46 pm
Jeremy and Robyn,
I’ll be happy with my superb graphics and leave the friend gaming for people who have some, like yourselves (I kid). I think you’ve hit on one of the key balance points, and it will depend on individual gamers. How important is gaming with the buds, and Live!, to you? Those who want that kind of experience will, and should, go XBox. I don’t see anything in the other consoles that even comes close.
Have an opinion? Leave a comment: