You guys must read this Sony fans, MS fans, Nintendo fans read it\'s about the market.

Sony Computer Entertainment is poised to lose a large chunk of its market share to Microsoft and Nintendo in the battle for the next generation of video game consoles, according to a report published on Tuesday by the European Leisure Software Publishers\' Association.

Although Sony\'s PlayStation 2 console will be the best-selling piece of games hardware in Europe, Japan and the US by 2005, the study, compiled by media analysts Screen Digest, predicts that the new machine will not enjoy the market dominance of the original PlayStation console.

The Sony PlayStation brand accounts for about 66 per cent of consoles installed in homes worldwide. But the Elspa study forecasts that by the end of 2004 Sony\'s PlayStation 2 will account for just 47 per cent of next-generation consoles in European homes (15.65m units), 37 per cent of those in US homes (18.1m units) and 45 per cent (12.3m units) of those in Japanese homes.

Microsoft\'s new Xbox console is forecast to become the second most popular next-generation console in Europe, accounting for 33 per cent of all next-generation consoles installed in European homes (10.85m units) by the end of 2004.

It will fare less well in the US and Japan, where it will have less of the market than both PlayStation 2 and Nintendo\'s Gamecube, achieving a 31 per cent share of the next-generation market in the US (15m units) by the end of 2004, and about 20 per cent (5.3m units) market share in Japan.

Sony has already launched the PS2 console worldwide and has sold more than 10m units. Microsoft, which has allocated $500m to marketing the Xbox, and Nintendo are both set to launch their consoles this autumn.

The Elspa report suggests that, for the first time in the history of the $20bn video games industry, there will be room for more than two manufacturers in the marketplace. Nintendo\'s announcement of a US launch price of $199 - drastically undercutting the competition - has helped, but the key element has been the software: its line-up of games has been universally well received by reviewers.

"However, we do believe that the company is showing every indication of being content with concentrating on the kids\' demographic segment of the market that it has always dominated," said Ben Keen, author of the report.

"Our current view is that, in most territories, Sony will maintain a lead over its rivals through to 2004, when it will attempt to press home its advantage with the launch of PlayStation 3," Mr Keen said

What do they base these "studies" on? That would be kind of interesting to know. It was a decent read though.

Originally posted by Gohan
What do they base these "studies" on? That would be kind of interesting to know. It was a decent read though.

THe only thing I do know is that Sony is going to be number 1 for a loooonnnggg time.

Can I have your crystal ball after your done with it?

True.
This is all pure speculation (fancy word for guessing).

They say: 2004, 37% for Sony in US.

I say: 2004, 56% for Sony in the US.

Just my own speculation:)

Nice predictions. Why don\'t they predict the winning lottery combinations too? Heh.

- dm
- the trick is to keep breathing.

This is just in line with my thread a month ago
where I reported that several Dutch gamemags
are a bit upset with Sony and the PS2.

Remember this is the Elspa ( E for European ) that
confirms with this report that media in Europe are
seeing a less rosy future for PS2 and they hail especially
Gamecube. Many are bringing up the \'jaggies\' on PS2 again now they\'ve seen the Xbox and NGC material.

BTW. I read this month\'s PowerUnlimited( Dutch gamemag) again and they believe the gap between
Japanese PS2 devs and non- Japanese devs is increasing which is not a good sign, so they say.
Their point is that good stuff is possible on PS2, but only
from hard effort big Japanese devs who are willing to
do that. They think many devs will leave PS2 for XBOX and especially NGC when these arrive.

So much for optimism.
Knotter8

devs are going to leave the largest installed user base because of the challenge it presents to develope on?

hmmmm.....

I don\'t think the DEV\'s are going to leave PS2... Have you seen the latest generation games? Devs are starting to familiarize themselves with the PS2 hardware and althought there is still a lot of learning to do, it WILL get easier.

-Ramon

Although I agree about developers not jumping ship, I think a lot of them are more concerned with making money than learning a whole new architecture. Can you blame them?

THE NUMBER ONE RULE!: NEVER TRUST ANALISTS IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY

They have little knowledge. They didn\'t even mention the GameCube. plus, the Xbox will probably flop like the 3DO or NUON at launch, just a little less then those 2. MS could ruin our gaming experience. They will bring update patches into the industry, make upgrades for the Xboz, CONSOLE REQUIREMENTS. IT could get ugly.

Originally posted by JediMaster
THE NUMBER ONE RULE!: NEVER TRUST ANALISTS [sic] IN THE GAMING INDUSTRY

They have little knowledge. They didn\'t even mention the GameCube. plus, the Xbox will probably flop like the 3DO or NUON at launch, just a little less then those 2. MS could ruin our gaming experience. They will bring update patches into the industry, make upgrades for the Xboz, CONSOLE REQUIREMENTS. IT could get ugly.

Good points.  But I like to think of analysts as meteorologists, once in a blue moon they get it right.

Troglodyte.. just what in the hell does [sic] mean?  I\'ve been asking like 15 people for the past half hour and I still can\'t figure it out.

Originally posted by Ryu
Troglodyte.. just what in the hell does [sic] mean?  I\'ve been asking like 15 people for the past half hour and I still can\'t figure it out.

Standard Industrial Classifications comes to mind

Originally posted by Ryu
Troglodyte.. just what in the hell does [sic] mean?  I\'ve been asking like 15 people for the past half hour and I still can\'t figure it out.

"sic (adverb): intentionally so written -- used after a printed word or passage to indicate that it exactly reproduces an original" -- Merriam-Webster

When quoting someone you add in [sic] after a word that is misspelled or after a part of a sentence in which the grammar is incorrect.  It signifies that the author of the quotation is incorrect and acknoledges the mistake.  

It\'s MLA (Modern Language Association) format for American writing.

Sorry, it\'s a habit I have after writing all these darn essays for English Composition classes.  I\'m not that much of a grammar freak, but I tend to point out obvious mistakes.