Xbox 2 could take 30% of market

or so these people think.

Link

Xbox 2 Discussed At Investor Conference
By David Smith
6/11/2004

Next-generation consoles are always a hot topic, even when a new console has just barely hit the market. At a time like this, when current consoles are reaching their peak, and a few inklings are starting to drift out from hardware manufacturers, it\'s hard to avoid the subject, even when there\'s not very much in the way of hard details to talk about.
So it was at the ongoing Piper Jaffray investor conference, where a group of several CEOs from retailers and publishers discussed the future of the games industry. Comments on next-generation hardware focused on Microsoft\'s next offering, which conventional wisdom currently expects to arrive as early as late 2005.

When asked if Microsoft could manage to take 30% of the market with its next-generation console, improving on its distant position in this generation, Electronics Boutique president Jeff Griffiths agreed. "Yes, they could get a 30% share," he said. "I think if they got less than that they\'d be disappointed, if they come out earlier than Sony, if they have the breadth of exclusive titles like Sony had for PS2. I think they\'d definitely have potential for market share leadership."

Brian Farrell, CEO of THQ, agreed that the Xbox successor has potential -- "I think Microsoft is being more aggressive," he said. However, he qualified his prediction somewhat: "Can they gain share? Yes. Do they have to have a solid value proposition? Yes. Do they have to have aggressive marketing? Yes."

The feeling among the panel seemed to be that Microsoft\'s next console may be of a more familiar kind than Nintendo and Sony\'s next offerings. Atari\'s Bruno Bonnell said he expected an "evolution of the existing box," a system that won\'t surprise the existing Xbox following, rather than a radical departure of the kind that Sony has been discussing (albeit in extremely vague terms). Regardless, Bonnell also agreed that Microsoft has a chance to jump out and take the lead in the next hardware generation.

Farrell, however, voiced the general understanding that there\'s not enough information available about next-generation hardware to jump to any binding conclusions at this point. "What\'s going to make people buy Xbox 2, PlayStation 3?" he asked. "None of the hardware companies have explained that yet."

It\'s always more interesting to hear it from people in the industry.

wasnt this said about xbox?

Xbox is picking up mindshare.  On those car modding shows, for example, they always install Xbox\'s over other systems.

If Sony is third out the gate next time around, I absolutely see Microsoft cutting a bit deeper into the lead.

The hype for Ps3 will be the real determining factor, though.  If Sony can get people more excited about PS3 than they are about Xbox 2 or that Nintendo company\'s thing, then that will make a major difference.

-Dan

I would put money down on Microsoft this time around.  They may not be the market leader, but they\'ll be up there.  Lets face it, they know what they\'re doing when it comes to dominating a market.  People may bomb them for the Xbox, but that was their first try at console and I think they learned alot.  Doesn\'t matter to me though because I\'ll buy whatever tickles my pickle

I\'ll buy whatever\'s the most popular so when I pimp my ride I can put it in my car.

Yeah i don\'t see sony having a monster showing with ps3 like they did with ps2. I see things being way more competitive especially if Xbox2 comes out next year.

Sega was not large enough to hang with the hype of sony but microsoft is and xbox has been a pretty decent console. The hype for xbox2 should be huge.

I also think XNA will attract more developers to put there games on xbox only.

I\'ll just save myself the trouble and buy a ps3 and an xbox2. I figure I\'ll be poor but at least I won\'t have to face those questions of which console to get.

yep poor and happy.