Strategy Analytics has predicted that the video game console business will drop 19% in 2012, citing a downward worldwide trend. They also present that the PlayStation 3 is the most actively played gaming console. They also state that the Nintendo Wii U will not be immune to the decline in console sales.
If this data is accurate, perhaps we’ll see a quicker deployment of the next-generation console technology. Or this could mean a shift to a new format all together. Below is the complete press release:
“BOSTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The global TV games console market will drop by 19 percent in 2012, according to the latest research from the Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices service, “Global TV Games Console Outlook: a Transitional Year Awaiting a New Wave.” The report projects a decline in global Xbox 360 sales 13.8 million units in 2012; and PS3 sales will also fall, to 13 million units. Nintendo is fully focused on preparing for the upcoming Wii U release; however, even the launch of the new Wii U will not save Nintendo, or the industry, from this downward trend.
“On the other hand, Xbox 360 appeals to a broader audience, as more consumers buy the Microsoft console for non-gaming as well as gaming functions.”
A recent Consumer Metrix survey by Strategy Analytics shows that users of the PlayStation 3 game console have the highest level of usage frequency, topping its two major competitors. Fourty-four percent of PS3 owners use their console on at least a weekly basis. That is in contrast to 40 percent of weekly Xbox 360 users and 30 percent of Wii users.
“Last year, Xbox 360 sales beat PS3 globally, despite its relative weakness outside the US. However, Strategy Analytics research indicates that PS3 is slightly more popular among core gamers than Xbox 360,” comments report author, Jia Wu, Director in the Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices service. “On the other hand, Xbox 360 appeals to a broader audience, as more consumers buy the Microsoft console for non-gaming as well as gaming functions.”
“Sales figures alone do not determine winners in this generation’s console competition,” adds Kantideep Thota, Analyst at Strategy Analytics. “Wii has sold the highest number of games consoles cumulatively; but Sony’s and Microsoft’s advancement in online game distribution and cross-platform integration grants them higher user engagement and a solid foundation for the next generation console war.”
About Strategy Analytics
Strategy Analytics, Inc. provides timely and actionable market intelligence focused on opportunities and disruptive forces in the areas of Automotive Electronics and Entertainment, Broadband Connected Home, Mobile & Wireless Intelligent Systems and Virtual Worlds. Headquartered in Boston, MA, with offices in the UK, France, Germany, Japan, S. Korea and China, Strategy Analytics works with clients through annual multi-client services, management team workshops and custom consulting engagements. For more information, please visit http://www.strategyanalytics.com/“
(Via Real Gamer Newz)