NEWS - Monday, October 23, 2006
New Hardware Projections Arrive
The full report details annual predicted hardware and software sales across all formats in every major North American and Western European territory through to the end of the decade, as well as average sales prices and predicted sales of digital downloads. IDG and Next-Gen have collaborated to bring you a small portion of the detailed report, with an emphasis here on Xbox 360, Wii and PS3 in the U.S. The full report also covers handhelds and PC games in dozens of countries. Xbox 360 "Sales of Xbox 360 hardware have remained on a path to achieving an estimated 4.9 million units sold through in North America in 2006 – a significant improvement over the original Xbox’s first full calendar year of 3.4 million units. However, sales still trail the PS2’s impressive “GTA‐fueled” 6.1 million units in its first full calendar year of 2001, and the system continues to be outsold on a monthly basis by the PS2 today. The 2006 holiday season will prove particularly important as the industry’s first live test of next‐ generation console market share. IDG does not anticipate a price reduction on the core Xbox 360 hardware in 2006, but bundling at the retailer level seems likely. Sales should also benefit from the constricted supply of both PS3 and Wii. The installed base of the Xbox 360 is also projected to lead all other next‐gen platforms until 2009." ESTIMATED NORTH AMERICA HARDWARE SALES and INSTALLED BASE 2006 4.9 Million / 5.6 million 2007 6 Million / 11.6 million 2008 5.3 million / 16.9 million 2009 4.1 million / 21.1 million 2010 2.8 million / 23.9 millionSource: http://www.next-gen.biz/
