There are now 11 countries that have an annual video game revenue in excess of US$ 1 billion. By 2009, the video game market is expected to reach a whopping US$ 57 billion. Leading the charge are the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3, and the Wii. Analyst David Cole of DFC Intelligence speaks his peace on the current generation of consoles. Which is the most profitable platform for 2007? The answer is a doozy. Make a guess, and find out after the "read more" link.

It's been a while since we've heard some strong words said on the subject of the console war. How are the consoles doing, and what's in store for them this year? Read up on what analysts have to say about the matter, and head over to the full article.

Analysts are known for scrutinizing trends and then making predictions based on those trends. In this case, David Cole of DFC Intelligence has his own take on the Xbox 360's performance in Europe. Interestingly, it includes a predicted switching of loyalties as well. Analyze the details in the full article after the jump.

If you've been keeping up with Electronic Arts' efforts to buy out Take-Two Interactive, then we've got an interesting bit of behind-the-scenes news for you. It seems that EA's own John Riccitiello views the takeover bid as an offered helping hand to the publisher, and this in itself is not going good with quite a few of this industry's leading analysts. Check out all the details in the full article and see what you think about this little hubbub.

 

DFC Intelligence, expert in video game and entertainment market research, recently released forecasts for the gaming industry. According to the research firm, Microsoft's Xbox 360 could lose the so-called "console war" and fall in a distant third place when year 2009 kicks in.

Various sources make it quite clear that the Nintendo Wii is zooming past its competition in terms of sales but Microsoft's horse trails close behind. DFC researchers, however, found weakness in 360's recent sales. If the current pace goes on for a couple of years, the Wii will dominate until 2008 ends. Sony's year will be 2009, when PlayStation 3 sales move into overdrive as DFC foresees.

DFC analyst David Cole pointed out how likely Sony will be leading in the software race even if Nintendo's console continues to sell. In order to share Xbox 360's presence to the scene, Microsoft "will need to build a strong base outside North America," said Cole.

By 2009, DFC expects US$ 47 billion in revenue for the gaming industry. Sales of the three big consoles are to reach numbers between 180 million to 210 million when 2012 comes - if DFC's projections are correct, that is. During the same year, PC gaming could be racking up $US 13 billion in revenue thanks to the ever-growing online games market and convenient digital distribution.

DFC's research is strongly positive toward handhelds. Cole stated that the Nintendo DS could be on top as the best-selling game system ever five years from now. Nothing is set in stone, but we can be sure of one thing: it'll be fun to watch how everything unfolds, and gamers win in the end.

It's David Cole of DFC Intelligence again with a word on the PS3's chances in the gaming market. This time, he believes that it's too early to call out any winners or losers yet - not this Christmas, not in 2007 even - in an article he wrote for Businessweek Online.

On the one hand, he writes, Sony has a large and installed base of PS2 owners going for it. They will want to upgrade to next-gen, sooner or later (which, of course, Sony is wooing with the PS3). On another front, he says developers are slowly coming to terms with the challenges of programming for the PS3. David thinks, though, that it will still be some time before the industry regularly punches out titles that fully exploit all that the Cell can offer.

Yet even if the PS3 becomes a best-seller, David doesn't think this will become PS2 redux. The Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii pose stiff competition for the PS3's debut, and can look forward to increased market share. Microsoft, for one, had had the lead-time from its earlier release of the 360, not to mention a solid list of titles under its Ring of Light. And the Wii? David thinks it's got "almost nowhere to go but up." In both cases, they are hoping to lure those PS2 owners wishing to go next-gen away from the PS3 and to their own respective consoles.

It's increasingly looking like a multiplatform world, and less like the current-gen with a far-and-away PS2 dominance. "More than ever, success in the video game industry is about having a complete package of technology, content, marketing, and distribution savvy." Both console manufacturers and game publishers alike can determine who wins and who loses in the console war. But this early? It's still too soon to tell.

For some years, Sony has been the reigning leader in the video game realm. The release of its PS1 and PS2 consoles have become big hits in the market, easily giving Sony the upper hand in the competition. Up to this year, the PS2 is still selling like pancakes, bagging in more revenues than its other competitors. According to David Cole of DFC Intelligence, Sony is pretty much in control of the gaming market.

Unless it makes a wrong turn, that is.

Apparently, Cole thinks so, "Microsoft and Nintendo had to hope Sony fumbled or significantly changed its strategy so that they could get an opportunity to capture some of that PS2 audience. Now it is clear Sony is handing its competitors a golden opportunity."

Surely, Nintendo and Microsoft are girding their loins for an attack of opportunity. The Wii and Xbox 360 are like their own versions of weapons of mass destruction, both levelled against the much-awaited release of Sony's PS3. In this clash of gaming titans, Cole predicts that Nintendo would come in first.

The full article awaits after the jump!