Yankee Group Proves They Haven't Been Paying Attention

I don't care who they say "wins." But their Wii numbers are just retarded. I'm sure their basing these numbers off of GameCube numbers, but that just doesn't make sense. The excitement surrounding the Wii, the new control mechanisms, nearly 27 reported launch titles, and non-subscription based online support. Sounds like a good recipe for success.

They must just not read any news, talked to any developers, or really done much more than recycle the numbers for the PS2, Xbox, and GameCube.

GameDaily BIZ: Yankee Group Predicts Narrow Victory For Sony

In a study released today, the Yankee Group has predicted that Sony will maintain its position as market leader across the next generation of video game consoles. By 2011, the group expects Sony's PlayStation 3 to make up 44% of the cumulative console sales with an installed user base of almost 30 million units.


Microsoft's Xbox 360, however, isn't thought to be that far behind. Estimates place Microsoft's second console in a close second place, selling approximately 27 million units and accounting for 40% of the market. The group explains Microsoft's advantage lies with the Xbox 360's lower price point and earlier availability. The group also claims Microsoft is in a position to cut the price of the Xbox 360 in the spring of 2007 and each following year, which as the group puts it, would result in "significant price pressure on Sony."

But what's really surprising are the analyst's findings for Nintendo's upcoming Wii. According to the group, the Wii will only account for 16% of console sales by 2011, with an installed base of just 11 million, almost a third of its competitors. As Nintendo has yet to confirm a price point for the Wii, this seems an odd estimation, especially considering the importance the firm assigned to the respective price points of the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.