Wii owners to help boost PS3 sales
Sony may receive a helping hand from where they least expect it, says iSupply analyst, Pamela Tufegdzig, as Wii owners buy the PS3 as a second, more powerful system.
According to Tufegdzig, Sony’s machine has some aces up its sleeve that might help it win the next generation consoles war by 2011. The most important card in Sony’s winning hand is the ability to cut PS3’s price again real soon, as component prices fall. “We anticipate Sony will have another price slash on the PS3 this year, and come Christmas, consumers who originally bought the Wii will likely purchase the PS3,” Tufegdzic said. That is a plausible theory, as many Wii owners don’t yet consider buying a PlayStation 3 because of its spicy price.
Another important factor in iSupply’s prediction is the Blu-ray player. PlayStation 3 is, as most of you know, the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market right now and even though Sony loses more than it gains with every player they put in their machines, this might actually be the edge they needed. “People may buy the PS3 not only for their gaming needs, but for video as well, which gives the PS3 a unique competitive edge over the Wii and Xbox 360 well into the longer term,” said Tufegdzic.
And last but not least, PS3 is bringing in the big guns this year with releases like Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Grand Turismo 5, as well as interesting hardware bundles that include the DualShock3 controller. iSupply thinks that MGS4 could be for the PS3, what Halo3 was for the 360 and I for one share their opinion.
So in conclusion, PS3 is not yet threatening the Wii’s top spot position but it might become a favorite as a second, more powerful, Blu-ray compatible system, which isn’t bad for now.
