Next-Gen Rising: Latest Predictions for the New Wave of Consoles
The dark clouds are rolling in too fast, the earth rumbling too loudly. Faint rumors have been promoted to a dull roar, and we all know what Sony and Microsoft are about to say: new consoles are on the way.
One industry analyst in particular, a Mr. Colin Sebastian of Baird Research and Insights (I’ll save you a mouse-click: it’s an organization paid money for telling other companies how to spend money), has offered up his opinion and educated guesses as to what to expect this year when it comes to the coveted next-gen.
Speaking with both industry developers and distributors, Sebastian thinks Microsoft and Sony are aiming to announce new hardware this year, right before E3 which will, in turn, make this year’s expo the biggest since 2000 when the PlayStation 2 and original Xbox went toe-to-toe. What’s more, Sebastian believes these new systems – utilizing the same tech found in today’s higher-end PC’s; a sexy prospect for would-be developers – will launch as early as this Fall, both likely landing between the $350 to $400 price range.
Related predictions Mr. Sebastian conjured see brick n’ mortar retail threatened by the new consoles’ penchant for digital distribution, but until download speeds and pricing catches up with demand, physical sales will remain valid and strong at least several years into the next generation’s life cycle.
Also, he sees Nintendo as goddamn doomed once competition ratchets up, thanks in no small part to the Wii U’s limp launch. Sebastian says the company needs to deliver on their trademark first-party goods (like this rumored monolithic Zelda game), lest Nintendo suffers the same sad fate as Sega, and is forced to back away from the home console market and license out those same first-party games onto competing platforms. A grim outlook, indeed.
So, fellow gaming connoisseurs, what are your next-gen predictions and what’s it going to take for you to jump on the new console bandwagon?