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Analyst Predicts US$400 Range for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360's Successors
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
Analyst Colin Sebastian of Baird Equity Research said that Sony and Microsoft's next generation of consoles will cost about US$400, based on off-the-record meetings with "a number of companies" at The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2013 last week.
Microsoft's Xbox 360 premium bundle initially retailed for US$400 in 2005 while Sony's premium edition PlayStation 3 entered the market at US$599 in 2006. Sebastian hypothesized that the current economy means both companies are willing to take a loss on the next generation of consoles to appeal to current market conditions.
"Given the fragile state of the console game market, we expect the E3 trade show in June will take on added significance, most likely providing the industry with the first public opportunity to examine next-generation hardware," Sebastian wrote.
He also detailed that the console's hardware would borrow from high-end personal computer builds.
"Our checks suggest that next-generation console hardware will be largely built from 'off the shelf' high-end PC components along with hybrid physical/digital distribution models, enhanced voice controls and motion sensing (Kinect integration with every Xbox), and broad multi-media capabilities," Sebastian added.
Sebastian added that the Xbox 720 is expected for release in November, while the PlayStation 4 could possibly be later due to "early production issues."
Source: ComputersAndVideogames.com via Hachima Kikō
