14 DAY TRIAL // Here's something you didn't expect to hear when you got up this morning: apparently, hot-shot companies such as Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft (so mostly console manufacturers as you can see) are turning their heads towards India, confident that the console market there could grow up to $125.4 million by 2010. Given that last year's console market made about $13.3 million, that's one huge leap!
"The console gaming segment is not very sizeable in India. However, future growth expectations and consumerism are prompting companies to establish themselves in India," said iSuppli associate analyst Ashish Thakre. More than that, as Next Generation reports, iSuppli stated that Sony launched the 60GB PS3 in April as part of a $980 bundle, including a dozen or so games. Don't even think that was a typo. You read it right, mister: $980.
How they managed to sell 1.200 units so far is a huge mystery. Must be the only 1.200 rich blokes there that grabbed it. Anyway, with those figures registered up until now, it's quite a long shot for Sony to sell the expected 10,000 PS3s in the region. But as the same site mentioned above posts, "Microsoft also has a console presence in the region with Xbox 360. The machine launched in India in September 2006 and Microsoft "extensively markets" the system in the country. The firm released a cricket game to cater to Indian audiences."
Not exactly heaven for Microsoft either, as you can see. So how on Earth do they plan to sell their products there? Once main issue that the same site points out would be "high duties" passed down to consumers. It is true that the Indian video games market is most likely to grow (or so say the analysts), but Sony already has an overpriced system and before they cut the price on it, other consoles such as the Wii and Xbox 360 will sound even more appealing as they too will see a price cut.
I guess time will tell, as always. Let's just hope they don't come out with a different format (PAL, NTSC), exclusive to the territory. There's enough fuss with them already.