14 DAY TRIAL // With the release of the next generation gaming consoles from Microsoft and Sony, namely Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (PS3), analysts say that the market will explode in 2006. Moreover, the expansion of the game devices market is expected to continue to expand at least till 2009.
This year, the gaming console market fell by 9.1 percent, counting 28 million units sold. However, iSuppli said that with the introduction of the next generation consoles, the market will grow significantly, reaching sales of 40 million units in 2006, not including the handheld games.
Gaming console manufacturers such as Sony or Microsoft usually don't provide the estimated number of gaming consoles they plan to sell in the first six months or in the first year. Howver, it is said that Microsoft wants to sell 2.75- 3 million Xbox 360 units in the first three month after its launch.
Figures for Sony's PS3 are not known, but it's a fact that the company recently boosted sale estimates for the PS2 (Playstation 2), meaning that the interest for gaming consoles is rising in general.