14 DAY TRIAL // The Nintendo Wii will once again dominate its competition, the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, this holiday season, at least according to sales analyst Michael Pachter.
In recent months the best selling Wii hasn't exactly been dominating its rivals like it once did, with the Xbox 360 dominating in North America, at least according to the NPD sales data, and the PlayStation 3 being extremely close to the Microsoft console.
Meanwhile, many voices have already started to say that the Wii is reaching the end of its era, as almost anyone who wanted such a console has already bought one.
That isn't exactly right though, at least according to Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter, who recently gazed upon his crystal ball and shared a bit of insight about the upcoming winter holiday season.
According to him, the Wii will still dominate in sales, even if the competition showed great form in the past few months.
Pachter says that the launch of the redesigned Xbox 360 and the PlayStation Move spurred sales for those platforms, but that the Wii will still come out on top.
"The Wii has dropped from first to third, but the new models for Xbox 360 and the launch of PS3 Move had something to do with that, and it's likely only temporary.
"I think that Mr. Iwata is right when he says that the Wii is more of a holiday purchase, as the core audience has long been satisfied, and the more casual audience comprises the much larger portion of the addressable market."
If the right elements come in place and if the competition can't mount a successful marketing onslaught, the Wii will be the winner, Pachter says.
"With effective marketing, a slew of great games, and some likely support at retail, I expect the Wii to once again become the best selling console in November and December."
While Pachter may be true, Microsoft, at least, has one more card up its sleeve, with the upcoming launch of the Kinect system for the Xbox 360.
Whether it will be an ace, like the American company hopes, or a Joker, is still anybody's guess.