The report Next Generation Consoles: Games publishing, hardware analysis and forecasts to 2010 examines the prospects for next generation platforms and the implications for the console manufacturers and third party publishers alike.
In addition the report forecasts next generation hardware and software markets to 2010.
By using survey data from major software publishers, the report provides an overview of third party attitudes to making games for the new console platforms.
In addition the report models how many unit sales a third party publisher will need to sell in order to break even in the key US market.
The report considers the implications for the hardware manufacturers in an era where the cost of developing new titles has climbed significantly.
The early part of the console cycle is the most costly and third party publishers must make tough decisions on which of the new platforms to support, without the benefit of knowing how successful each console will be in a given territory.In this period of transition spending on previous generation console software is in steep decline before the next generation has matured sufficiently to compensate.
Better than expected performance from PS2 and handheld platforms grew the market in 2006 but publishers will now look to the new platforms to power growth from 2007 onwards.According to the report's author, Ed Barton, ``Already its obvious that the industry has taken a great leap forward by releasing next generation technology and gaming experiences one would not have dared to dream about a decade ago.
Consoles have evolved into multimedia hubs but games remain the key driver for hardware sales.
This report analyses the key roles games catalogues and publisher support play in driving console sales.
It assesses the publishing strategies of the platform owners and third parties in producing games to drive the transition from the previous to the next generation of console gaming.``Key FindingsGlobal sales of next generation software is forecast to reach $13.9bn by 2009.PS2-style dominance will not be repeated in the next generation hardware market: we anticipate that competition will be far more intense with market shares split on a territorial basis.The cost of making games has increased markedly in the next generation, as a consequence the importance of first party publishing has increased while third parties seek strategies to mitigate now precipitous levels of risk.Sales of PS2 games will persist well into the next generation: the analyst anticipates significant PS2 game sales across all major territories until the end of 2008.In the reportGlobal next generation console hardware and software forecasts to 2010Analysis of platform owner and third party publisher strategiesThe rising cost of making gamesBreak even analysis: how much must a game sell to break even in the USNext generation software catalogues: publishing pipelines, historic sales, new IP and platform exclusivity analysedNext generation online: the evolution from games platform to broadband media hub