Research Firm Predicts PS3 Victory In Next-Gen Console War

Market research firm Datamonitor has released a new study proclaiming that the PlayStation 3 will emerge as the dominate console during the current hardware generation, with an install base of around 75 million globally by 2010. However, the brief, titled “The Transforming Global Video Games Market: The Emergence of Next Generation Gaming”, adds that Sony's latest console is not expected to dominate the console market to the same degree as its predecessor, an assumption the study bases on the PlayStation 3's delayed launch in Europe, as well as Microsoft's early lead with the Xbox 360. The research firm did not reveal any predictions as far as expected sales for either the Xbox 360 or the Wii. However, the study did note that key differences between the competing consoles, most notably each platform's different approach to online gaming, as well as broadband adoption and shifting gamer demographics could play a significant role in the current console war. Earlier in 2006, Sony revealed that its PlayStation 2 console, which was first released on March 4, 2000 in Japan, sold more than 101 million units, a number that has only continued to grow. In November, NPD revealed that the PS2 sold an impressive 664,000 units in that month in the U.S. alone, while its successor, the PlayStation 3, sold 197,000 units following its North American debut on November 17.