The release of next-generation video game consoles will spur interactive entertainment software sales from $18 billion in 2004 to $26 billion in 2010, according to a forecast from San Diego-based market research firm DFC Intelligence. While the firm believes Sony's PlayStation 3 will maintain the company's lead in the market, DFC predicts that Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's "Revolution" will increase the company's respective market shares. "The next generation of console systems will connect to broadband networks right out of the box and this should significantly expand revenue possibilities," said DFC president David Cole. "With a true worldwide marketplace and increasing ownership of multiple systems, this is not a winner take all situation. Instead it is about how profits can be maximized across the unique installed base of different console, portable, PC and location-based platforms."
There is a pivotal shift within the global smartphone market. Recent data from IDC highlights a more cautious outlook for 2025, with projected worldwide smartphone shipments seeing a significantly reduced growth rate. This revised forecast underscores the intricate interplay of global economic factors and geopolitical dynamics on pervasive personal communication devices. IDC's latest update projects a mere 0.6 percent growth in worldwide smartphone shipments for 2025, a stark reduction from the earlier 2.3 percent expectation. Global Smartphone Market Development This recalibration is largely attributed to prevailing economic uncertainties, including inflationary pressures and rising unemployment, alongside the persistent specter of tariff volatility. Despite these global tensions, it's interesting to note that the United States and China are still identified as the primary drivers of this modest growth. China, a critical market, is forecast to achieve a 3 percent year-over-yea...