Skip to main content

Internet-Capable Game Console Forecast

The video game software business, while currently stuck in a trough, figures to roar back to new heights in the next three years. The next generation consoles now coming to market have Internet access that will allow massively multiplayer online games, where gamers play against each other in a virtual world.

Up to now, interactive MMOGs have been the province of the personal computer format � Sony's EverQuest and Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft for example. "More than 50 percent of all Xbox 360 game consoles worldwide are now connected to Xbox Live, vs. a 10 percent uptake of Internet services for the first Xbox," notes Kagan Research analyst Irina Mulvey.

The next generation consoles with online capabilities are Microsoft's Xbox 360 that launched last November, and Sony's PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Revolution, scheduled for introduction late this year.

Video game software for the dedicated consoles/handhelds � which generates about $6 billion at the U.S. consumer spend level � fell 3 percent last year (hardware and software combined were $9.2 billion). The slump is due to consumers and software companies focused on next generation hardware, and due to the delayed release of some high profile titles. Kagan Research forecasts console game software revenue will soar 35 percent in the next three years, riding the wave of new generation consoles.

Popular posts from this blog

How WLAN Transforms Industrial Automation

The industrial sector is on the eve of a wireless transformation, driven by an urgent demand for greater network capacity, reliability, and deterministic performance. Historically, manufacturers and mission-critical operations have relied on wired networks — favoring their predictability — because spectrum congestion in legacy 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands limited confidence in wireless for operational technology (OT) environments. However, with the introduction and rapid adoption of the 6GHz spectrum, compounded by significant advances in Wi-Fi standards, industrial facilities are now poised to embrace wireless LANs as the backbone for automation and digital innovation. Industrial WLAN Market Development Recent research from ABI Research forecasts that over 70 percent of industrial-grade wireless LAN access points (WLAN APs) shipped in 2030 will support the 6GHz band. This is a leap from 2 percent in 2023, highlighting a rapid and profound technological shift. The market for ruggedized indust...