How long does each console have left on the market?

[Lord N]

valen200 said:

HappySqurriel said:

As has already been said, it depends on what you mean by "how long does each console have left on the market?"

I could be wrong but I expect that you will have Nintendo or Microsoft releasing a new console in 2011 or 2012, and the remaining manufacturers will release their next console the following year.

All three consoles have sold enough hardware that (as long as their next generation system is backwards compatible) I suspect there will still be games on store shelves for these systems until 2015 at the earliest; and the Wii might still have software in stores (mostly in bargain bins) for a few years after that.

While many people will probably disagree with me, I think that the PS3 has the greatest risk of rapidly declining hardware sales after the next generation of consoles is released. Unless the PS3 continues to see rapid large price reductions, the PS3 could still be a relatively expensive console which has less processing power, features and is simply “less cool” in comparison to the new consoles; and that makes the PS3 a difficult sell to a lot of consumers. Systems like the Playstation, PS2, Gameboy/Gameboy Color, and Gameboy Advance were able to see decent sales for several years after their successor was released in a large part because they were such cost-effective gaming; many of these systems could be bought for $100 (or less) and you could pick up a massive collection of games (both new and used) for $5 to $20 a piece.

Well with the Xbox to 360 transition Microsoft just quit making the system to encourage upgradeing. Now this gen they have performed much  better overall, so maybe they won't try something similar but I do think it is possible Microsfot might try to force an upgrade again by stopping the 360 production. I could see the 360 thriving like the Ps2 at 100 dollars for several years, if microsoft felt inclinded to do so.

otherwise I agree with what you said.

 

Ps2s are still on the shelf after all this time. $100 dollar systems with a good library can fair quite well.

 

 

The PS2 lasted well into the next generation because it was cheap in addition to having mass appeal due in large part to a gaming library that featured something for everyone.

 

The Xbox 360 and its game library appeal almost exclusively to core and hardcore gamers, and that's just one segment of the market. Not only that, but most of those gamers are going to jump into the next generation as soon as a successor is released to market.

None of the people buying PS2's over the last few years have been hardcore gamers. They were "casual" gamers who found it appealing because it game them a decent gaming experience for cheap.