Leo J if price was the only determining factor PS2 would be selling at record volumes when it hit $180, $150, $130 and $100. Instead it peaked at $200, in Apr 2002 - March 2003.
PS3 got to 12.4m in a year at $400 and then did 13-13.5m from Oct 2009 - Sept 2010 when it cost only $300. Anyone who wants a PS3 can afford it now. It isn't a whim purchase, but minimum wage in the USA is $7.15 / hour or something so if you work 40 hours each week its not a burden for anyone to buy.
Is it really so hard to believe that PS3 is peaking in its fifth fiscal year? That is traditionally the year when systems with slow starts peak - see NES, PS1, GB, DS, etc.
Regarding franchises and things, 2008 wasn't all Metal Gear for Konami, and all GTA for Take Two. But beyond that, sequels that aren't from the biggest five or six franchises tend to do worse than their predecessors, particularly after the second edition on a console. Call of Duty, Guitar Hero, Assassin's Creed, Madden, WWE, UFC, Metal Gear, and others will all decline from this point forwards - as will most other game franchises on current systems. Not all franchises will, Final Fantasy would probably improve in Japan, GTA would improve in the west - but those are much rarer instances than the franchises which will decline.
Also, our figures suggest X360 is barely outpacing 2009 for sw - so yeah, I'd say its likely the peak. PS3 could be about flat next year but I really think it will be down.
People are difficult to govern because they have too much knowledge.
When there are more laws, there are more criminals.
- Lao Tzu
