May 20, 2015 - E3 is right around the corner, but it's a slow time for news regardless. What better way is there to generate some easy clicks than contacting an analyst for his professional insight? Thankfully, the renowned Sebastian Kramer from market research firm NTH* doesn't demand any money for his service because he simply loves to see his name in the news. We asked him about all three console manufacturers, so there should be something for everyone. Let's start with the current leader, Sony.
"The PS4's main selling point up till now was that it can play used games. Which isn't anything special when you think about it, because that's what all consoles do and have done since launch. On the other hand, Sony did put online multiplayer behind a paywall, so that should have hurt sales, actually. It's even a mystery to Sony themselves why the PS4 has been selling so well. Supplemental evidence for Sony's confusion has materialized recently, because their first party lineup (which Sony knew about all along) was and isn't anything to write home about. Based on what they have and will have, it's inexplicable why so many people buy a PS4."
Kramer continued, "From a gamer's point of view, Sony's first party sucks. People are starting to catch on. Sony has gotten reliant on sequels to a few key franchises over the last few years. What people have criticized Microsoft for, Sony has become. Third party multiplatform games are embellished by a couple of noteworthy first party titles every year. And that's being very generous when you look at the current lineup that is slated for 2015. Sony's lackluster first party output is even more damning when we consider that the Vita was abandoned a good while ago, a system so forgotten that its NPD results don't get leaked anymore, even though the handheld is merely three years old by now. Sony is doing gamers a disservice on all fronts. For the record, Microsoft didn't pay me to say any of this."
Next up, Nintendo. The company is doing something that it only does once every blue moon, meaning they will launch a new IP later this month.
"Splatoon could sell up to 6m copies. That's certainly a huge number on a console that will most likely fail to sell 20m units in its lifetime, but Nintendo has some of the most devoted and blind fans I have ever seen. They are going to gobble this game up and not just because they literally have nothing else to choose from. While my prediction is bold, I can't be any more wrong than my colleague from Wedbush Morgan Securities. Even armchair analysts are coming around to predict respectable numbers because the hype is real. And while I am normally not one to talk about the Japanese market, the surrounding circumstances for Splatoon put me in a position that makes me qualified to do so. I have seen enough hentai to know where this is going."
Last but not least, Microsoft. Phil Spencer has made it his mission to cater to the gamer.
"People are wrong to count out Microsoft at this stage in the console lifecycle. Kinect was definitely a mistake, but it's a thing of the pastnow. Looking forward, gamers can expect great things from Microsoft. This year the usual third party games will be joined by Halo 5 and Forza 6, plus potentially some Gears of War in one form or another. As a gamer, there is no better time to jump in. This is the best lineup in the history of Xbox. While Sony has given gamers empty promises, actual greatness awaits on the Xbox One."
*NTH (Now that's hardcore) is a fictive market research firm that collects its data primarily from internet message boards.
