VG Arabia

Michael Pachter, the controversial video game analyst from Wedbush Morgan Securities has predicted during his speech at the fourth annual Ayzenberg A-List Summit 2012 that Sony and Microsoft will ship their next gen of consoles with HDD, and more specifically models with only 4GB of storage space. I think it would make sense for both companies to release a cheap version of their consoles for the casual market while selling hardcore gamers more expensive models with larger HDD, specially with the digital game market is growing rapidly and will play a very important part during next generation life-cycle.

Another interesting tidbit from Pachter is Nintendo will release the WiiU without any hard drive. Maybe Nintendo will sell HDDs separately and only ship one model of the console (8GB of onboard flash memory) to sell it at a very cheap price to capture the casual market? Perhaps. Microsoft used the same strategy when they were marketing the arcade model for $199 and worked wonders for them.

http://www.vgarabia.com/2012/02/25/pachter-ps4-and-xbox-next-will-ship-with-4gb-models-wii-u-wont-ship-with-any-hdd/#comments

The Wii U is already confirmed to have flash memory like the Wii, as well as the option to expand it by using cheap alternatives like an SD card or an external USB HDD. Source

4GB??? This guys predictions get more and more unlikely as the months pass! Is someone actually paying this fool?? And if so are they insane?

Why patcher?

Didnt your mom tell you to stay away from drugs?

"Michael Pachter, the controversial video game analyst-"

Nuff said.

Considering the price of HDDs right now, I wouldn't be surprised if they released a 'casual' 4GB model.

I believe this is a pretty bad prediction Mr. Pachter... sorry.

8-16GB minimum.

It'd be even better if all consoles must have a HDD, it would make game development easier and the games could be made to make use of that standard HDD to run (or load) more quickly.

Considering the 4GB Kinect bundle flies off shelves he may not have lost it entirely.

I think they'll be a 4GB cheap option...maybe...for the 360, as well as more conventional options (40GB, 80GB etc.)

As for WiiU...it'll have 2, 8 and 16GB Flash-Memory with options to expand via SD cards IMO. No onboard memory is suicidal, especially considering the controversy regarding the Vita...

Heck, the 3DS has onboard memory, AND shipped with a 2GB SD card.

Was about to say that. It doesn't make sense for PS4/Nextbox to have only twice as much storage as the 3DS, even if it's a "casual" version...