CVG

Microsoft and Sony have been heavily tipped to launch Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4 in time for Christmas 2013, but industry analyst Michael Pachter has suggested the former could wait until spring 2014 to enter the next gen race.

The Wedbush analyst said in a research note distributed today: "We still have no indication of specs, timing or pricing for the Wii U, which is slated to launch some time before year-end, but Nintendo will announce launch date and price next week, with a price point of $299 - 349 likely.

"We have heard no word yet from Microsoft or Sony about their plans to launch new consoles, but both manufacturers are widely expected to launch consoles by year-end 2013, although we believe that Microsoft could delay a new console launch until spring of 2014 in order to accommodate what is certain to be overwhelming demand among hardcore gamers."

Interestingly, the boss of the world's biggest specialist games retailer said this week he doesn't expect both Xbox 720 and PS4 to launch in 2013. "I'm getting a lot of rumors that are very interesting about 2013," GameStop CEO Paul Raines said.

"We have not been expecting two more consoles in 2013. We're expecting Wii U this holiday, another one next year, and another one in '14. These rumors change every week, but we're hearing more about next year."

EA Labels president Frank Gibeau suggested last week that Xbox 720 and PS4 are due to launch "in about a year's time". More recently, he labelled next gen consoles the company's currently making games for "spectacular".

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/366444/microsoft-could-delay-xbox-720-launch-to-spring-2014-pachter/

This would be a very stupid move. They can't afford to miss dem holiday 2013 sales which will give the 720 a decent sized userbase. It baffles me that any consoles are released outside of the holiday period. What were Sony thinking having the western launch for the Vita in the spring?

Waiting 18 months after the generation began really worked well for the N64, Gamecube and XBox ...

I'm really starting to wonder if Pachter is one of the worlds most successful trolls.

Dear god no.
At this point I'd all but sell my soul for the PS4/720 to come next year, even though I fear they won't. As far as I'm concerned they're overdue. (Or at least they will be come December this year)

Good for Nintendo if this is true. Probably the pressure WiiU will put on the competition will lead to a Fall 2013 launch for both the 720 and the PS4, and the specs will not be as big a jump as people expect, imho both platforms will adopt affordable business models this time around. For PS4, the evidence for that is in the Vita.

Would be dumb if true, imo. That would show too much confidence from MS. But I doubt it's true.

I hope it's true to see superchunk's reaction though, lol.

"Xbox 720 should be a smartphone. Here are 10,000 reasons why."

that would mean one cod, fifa and whatever for ps4 but not for nextbox (if ps4 will release in 2013) which i say is not a good idea. there are many people who always stay with a franchise on one console even if they own more consoles with that franchise. so, if people buy the first cod for ps4 and don't even have a nextbox, they will make some friends in the games they play with and will also buy the 2014, 2015...versions of cod for that console even if they also own a nextbox then.

that's only one reason but nowadays with the online services i think this is a factor, maybe not as big as i think but yeah...

I'll have to trust Pachter, since he's usually right.

lmao'd.