Research and analyst group Wedbush has released its 2014 projections for the video game industry, revealing its expectations that this next generation of gaming "will be as big as ever."
The company provided its console sales forecasts, with PlayStation 4 on top with 12 million units, followed by Xbox One's expected 9 million in sales, and Nintendo's Wii U bringing up the rear with just 3 million.
Looking a bit further into the future, Wedbush went on to say it expects "the dominant console at the end of the this cycle to be the PS4, although we think that Sony’s edge over Microsoft will be far more narrow than the gap between the Wii and its competitors in the last cycle."
Why might this be the case? The research group goes on to add:
Our choice of the PS4 to win the next generation console race is purely a function of its price; at $399, we believe the PS4 presents a more compelling value proposition than the $499 Xbox One. Microsoft’s console offers many features not available on the PS4, with its Kinect peripheral allowing users to control their consoles via voice commands, and allowing access to many camera-oriented features such as Skype.
Microsoft will argue that the value proposition afforded by the bundling of Kinect with the Xbox One justifies the higher price point, but we are not convinced that the company has adequately communicated the value proposition to consumers, and we expect most to ultimately make their purchase decision based upon brand loyalty or price.
How do you think things will shake out when everything is said and done? Will Sony be able to edge out Microsoft in the end? Will it be a close race? Does Wii U even stand a chance?
[Via GamesIndustry]
