Analysts: PS3 will win GTA battle
Will sell twice as many Sony consoles.
Two of the games industry's leading clairvoyants expect Grand Theft Auto IV to shift more PS3 consoles than Xbox 360s.
Familiar faces Michael Pachter and Edward Williams both predicted Sony "wins" in a report on Reuters.
"Grand Theft Auto IV is expected to sell between 9 million and 12.5 million units in 2008. If sales come in at the high end of that range, the game will directly spur sales of 2 million additional PS3s in 2008, versus 1 million Xbox 360s," said Michael Pachter, gazing into his Wedbush Morgan-branded crystal ball.
"So many people who owned the PS2 went into the PlayStation family because of GTA. The release of GTA IV could expedite their decision to upgrade," added Edward Williams, whose palm is regularly crossed with silver by BMO Capital Markets.
However, software sales are expected to favour Microsoft, as it has both a higher-installed base for its console and downloadable content to coax purchases from those with multiple machines.
"Online is such a strong part of the game and Microsoft has done such a great job of developing the online community, so for people who own multiple consoles, they will buy it for the 360," said Billy Pidgeon, tea leaf reader for IDC.
Grand Theft Auto IV is due out on 29th April around the world. Time will tell.
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