Will Kinect/Move boost 360/PS3 sales?

Both Microsoft and Sony reckon motion sensing add-ons Kinect and Move will significantly boost sales of the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 respectively, but a new survey from a respected analyst reckons that's "unlikely".

Firm Cowen's Fall 2010 Video Game Survey chatted to 1300 individuals and 1001 videogame players from the US, and, according to analyst Doug Creutz, the results suggest price cuts "would have been better".

"Although our survey results show strong demand for the two new motion sensing peripherals among current Xbox 360 and PS3 owners, demand among non-owners and prospective buyers appears tepid," Creutz said in a note.

"Our survey results also show that the price prospective buyers are willing to pay for a new console has declined meaningfully versus last year; however, hardware price points remain unchanged."

Cowen's findings are sure to disappoint Microsoft and Sony, both of which hope to expand the traditional hardcore gaming audience of their consoles.

Microsoft's said publicly it reckons Kinect will extend the life of the Xbox 360 by five years. It sold a million units worldwide in the 10 days following launch, and Microsoft predicts five million sales by the end of the year.

Sony's been less aggressive in its predictions for Move, but has said it expects it to appeal to casual and hardcore gamers alike.

But what of Nintendo's Wii? Well, Cowen reckons the original motion sensing console is "unlikely" to see as large a sales boost this holiday as it did last year – despite Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime insisting otherwise.

Cowen concludes its report with a recommendation to game makers: publishers successfully targeting the core gamer can continue to thrive despite changes to the structure of the industry.