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Analysts discuss 2006, console futures

Gamasutra asks

several industry analysts about this year and what they expect to happen in the next several years. The open-mic blurbs offer a few opinions, but many share the theme that Xbox 360 sales have been weaker-than-expected and PS2 sales are still significant; put together, these trends suggest that most gamers are still waiting for 360/PS3/Wii-only games before upgrading their consoles.

We also wonder how the HD-expectations of the PS3 and Xbox 360 impact the market; gamers with standard TVs will see little difference in graphic quality over the previous system. Are gamers slow to upgrade because they're waiting for the killer apps, or do they plan to first get an HDTV? At least 2007's anticipated exclusives -- especially for the oldest of the three, the Xbox 360 -- will ease one of those issues.