E3 Media & Business Summit 2007 expectations: prices, new games

Although average consumers might not have much of an excitement for next week’s E3 Media & Business Summit, analysts, investors, and the media are milling in anticipation. Hot off the presses yesterday was the all-out ruckus over a PlayStation 3 price drop across the board, and analysts still believe – despite denials – that Sony may still drop the slash-bomb smack-dab in the middle of the event.

Some analysts also believe that it won’t only be the PlayStation 3 camp scoring a victory in market price change, stating that Microsoft might also be readying itself to spend a little bit more to kick up the hardware base expanse of the Xbox 360. Although US$ 1 billion was a lot to shovel for the Redmond giant’s extended warranty expenses, third-parties are sure that such a move would decisively blunt Sony’s price shindig – making it all too inviting.

Nintendo is still a star in game industry investors’ eyes, and industry analysts believe that in absence of any price cuts, the Japanese gaming giant might reveal improvements to the Wii – possibly those promised by the company’s CEO earlier this year. “They are also inching their way into online gaming. They are not as focused on communications as they should have been,” said IGN’s Peer Schneider, vice president of content publishing.

Though SCEA hasn’t been shy as to what games would be featured in the invite-only event, other publishers have been readying their own collection of games to showcase to the industry’s community. Analysts believe that the new games being pushed out could invite investment to publisher’s shares, many of which have suffered a decline or stayed their value for the first few quarters of 2007.

Electronic Arts and Activision are still expected to be the shareholders’ favorites, although positive feedback and forecasts eye a 20% rise in revenue for the entire game industry in FY 2007, a step up for the US$ 30 billion-worth sector.

Although average consumers might not have much of an excitement for next week’s E3 Media & Business Summit, analysts, investors, and the media are milling in anticipation. Hot off the presses yesterday was the all-out ruckus over a PlayStation 3 price drop across the board, and analysts still believe – despite denials – that Sony may still drop the slash-bomb smack-dab in the middle of the event.

Some analysts also believe that it won’t only be the PlayStation 3 camp scoring a victory in market price change, stating that Microsoft might also be readying itself to spend a little bit more to kick up the hardware base expanse of the Xbox 360. Although US$ 1 billion was a lot to shovel for the Redmond giant’s extended warranty expenses, third-parties are sure that such a move would decisively blunt Sony’s price shindig – making it all too inviting.

Nintendo is still a star in game industry investors’ eyes, and industry analysts believe that in absence of any price cuts, the Japanese gaming giant might reveal improvements to the Wii – possibly those promised by the company’s CEO earlier this year. “They are also inching their way into online gaming. They are not as focused on communications as they should have been,” said IGN’s Peer Schneider, vice president of content publishing.

Though SCEA hasn’t been shy as to what games would be featured in the invite-only event, other publishers have been readying their own collection of games to showcase to the industry’s community. Analysts believe that the new games being pushed out could invite investment to publisher’s shares, many of which have suffered a decline or stayed their value for the first few quarters of 2007.

Electronic Arts and Activision are still expected to be the shareholders’ favorites, although positive feedback and forecasts eye a 20% rise in revenue for the entire game industry in FY 2007, a step up for the US$ 30 billion-worth sector.