Ben-DutkaPerhaps we could've predicted this, but it appears that Black Friday was a big success for game publishers, and that should mean happy tidings for the holiday season.
Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter expects console software sales to rise by 12%, and of course, he's attributing the possible rise to new platforms (PS3, Nintendo DS, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii). The Xbox 360 is predicted to swipe 36% of the $345 million new console market, and the report also hints at potentially poor PS3 and Wii sales due to the "eBay effect." This "effect" is pretty obvious; it's where consumers purchased either system for profit and not for personal use, which means they likely didn't purchase any software to go along with the console.
The report further mentions the marketplace is already making an impact on current-gen console sales. Current-gen software sales remain high, currently outpacing next-gen by $95 million, but with the launch of the PS3 and Wii, that gap will certainly close quickly. In the end, it seems the industry is making the transition to another generation with more profit in the bank, which is exactly what we gamers wanted.