Analyst: Wii 2 in 2011, 3DS garnering third-party support, Wii/DS enhancements at E3
“We note that Nintendo is widely expected to deliver a Wii refresh in 2011, well before Sony and Microsoft come to market with new platforms, although this is unlikely to represent the launch of a new generation. Instead, we expect Microsoft and Sony to leverage their growing online content and services platforms, along with new motion sensing controllers, and to a lesser extent 3D and Internet-enabled televisions, as three pillars for growth over the coming 2-3 years.” – Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian
“3DS could emerge as an E3 winner. Our conversations with industry contacts suggest the Nintendo 3DS is an impressive device, and is garnering support among third party developers.” – Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian
“We also expect Nintendo to announce enhancements to the online capabilities of the Wii and DS. While another price reduction on the Wii is unlikely at E3 this year, we believe it remains a possibility before the end of the year depending on unit sell-through trends.” – Lazard Capital Markets analyst Colin Sebastian
The most important piece of information out of these comments is the 3DS third-party support. It’s critical for the system to be supported by developers other than Nintendo right out of the gate. Hopefully we’ll hear about a bunch of third-party announcements next week.
