Little news from MS Investor site : By OTA ú Off The Record Research
>>According to toy-store managers and suppliers, customers have responded favorably. They said sales from mid-October through early December were up an estimated 5 to 10% compared to last year.<<
<<These sources told OTR that orders for early 1998 are up 10-15% compared to last year. <<
>>Reduced prices on Sony Playstation and Nintendo 64 consoles, which are now selling for about $150 compared with $200 in the summer, and a flood of new titles for these and the PC formats, are resulting in rising demand for all these platforms, according to interviews with 25 buyers of computer-console games for retailers and wholesalers. That demand should continue into 1998, added the buyers, who represent more than 10,000 retail outlets and distributor accounts.
As one distributor said, "The (video games) business is huge and it's not over yet -- 1998 will be an exceptional year."<<
>>As for video games, the clear winner in the platform race is the Sony Playstation, which is benefiting from better selection, lower game prices (about $50 vs. $70 for Nintendo cartridges) and more frequent availability of titles. Shortages of popular titles in the more difficult-to-produce Nintendo cartridges have led to lower sales increases, in addition to frustrated buyers and customers. One buyer for a large retail chain said: "I don't know what my sales for Nintendo 64 'GoldenEye' could have been -- I can't get it."<<
Source : OTA ú Off The Record Research is the San Francisco-based research division of OTA Ltd. Partnership. OTR uses investigative journalists to snoop out trends where they are formed, in the marketplace.
Regards, JB
P.S. Stagger, WOW, nice post, uh ....... yeah, sure I'll join you, why don't you get started, and I'll be right behind you, OK? Yeah right, C-Ya :o) Twelve of thirteen still ain't bad though! |
