Pachter: Microsoft won't be competitive in handheld gaming market

Posted Jul 22, 2009 at 9:47AM by Karl B. Listed in: Xbox 360 Tags: iPhone, Michael Pachter, Microsoft, Shane Kim, Sony, Zune
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Portable 360? - Image 1


Only recently, Microsoft corporate VP Shane Kim said that their entry into the handheld gaming market is only a matter of time. Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, however, thinks that even if Microsoft does try to penetrate that particular market, they won't be competitive at all.

Pachter believes that if Microsoft were to take the plunge, they'll be falling headfirst into waters controlled by the Sony PSP and Apple iPhone. The commercial failure of the Zune doesn't bolster his confidence in a Microsoft handheld as well.

Here's the outspoken analyst's own two cents, as he told NowGamer:

I don't see Microsoft as being competitive in handheld gaming. The Zune has been a commercial disaster, and their core Xbox consumer is too old to carry a handheld gaming device.


The DS skews very young, the iPhone very old, and the PSP in between. Microsoft would have to take the PSP and the iPhone on in order to succeed. I don't see this happening in the foreseeable future.





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Via NowGamer

 
 
 

Comments

by astaroth001 - 2009-07-22 10:16:26
fail

I find one or many flaws in this statement...anyone from any age if its a true games will have no problem having and taking with him/her a handheld...but I do see that if microsoft want to go into handhelds...they have a lot to battle and they need something better than 2 sticks or touh screen to catch peoples attention
by Garetjaxx - 2009-07-22 10:31:58
...

They are looking at who Microsoft would have to target with their product. Your "true gamers" point is irrelevant. If they try and market their product to the exceptions then it will fail, and they will lose large sums of money...
by Vman00 - 2009-07-22 13:00:13
market is already saturated

microsoft is coming in way too late going against, nintendo, sony, and apple. but hey, if they are up for it, let them. i really want to see what microsoft can do.
by saldude2 - 2009-07-22 13:58:28
...

Microsoft is already targeting apple with zune hd. And by the way it looks its gonna kick i pod touche's A*s.
by saldude2 - 2009-07-22 14:00:35
..

They only need to come up with a app store
by papajag - 2009-07-22 14:37:03
I doubt it...

Zune just isn't a big enough name. Plus a lot of people already have an iPod of some sort for the Zune HD to even make a difference in competition. People would rather have a phone that does it all. iPod touch needs to have a bigger memory space in order to really attract customers without an iPod. Seriously iPod touch fails as long as video iPod continues to exist.
by rollypoly - 2009-07-22 15:40:24
statement + dumb...

the home console market was "saturated" when sony entered and look what happened they were the king for an entire 2 generations...
by vizard00 - 2009-07-22 17:55:52
ok

its all about design and OS , if they want retarded gamers so make the console unhakable , if they want real gamers just make it open : [::I I+] 1 - Linux os 2 - hombrew enabled 3 - Lot of ram 4 - strong CPU and GPU 5 - 3G suport 6 - nice design with ancolored boutons 7 - full xbl suport and navigation 8 - Portable xbox to xbox360 full exchange support 9 - huge battery life , loads via USB 10 - standar Usb connection We want a game console and a development laboratory
by astaroth001 - 2009-07-22 23:19:29
...

It was not saturated when Sony jumped into gaming...the only good console back than was the SNES and Sega was starting to die...2 competitors...as I said before, MS will need something better than touch screen ane/or better than 2 analogue sticks
by Rj292 - 2009-07-23 02:01:58
...

Openware+piracy, Sony lose enough on a protected handheld, open one would be suicide...
by Flamesack112 - 2009-07-23 09:54:38
I can see it

In the near future. But the DS and the iPhone (although not really a gaming device) have a gigantic user base thats extremely lucrative. The PSP has some 25+ million users all that enjoy hardcore gaming and homebrew. The Xbox handheld would have to be open source with a much better graphic capabilities, good battery life, and comfortable to hold.
by vizard00 - 2009-07-23 11:16:38
ok

a hard gamer will never buy booring console , also lets our smart people show us theire Coding arts , remember if sony or microsoft make their console unhakable not for piracy but to f**k out pocket and sell us retro games like SOnic or king of fighters , Wii run hombrew and nintendo is very happy . so its our right to instal hombrew and devlope it . the APPLE way is crap
by astaroth001 - 2009-07-23 23:32:23
ahem...

PSP has around 50 million users since more than 50 million PSP's have been shipped

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