Warner move spells win for PS3, say analysts

via Computer and Video Games


Those all-knowing industry analysts have peered into their crystal balls to see a bright future for PS3 following Warner Bros.' decision to go Blu-ray exclusive.

The move by the film-making giant puts Blu-ray, Sony's HD format, in good stead to win its long-lasting format war with the Microsoft-backed HD-DVD format, and that's ultimately great news for PS3, say analysts.

Mike Hickey of Janco Partners said: "We expect Sony's PS3 product will benefit from an eventual consumer and retail awakening of Blu-ray as the winning high definition format."

He added: "If Blu-ray can win the current format war, the true value of the PS3 can be unlocked, and will likely lead to an acceleration of PS3 sales."

Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities was equally as optimistic about PS3's future, pointing at HDTV penetration as another crucial turning point for Sony. Noting that the PS2's success was helped by it being a popular DVD player, Patcher predicts the same of PS3 with it's Blu-ray playback.

"The difference this time is that you can't enjoy the full experience unless you have a 1080p TV, and we are still below 10 percent penetration," Patcher notes. "I think as overall HDTV penetration crosses 50 percent of households (probably late this year), Blu-ray will become more relevant, and PS3 will have an advantage," he told GameDaily.