According to an analysis report today from MCV-UK, Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 are uniquely qualified to revive the downtrodden video game console industry.
Jules Williams, consumer retail analyst at Kantar Worldpanel, said that appealing to non-core gamers with the Xbox One and the PS4 could help push the console industry out of its current lull.
“It is important that both consoles make a clear case as to why these new features are interesting,” Williams said.
Williams also put some of the blame of the lost market on the fact that the Wii U hasn’t been able to explain why non-core gamers should upgrade to the next-gen platform from the Wii after it boomed in the last few years.
Four out of five lost video gamers, Williams said, were Wii buyers that haven’t been retained.
Williams said there have been signs of encouragement in the industry with pre-orders, but where it’s really exciting is the interest in light gamers. A fifth of people who plan on buying an Xbox One or PS4 within the next year fall into the light gamer category.
Sony and Microsoft may have learned from the current generation of consoles, adding features like TV, film, music, sports and apps along with gaming with the Xbox One or virtual reality with the PS4.
“Should either of these pitches be successful in attracting the unconventional shopper then there is a good chance sales will soar,” Williams said.
The Xbox One hits shelves in the U.S. and 12 other markets on Nov. 22, going worldwide by 2014. The PS4 drops in North America on Nov. 15, Europe on Nov. 29 and Japan in February.
