Nintendo Wii U Momentum May Be Hurt By Release of Next-Gen Consoles in 2013

With the release of the Microsoft and Sony next-gen consoles in 2013 all but certain, the Nintendo Wii U may have its momentum threatened, according to industry analyst Colin Sebastian.

Colin Sebastian, who works for Robert W. Baird & Co, has voiced doubts over whether Nintendo will have enough momentum at retail beyond the release of the console later this year, especially with the next generation of consoles—tentatively called the Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4—expected to arrive next year.

He believes that Nintendo is “missing an opportunity” to build greater interest “ahead of the Wii U launch on November 18,” a release date for the console which was leaked in recent days.

“While initial strong sales are likely given the Nintendo fan base, we believe there may be a narrow window of opportunity to generate broad consumer interest before next-gen Microsoft and Sony platforms are announced in 1H-2013 and launch in Q4 2013,” he said. “We expect Nintendo to announce Wii-U pricing on September 13, likely in the $249-$299 range.

“We note that next-gen platforms are expected to support physical disks and used game sales.”

via VG247