Michael-Pachter posts (Subscribe to this feed)

Reggie denies the existence of Wii HD

by Justin McElroy { Nov 6th 2009 at 10:02AM }

Though plenty of people -- analyst Michael Pachter chief among them -- are pretty certain that an HD version of the Wii is in the pipeline, you're not going to catch Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Amie copping to it. Speaking with Geoff Keighley on Gametrailers TV, the Regginator said, "Michael continues to be the only one who believes that this is gonna happen. I don't know how forcefully we can say there is no Wii HD."

It certainly sounds like a firm refusal, but let's all try to remember that the shelf life of a Nintendo denial is exactly 10 days.

Pachter: Project Natal will cost $50, 'Sphere' no more than $100 [update]

by David Hinkle { Oct 15th 2009 at 11:00PM }

Over at IndustryGamers, everyone's favorite video game predicterer (we're still working on that one) Michael Pachter has taken the reigns of the site and offers his own extensive diatribe on the future of Sony and Microsoft's upcoming new tech: Project Natal and the PlayStation Motion Controller (rumored to be called Sphere). Pachter's assertion is that price will be Natal's biggest selling point and Microsoft will try to expand upon its market of established Xbox 360 owners by offering the device for $50. For Sony's doodad, Pachter says the company is "trying to create an answer to the success of the Wii."

Pachter even likens the future state of a Natal-enabled Xbox 360 to the current state of the iPhone -- with features like Twitter, Netflix, Last.fm and Facebook inside Microsoft's box and its intuitive interface, he says casual or non-playing members of Xbox 360 households will become interested. And then when it's bundled with all new Xbox 360s, he says that'll expand Microsoft's reach even more.

For the motion-controlled competition, Pachter says he'd be surprised if Sony's asking price was over $100, and stresses that both Microsoft and Sony need to keep "the consumer's cost relatively low in order to achieve broad penetration."

[Update: Corrected Pachter's belief that the motion controller would be no more than $100. We sincerely apologize for the misinterpretation and the consequent misinformation.]

Microsoft has 'no plans' to purchase EA [update]

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 23rd 2009 at 2:40PM }

We have no idea where this meshugaas is coming from, but Reuters is reporting unsubstantiated rumors that Microsoft is interested in purchasing the second place third-party software publisher, Electronic Arts. Shares of EA are up today (around eight percent as of this writing) on the speculative purchase.

Although we've yet to hear from EA, Microsoft was immediate with its response of: "We don't comment on rumors or speculation." If true, the acquisition would be ... um, wow.

Update 2: Microsoft has followed up on its earlier statement, telling Joystiq: "Microsoft has no plans to purchase Electronic Arts."

Update: Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter spoke to IndustryGamers and thinks the whole idea is rubbish. "[It makes] no sense at all," he says. "One platform exclusives would likely nullify NFL exclusivity, could kill off all sports and other licenses. EA's value on one platform is probably half its value to a multi-platform buyer (such as a media company)." A handful of other analysts weigh in, pouring even more water on the increasingly unlikely fire. We'll bring you more information as we hear it.

[Via The Street; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

THQ takeover talk causes stock bump

by Alexander Sliwinski { Sep 23rd 2009 at 11:29AM }

THQ's stock jumped up a solid 13 percent yesterday over whispers that the publisher is in a takeover company's line of sight. Optimism has recently surrounded the once fumbling publisher, as it pulled off a couple retail successes and has put on a good show with some surprisingly frank talk about its future.

However, as much as investors believe a buyout is in the works, Reuters spoke with an analyst who isn't so sure. MKM Partners analyst Eric Handler says rumors of a THQ buyout crop up almost every quarter. He believes THQ still has too many licensed games and is just starting to build a solid foundation of owned intellectual property.

Yeah, well ... we talked to an analyst, too. Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter tells us he doesn't believe a buyout is likely either. He concurs, "THQ is heavy on licensed content, and many licenses potentially terminate on change of control. I don't see their recent performance instilling a lot of confidence in their ability to manage a bigger library of content that would be presented in a media buyout." Hmmm, from where are investors getting this buyout notion then?

Rumor: Best Buy ad fuels the $50 Wii price drop fire

by Ben Gilbert { Sep 18th 2009 at 8:00PM }

What you see above is the third circular image we've spotted in just five days advertising a Nintendo Wii price cut to $199.99. At this point, though the image that a Kotaku tipster sent in could very well be made of fancy pixel work by someone with too few extracurriculars on their schedule, we're fairly confident in a forthcoming price cut reveal.

Considering the impending holiday season and those other consoles getting recent price drops, it seems likely something will occur with the big N in the upcoming months. If ~~Miss Cleo's~~ Michael Pachter's predictions based on slowing sales are any indication though, we'll know soon enough.

Wii sales have dwiindled by 50% in the past five months

by Randy Nelson { Sep 11th 2009 at 9:00PM }

NPD figures show that, compared to the same five-month period last year, sales of the Wii in the US are down a full 50% -- prompting Michael Pachter, games industry analyst at Wedbush Morgan, to look away from his crystal ball long enough to ... analyze the situation. In a note reprinted by IndustryGamers, Pacht-Man -- having finally gotten the PS3 price cut he'd always wanted -- called on Nintendo to drop the cost of Wii, lest its sales slide further.

"With the core PS3 and Xbox 360 models priced only $50 higher than the Wii, we expect year-over-year sales of Wii hardware to continue their annual declines until the company either changes its bundle or lowers price," Pachter pronounced before concluding, "Wii unit sales are 50% below last year's level over the last five months, and we think that September sales will repeat the pattern."

So, Joystiq Biomass, let's say Nintendo doesn't cut the price of the Wii before the holidays. What games and/or hardware would you bundle the system with in order to boost sales -- and help save Ivan?

Rockstar's Agent sneaks into 2010 release window

by Ben Gilbert { Sep 6th 2009 at 11:30AM }

Aside from the game's exclusivity to the PlayStation 3 and the logo you see above, we've seen little else about upcoming '70s espionage game Agent. But while answering some fan questions about next month's GTA IV expansion, The Ballad of Gay Tony, on its forums, Rockstar North mentions that it's "working hard on a lineup of PlayStation 3 releases for 2010 ... including Red Dead Redemption, Max Payne 3, and the PlayStation 3 exclusive AGENT."

The statement goes on to tease "yet to be announced" titles, possibly lending some credence to Michael Pachter's statements on another GTA game in the not- so-distant future. Considering Rockstar's statements were made in response to queries about GTA IV DLC coming to PS3, we wouldn't be surprised if those "yet to be announced" titles are the result of Microsoft's timed-exclusivity expiring.

[Via Superannuation]

Pachter expects GTA 5 coming in 2010

by Justin McElroy { Sep 3rd 2009 at 7:45PM }

So yes, prognosticator of all electronic entertainment Michael Pachter told Gamasutra that he expects Take-Two to release the fifth full Grand Theft Auto game in 2010. It seems far-fetched to us (especially with another GTA IV episode still in the pipeline). But, sadly, Pachter doesn't give us a lot to work with in the piece, so, in the absence of details, we're just going to assume he's right. Journalized.

One thing that's actually hard to argue about from the piece, analysts are overwhelmingly positive about Take-Two in 2010 with a bevy of big titles like BioShock 2, Mafia 2, Red Dead Redemption and several others. Does Take-Two even need a Grand Theft Auto next year?

Pachter says Best Buy's new games at used prices program will fail

by Richard Mitchell { Aug 10th 2009 at 9:30PM }

Best Buy surprised the gaming public last week with the revelation that it was testing a new pricing program that would see the retailer selling new games at used prices. Specifically, the test store in Utah will match the used game prices of both GameStop and Game Crazy. According to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, the program isn't likely to last very long.

"I don't think it will do well," Pachter tells Game Politics, adding that price matching forces Best Buy to "either cuts their profit per game in half, or wipes it out altogether." He expresses the opinion that Best Buy can't afford to chop $10 off the price of a $60 game, saying that such a practice won't be effective "in the long run." Furthermore, even if the program does take off, Pachter believes GameStop will simply lower its used game prices "to the point where Best Buy can't match without losing money."

He has a point, but, from the consumer perspective, it's hard to see a downside. Whether Best Buy's program succeeds or not, it still means lower prices, if only for a short time.

Pachter on delays: Game industry not 'particularly well-coordinated'

by Justin McElroy { Jul 31st 2009 at 5:30PM }

When confusing things happen (say, for instance, games slipping into the first quarter of 2010 faster than we can count) we turn to the guy who has all the answers, analyst Michael Pachter. As we cried into his flannel shirt (metaphorically, of course) about all the fun we were missing, he tried his best to explain the situation.

"I think the game industry isn't particularly well-coordinated," he said, in his best soothing tone. Movies, he continued, are able to get out of one another's way more easily, because if two movies come out you want to see in back-to-back weeks, you're likely to see them both. "But the game business is different," he said, "because you're not going to go out and buy three games in one month. ... Well, maybe you will, but the average consumer won't."

We begged for even more explanation, and he obliged.

Continued →

Pachter deems UK's Modern Warfare 2 price hike a 'test'

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Jul 22nd 2009 at 11:00PM }

How much are you willing to pay for Infinity Ward's latest tunnel-of-fun shooter? Is it £54.99 (close to $90)? If so, you've passed what Michael Pachter calls "a one-time test for Activision." Or maybe Activision is passing the test. The point is ... nobody likes taking tests! No, that's not it.

The Wedbush Morgan Securities analyst has told Eurogamer that Modern Warfare 2's higher retail price -- allegedly spurred on by the Euro's strength against the British Pound -- stems from a calculated business decision. "Activision knows it has a 'hot' game, knows that the market will pay an additional 10 per cent, and has decided to increase price accordingly," Pachter said, adding that the Pound was worth less last year when Call of Duty: World at War launched. Pachter speculates that should the gamble pay off, consumers can expect other games to similarly prod established price boundaries.

But you guys aren't going to let that happen! And you're certainly not going to spend a fortune on some goggles and a useless plastic head, right?

Hello? Anyone?

Pachter predicts 'game-enabled' Apple TV by 2013

by Randy Nelson { Jul 15th 2009 at 8:00PM }

Wedbush Morgan analyst -- and video game prognosticator -- Michael Pachter is back with more predictions for the future! Speaking with IndustryGamers, "The Pacht" said he believes it's only a matter of time (three to four years) before Apple takes a stab at console gaming by way of a "game-enabled" version of the Apple TV. "Apple TV is the device that they can turn into a console, and they have essentially the same goals as Microsoft -- to turn Apple TV into an entertainment and Internet hub," he proposed.

The game industry Nostradamus figures that "If [Apple] can get enough iPod users to download games, it's a natural that they can ultimately convince a large number of these users to buy a game-enabled Apple TV," for which he believes "a 2012 or 2013 launch" would be most likely.

Pachter feels that Apple will start off conservatively with regard to the scope of these "console" games, but eventually aim to take on the best its competitors have to offer. "We'd get cool stuff like World of Goo or Geometry Wars," he predicts, "But probably not super cool stuff like Gears of War until they bought a few developers." Of course, Apple could just fulfill another long-running prophecy and buy Electronic Arts.

The internets present: Michael Pachter FACTS

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jul 1st 2009 at 10:00PM }

Joystiq admittedly went a little crazy with stories involving Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter recently. But, how can the internet blame us? The man is such an important figure. Not only to the video game industry, but to the current state of humanity. Inspired by Harmonix's Alex Navarro, the facts of Michael Pachter's importance were spoken across the Twitterverse and compiled by one Jared Newman. A small sampling:

When Michael Pachter gets the Red Ring of Death, he sends Microsoft a coffin.
Publications often misrepresent Michael Pachter as a "Wedbush Morgan Analyst." No company can contain Michael Pachter.
Michael Pachter willed the Dreamcast to its destruction. No one can cast dreams except Michael Pachter.
There is a little-known seventh ESRB rating: P. It stands for Pachter. P-rated games can only be played by the awesome.
Michael Pachter has learned to suppress the pon farr. He's that logical.

We hope these facts help clarify his importance. Those looking to learn more can always search Twitter for #pachterfacts. Some facts show a lack of refinement, created by jealous heathens, but many will bestow the importance of this one man. If you know more facts, please feel free to add them below. Inspiration will get you kudos, crassness will get you a one way ticket off ~~Joys-~~ Pachstiq.

Current console adoption rate only now passing last cycle's, Pachter reports

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jul 1st 2009 at 6:00AM }

Among the many fascinating (and not so fascinating) takeaways from Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter's recent and massive industry report are revelations about the current console adoption rate. As much as the Wii has seemingly penetrated previously untapped demographics (see grandma's now defunct bridge club) and ostensibly raised console adoption rates to new highs, the current generation is practically dead even with the last one when comparing the two generation's first four calendar years on the market. That is, from 2005 (when Xbox 360 launched in late November) through 2008, the current generation of consoles (Wii, PS3 and 360) combined for approximately 78 million unit sales, according to Wedbush Morgan estimates. Comparatively, from 2000 (the year PS2 launched) through 2003, the previous generation (GameCube, PS2 and Xbox) combined for 78–79 million unit sales. However, in this pivotal fifth year, Wedbush Morgan predicts the current adoption rate will begin to pull ahead of the previous rate.

Continued →

Pachter: Nintendo is benefiting from global recession side effects

by Ben Gilbert { Jul 1st 2009 at 4:00AM }

Normally when Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter whips out his crystal ball and starts getting the vapors, he doesn't have time to turn on his minirecorder and take down the futurespeak channeled through his body. Luckily for us (and you!), he not only recorded it this time, but also wrote it down in the form of the 2009 Interactive Industry Report! We delved through the beast of a document this afternoon and found an interesting segment regarding the Nintendo Wii relying on "slower adoption rates of current generation technology" (read as: high-def displays) to help boost sales.

Pachter writes on page nine of the report, "The global recession served to benefit Nintendo at its competitors' expense," referencing Microsoft and Sony as having slower console sales this generation due to HDTV functionality built into the systems. He argues that consumers who might purchase the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 are more likely to buy the Wii not only because of the lower price point, but because of the subsequent HDTV purchase price. "Expect most consumers to defer purchasing a PS3 or an Xbox 360 until they have purchased an HD monitor," Pachter explains. Though we're not convinced that the same folks who would be purchasing an Xbox 360 or a PS3 would be running out to buy a Nintendo Wii in every case, we digress. What say you, Joystiq Biomass?