<![CDATA[Kotaku: Michael Pachter]]> http://cache.kotaku.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: Michael Pachter]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/michael pachter http://kotaku.com/tag/michael pachter <![CDATA[Dancing Games Hit Their Stride, Show Huge Growth in Sales]]> The Los Angeles Times has taken a look at the October NPD numbers, which show that dancing games like Just Dance 3 and Dance Central 2 have grown in sales 326% over last year. That far outpaces the next nearest fastest-growing genre, fighting games, which grew just 33% over the same period of time. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5863600&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Jamie Kennedy's Still Sensitive About His Trainwreck of an E3 2007 Hosting Gig, Apparently]]> Jamie Kennedy, star of Son of the Mask, Malibu's Most Wanted and Wii game Real Heroes: Firefighter doesn't always deliver brilliantly inspired performances. See his E3 2007 Activision press conference hosting gig, for example, which he's still really really sensitive about, according to a recent Twitter tirade. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5814696&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[No Strikes, but One Out as Labor Unrest Hovers Over Video Games]]> For a brief moment Tuesday, I wasn't sure we'd be seeing any basketball video game this year, even though I'd taken for granted that NBA 2K12 would release, a death-and-taxes sure thing in October for more than 10 years. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5790521&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pricetag On NBA Elite's Delay: $60 Million And Counting]]> Yesterday, we reported that a delay of NBA Elite 11's release lasting past the end of the year jeopardizes the sale of as many as 1.1 million copies. Today, the analyst offering that estimate put a dollar figure on it. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5651656&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Twisted Metal PS3 Accidentally Confirmed?]]> During the latest episode of Bonus Round, analyst supreme Michael Pachter may have accidentally let the cat out of the bag about Playstation 3 car combat racer Twisted Metal PS3. The analyst mentioned the game while talking about solid games coming to the PS3 that don't have Move support. David Jaffe says via Twitter it was a joke. Damage control? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5551186&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Electronic Arts Plans to Make You Pay for Glorified Game Demos?]]> Electronic Arts plans to grow its digital game business to become one-third of their total revenue over the next few years and that includes starting to charge for what one analyst described as very long game demos. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5498985&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Kotaku Talks About The Biggest Games Of 2010 On The Bonus Round]]> The folks at GameTrailers invited us to take part in the most recent episode of Bonus Round, a chance to chat about (some of) the year's biggest games hitting in 2010. This is that episode! More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5453247&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Record Sales For Scary Games, Reuters Dates Dead Space 2]]> News source Reuters says scary video games are having "a record year as zombies, monsters, demons, and chain-sawing wielding psychos fight against the consoles, making video games the new home of horror for some." More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5393291&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Fall's Biggest Games Discussed On The Bonus Round]]> Last week, we visited GameTrailers HQ to chat about fall's biggest games, from Uncharted 2 to Brutal Legend to New Super Mario Bros. Wii. This Bonus Round clip is the result of that visit. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5374900&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Hey, It's Me On The Bonus Round Again]]> Last week, GameTrailers' Geoff Keighley, Shane Satterfield, Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter and Kotaku's I talked about the future of video game controls. This week, we do it some more. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5308463&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter: Used Games Sales At 100 Million Annually In U.S., Not A Threat]]> Gaming's most-quoted financial analyst shared some unconventional wisdom about used games today. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5304089&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Kotaku Joins The Bonus Round To Chat About The Future Of Game Controls]]> Last Friday, we sat down with GameTrailers' Geoff Keighley, Shane Satterfield and Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter to discuss the future of video game interfaces, from the Wii Vitality Sensor to Microsoft's Project Natal. Someone taped it! More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5303708&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Analyst Predicts Wii Price Drop]]> Wedbush-Morgan's Michael Pachter — the guy that was so harsh on the PSPgo's price tag — thinks the Wii will drop to $199.99 this holiday season More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5288620&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Analyst: Sony's $249 PSPgo Is "Too Much"]]> PSPgo, the newest addition to the PlayStation family, will carry a premium price of $249 USD when it launches this October. That's $80 more than the PSP-3000, a figure considered too high by some gamers—and one analyst. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5286488&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Analyst: Next Gen Begins After 2013]]> Everyone's favorite industry analyst, Michael Pachter, says that, rumored Wii HD upgrade not withstanding, this current console generation is gonna be with us at least four more years. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5237027&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Analyst: Lost And Damned Sales At 1 Million, All-New GTA In 2010]]> Rockstar Games and Microsoft haven't disclosed exact sales of the Grand Theft Auto IV expansion The Lost and Damned, only boasting that it has broken Xbox Live Arcade records. But one analyst has a guess. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5165818&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Analyst: Xbox Live A 'Gold Mine' For Netflix]]> Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, who knows everything there is to know about video games, sees nothing but good things for the Xbox-Netflix partnership, one that could translate to another million Netflix subscribers this year. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5140634&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter Breaks Up Fight Between Kaz, Greenberg, Claims Both Are Right]]> Gentlemen, gentlemen, please. Why don't we stop all this console manufacturer bickering and make peace? Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter says that PlayStation boss Kaz Hirai and Xbox 360 director Aaron Greenberg are both right. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5136672&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Analyst Dates PlayStation 3 Price Drop For April]]> Microsoft says its anticipating a PlayStation 3 price drop in the "springtime," but what about the video game industry's best-known analysts? One has pegged Sony for a PS3 price cut as early as April. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5130464&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Kotaku Invades The Bonus Round]]> The GameTrailers folks were kind enough to invite us on to the Geoff Keighley-hosted Bonus Round not too long ago, the first part of which went live this weekend. In it, we talk about video games! More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5104405&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Analysts Pick The Holiday's Biggest Losers]]> According to analysts from EEDAR, Wedbush Morgan and Screen Digest, games like Midnight Club: Los Angeles, Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe and Animal Crossing City Folk could have less than merry Christmases. Gamasutra reports are just a few of the marquee and triple-A titles that, for various reasons, could get lost in the pre-holiday game release dust up. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5098057&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Nintendo DS Successor By End of Year?]]> With Nintendo DS sales slowing in Japan, could Nintendo have a successor waiting in the wings? Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter think so, telling investors in a note that Nintendo "has a new handheld device ready for launch in [Japan] before the end of the calendar year," according to a report from Edge Online. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5031650&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter Says Nintendo Hasn't Abandoned Core Gamers]]> Add Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter (and possibly a few of his less famous co-workers) to the list of folks who believe that Nintendo has not yet shrugged off the "core" gamer. According to a report from Gamasutra, Pachter has weighed in on Nintendo's E3 showing, saying "We think that Nintendo focused upon building upon its formidable lead with the mass market, and do not consider the lack of major hard core game announcements to be an abandonment of its core." More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5030247&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Good News: Pachter Says We are Wealthy!]]> Alright, alright, forgive the distortion, but if you've bought a next-gen console — and worldwide, more than 60 million of us have — then you are "wealthy or hardcore gamers," according to everyone's favorite video game software analyst, Michael Pachter. I don't consider myself hardcore. And my aforementioned $1,500 rent apparently qualifies me as wealthy. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5020588&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter: GTA IV So Did Not Drive Console Sales]]> I know, we don't run many of these predictions anymore, but I've an inkling this one's on the money, so up it goes. Analyst Michael Pachter has rolled the goat's bones, read the tea leaves and predicted that while software sales for May were strong, hardware sales were not. Even though they were supposed to be, with both Microsoft and Sony hoping/expecting a big sales boost in the wake of GTA IV's release. He cites some simExchange and VGChartz numbers in his figures, which as guesstimates aren't as rock-solid as we can hope for, but since the real NPD numbers won't be with us til later in the week, guesstimates are all we've got. Make do. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5014828&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter Earns Financial Times' Number One Award]]> The Financial Times/StarMine recently awarded Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter the designation of number one Earnings Estimator for the Software sector. As Pachter said, "Please note that there is no 'video games industry' and that my performance is compared to the analysts who cover not only video games, but those who cover other software, such as Microsoft, Oracle, and other such companies." More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5010478&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter: Console Price Drops This Holiday]]> Analyst Michael Pachter expects a $50 price drop will be hitting both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 this holiday, but that it will still be hard for the industry to match last year's extraordinary holiday sales. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5010005&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter Predicts PS3 Outsold Xbox 360 In April, Wii To Dominate All]]> If NPD sales results can be epic, then this Thursday's expected sales data from the research group will be epic. Microsoft and Sony went head to head with near identical versions of Grand Theft Auto IV, a battle sure to result in carefully crafted post-NPD reveal statements with spun gold. GTA IV assuredly moved some hardware, but who will win the April skirmish? In that particular head-to-head Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter says the PlayStation 3 pulled ahead—his SimExchange counterparts disagree. Neither, Pachter predicts, will be able to overcome the staggering power that is the Wii. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5008793&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter: Microsoft Doesn't Need To Be First, Just Rich]]> We're perpetually interested in the three-way. Because the Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony multi-billion dollar pillow fight that is the console wars makes for interesting news and highly combustible fanboy fuel. But analyst Michael Pachter feels that Microsoft shouldn't pay so much attention.
"I personally think that, with a lot of respect for the Microsoft guys...I think they're foolish to even worry about who's first and who's second. I think that's just stupid.
Stupid?? But I only own a 360 and my street cred is fast-approaching the drain! More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=382626&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter Predicts Wii Fit Win]]> Wedbush Morgan's gaming guru Michael Pachter sees big things for Nintendo's Wii Fit in North America, where the combination personal trainer and balance board are slated for a May 19th release. The analyst predicts the package could sell upwards of 4 million units if Nintendo does it up right.
"I really don't know what the spend will be, but it could be 10 - 12% of projected sales. If we assume a retail price of $100, that's $10 million in marketing for each 1 million units sold. If they go mainstream (have Oprah demo the device), I could see them selling 3 - 4 million, maybe more. That suggests the potential for $30 - 40 million in marketing.]
In fact, Pachter says that Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime himself indicated that they plan to back the title with the biggest marketing campaign in the company's history. If I were to speculate I'd probably aim for a more conservative number, but then again my financial analysis experience is limited to predicting whether or not a charge for pizza will clear before my paycheck, and even then I am usually wrong. I wonder if Pachter does requests? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=375120&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter: Wii Shortage? Blame The Lousy US Dollar]]> Wedbush Morgan analyst and Kotaku reader idol Michael Pachter went on record with the Dallas News with his theory on one reason it's still so damn hard to find a Wii. The United States dollar, he's paraphrased as saying, is so limp, that Nintendo is shipping excess consoles to Europe to meet demand there, squeezing out a bit of extra profit when all is said and done. It's not like Nintendo is completely abandoning American gamers—it sold 432,000 Wiis in February—it may just be allocating stock to its first class customer base. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=374381&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter: Nintendo Planning A Wii Fit-zkrieg]]> In a note to investors Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter says that Nintendo of America is planning to pitch Wii Fit to American consumers with "the biggest marketing campaign in its history." We're pretty sure that means that you, core gamer, won't be able to go anywhere without being surrounded by Wii Fit and the millions of physically fit humans that will ultimately result from its success. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=370865&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Analyst: iPhone Not A Viable Gaming Platform]]> Playing Super Monkey Ball and Spore on the iPhone sure sounds like a nifty diversion, but is a $400 mobile device really going to be a success as a gaming platform? Not if Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter's perspective on new ventures from Sega, EA and THQ is spot on. He tells Next-Gen "To the extent that hip, rich people are an interesting gaming audience, iPhone games will work" adding that the demographic will probably "only interested in the most rudimentary games, and that the market will be small." More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=369960&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Analyst Predicts Death Of 360 In Japan]]> Sony may be worried following the 360 price drop in Europe, but according to Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, they don't have much to be concerned about. In fact, Pachter predicts that the PS3 will beat out the Xbox 360 in Japan ("killing" it) and Europe (by 20%-40%). He also says that the PS3 may pull ahead of the Xbox 360 in month-on-month sales:
"In the US, I think it will be close all year, with 360 outselling PS3 most months due to its lower price points (at least as long as it remains lower priced)," Pachter told videogaming247. "Sony gains a huge competitive advantage when HD monitor sales pick up at holiday, as I expect retailers to push PS3 as a Blu-ray player to anyone buying an HD monitor. By year-end, I think PS3 will outsell the 360 in the US by a little."
Seems to me that 2008 is shaping up to be an interesting year in the battle of the consoles! Now, we just have to wait and see if Pachter is on the money... More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=366360&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter: EA Wants Take-Two For Sports, GTAIV Is "Gravy"]]> We've already heard EA's story recounting why they're interested in acquiring Take-Two, but analyst Michael Pachter gives the real scoop. And unlike many have claimed, Take-Two's appeal has very little to do with GTAIV, which he calls "gravy." It's all about the sports.
For EA, sports is enough to pay for the whole [$2 billion] thing. If you get rid of sports competition, you suddenly add Take Two's $200 million per year in sports revenue and EA doesn't compete on price anymore.
Wait...this is sounding a lot like a monopoly, isn't it Mr. Pachter? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=360452&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Analyzing the Analysts, Episode Two]]>
Monday's feature took a broad, anecdotal look at ten different analysts, explaining a little about who the analysts are and what they do. For your enjoyment and discussion, we present to you today all of the predictions made by the analysts and our verdict on each of them. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=358091&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Analyzing the Analysts, Episode One]]> We've all seen their work. "Analysts predict PS3 price drop by September." "New DS to be released by Nintendo." "Wii will be the top selling console of 2007." Analysts seem to descend from their mountaintops once a month to tell us the future of the video game industry. So what secret rituals do these soothsayers conduct to get their predictions? And, more importantly, how often are these predictions right? More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=356982&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter: GTA IV Earnings Are Over-Estimated, Recommends Layoffs]]> Our own favorite Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter doesn't want the holiday spirit entering the veins of Take-Two employees just yet, because he's clarified to investors that GTA IV, while sure to be a success, is no "panacea" (word deriving from the Greek goddess of cures) for the company, much because the game itself will require so much money to promote and launch. So close to the popular Christian holiday, we'd have preferred a more timely and fitting allusion to religious healing figures, but we'll honestly take whatever Michael "Mythology Buff Scrooge" Pachter gives us. He also took a shot at management while reiterating his "sell" rating on Take-Two stock. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=335823&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Pachter: Mass Effect Will Come to PS3]]> Mass Effect is Xbox 360 exclusive? Nope, not anymore (though technically, still yes). Analyst Michael Pachter has spoken. And when he speaks, mountains move and plans change. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=335233&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[Wii and Xbox 360 Close In December]]> Pach attack! Analyst Michael Pachter is predicting a very close December in console sales. Based upon Thanksgiving figures in which the Wii edged out the 360, Pachter predicts the Wii winning December, but by the narrowest of margins:
These figures imply that Microsoft will sell 1.5 million Xbox 360s in December in the U.S., that Nintendo will sell 1.7 million Wiis, and that Sony will sell around 800,000 PS3s.
Wow these figures are close. But I wonder what these projections would look like if Nintendo had no production limits...if only you had a slightly different, parallel dimension when you needed one. More »
]]> http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=329336&view=rss&microfeed=true