Bad news for gamers who are dreaming of an Xbox 361, PlayStation 4 or Wiii. You won’t be playing hovercraft Mario Kart or holographic Halo until well into President Palin’s first term.

Wedbrush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter, the video game world’s chief tea leaf reader, predicted in an electronics industry newsletter that the next wave of consoles won’t hit shelves until 2013… if ever. That would mean at least seven years between iterations of the big three console makers’ systems, surpassing the industry standard of five.

We do not expect the ‘next’ generation to begin before 2013, if at all,” Pachter said. “We remain convinced that the publishers will resist the introduction of any video game hardware technology that requires a refresh of software, as the publishers have as yet to capitalise on the immense investments made in being competitive in the current cycle.

Not enough people are buying consoles that are out there, so gaming companies don’t think a new generation justifies the upfront costs of a new round. And yet dwindling sales are always cited as the impetus for a new lineup of consoles. So confusing.

The bottom line is if you’re holding out hope for a new round of consoles to drive the price down on that Xbox 360 you’ve been eying, don’t let the hope keep you from taking the plunge. Instead, let the fact that they break all the time keep you away.

Analyst: No New Console Cycle Before 2013 [Edge Online]

(Photo: PhilVillarreal)

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