Microsoft Best-Placed For Credit Crunch, Nintendo Worst

Analysts out of the UK and US tip Nintendo to be worst hit by the economic downturn, according to a report out of the UK.

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Analysts see the likes of the Wii console being popular amongst casual gamers, such as those who bought Wii Fit , while Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers are more your hard-core, which means they are more likely to carry on buying games than Wii users.

According to Nick Gibson from Games Investor Consulting, “As the market has become more casual-gamer focused, [Nintendo] will be more susceptible to the economic rhythm. Therefore they will be the most susceptible,” he said to The Guardian.

Another pundit, Piers Harding-Rolls from Screen digest concurs: “We are not sure how the recession will affect more casual consumers. These are more likely to view gaming as a discretionary luxury.” However, the PS3 doesn’t get off scott-free, with Harding-Rolls adding, “the PS3 is expensive, so [consumers] may delay their purchase or even buy a different console.”

In the US, Electronic Entertainment Design And Research (EEDAR) has figures that show a slowdown in PSP sales. However, Microsoft has fared better with its Left 4 Dead and Gears of War 2 exclusive titles, helping drive sales of the Xbox 360. Sony’s exclusive Resistance 2 is the only title to help significantly drive PS3 console sales.

As for Nintendo, EEDAR’s predictions for Animal Crossing: Let’s Go To The City are that it will sell more numbers than expected, but is still not a stand-out title.