Microsoft :
We know how challenging it is to pull off a global launch, particularly with unproven technology, so it's not surprising that Sony has backed away from their previously announced launch plans. Europe remains a priority for us and that is why gamers have been able to experience Xbox 360 from day 1 and why we're confident we're going to have a great holiday, regardless of what competitors are or are not in the market. Xbox 360 will have over 160 high-definition games including Viva Piñata from Rare, Gears of War from Epic, Pro Evolution Soccer 6 from Konami and FIFA 2007 from EA, a robust and continuously growing online gaming community in Xbox Live, fantastic entertainment capabilities, optional HD-DVD movie playback capability and a great-value price.
Nintendo :
Wii is on track to ship in Q4, Nintendo plans to ship 6 million systems to retailers around the world between its launch in the fourth quarter of 2006 and the end of its fiscal year on March 31, 2007.
Wedbush Morgan Securities' Michael Pachter responded to Next-Gen saying : "....not a big deal in the long run. The people who were going to buy PS3 and Wii will buy them both still, albeit in a different order. Few people were going to buy Xbox 360 and PS3 both, so there may be a small number of people who buy a 360 instead of a PS3. That number represents lost sales forever. The balance will be ultimately captured by Sony, and the launch delay will be a rounding error in the long run."
1Up spoke to Ben Bajarin, Creative Strategies; Michael Pachter, Wedbush Morgan Securities; and Mike Wolf, ABI Research
Wolf: "I'm sure they [Nintendo and Microsoft] are happy about it. The negativity towards the PS3 in the blogosphere... will help a bit. It's the second Christmas with a new generation of platforms, and Sony will not be there for some of those guys. If you have $600 in your pocket this Christmas, it'll be tempting to get the combo platter -- Xbox 360 and Wii."