Financial analysts and gurus at business firm Piper Jaffrey have been making a few predictions today about the future of the games business. According to a new report just published by the firm, the is expected to lead the industry into the next-generation, not just until the PS3's debut in spring 2006, but beyond into 2008. Sony's new machine, by contrast, will suffer from a stuttering start, selling only one-million units in 2006, before business begins picking up with six-million in 2007 and eventually 8.5 million in 2008. At this point, the will begin to overtake Microsoft's contraption, by Piper Jaffrey's reckoning.

The Revolution will, according to the report, suffer when pitted against the new and consoles, selling a paltry three-million consoles annually by 2008. The 360 by contrast is expected to be shifting six-million a year by the same point. Likewise, Sony's handheld, apparently. This despite Nintendo's promise of a lower price-point and 'revolutionary' new features. Indeed, one does have to wonder how scientific these predictions are.

Piper Jaffrey also announced that they expect a PSP hard-drive upgrade to be made available at some point in 2006, and whilst nothing's official, they believe this peripheral will be released in order to help the handheld counter the iPod phenomenon. We'll keep you posted on the experts soothsaying as we get it.

By Luke Guttridge