I don’t think piracy is inevitable. If it increases, it’s because $60 is too much to pay for a game. Get the games and blu-ray movies down to $19.99 and people will flock to the PS3.

Netbooks are still three generations away from being attractive alternatives to anything. They are too big, too slow, and too expensive to compete with either end of the game console market.

I have no crystal ball, but I just bought a PS3. Why I chose the PS3 and when I bought it might provide some insight into the direction of the industry.

I wasn’t just buying a video game console — I was shopping for the centerpiece of my home entertainment center. The WII was never a consideration, but I would have lived with an xbox or a PS3, so I waited for BD vs HDDVD to be settled and the winner got my business.

So, Santa brought, a new TV, a new HTIM, a new BD player, and a new HD video game console.

A lot of people bought HDTVs this year. Many WII owners will consider upgrading their family room console because the WII looks so bad on their new set. If blu-ray disks are inexpensive, PS3 wins hands down.

Reading this blog, while funny and occasionally interesting, does feel like being hit by a spanner each paragraph.

“People will move away from spending time with consoles to spending time with netbooks.” – Isn’t it same like saying that people are moving away from quality restaurants to fast foods? It’s also faster, cheaper and easier! I would say it may be competition to DS and PSP, but for Wii/X360/PS3? Not really. Netbooks are competition for notebooks, it’s impact on desktop PCs is marginal. Also, so far I don’t see any reaction on the games market to netbook explosion. And as it will not run new PC games, it will be hard to adapt commercialy as games machine with no company to push it hard via marketing like it works with consoles. Smart gamers will have lot of fun with playing good old games, but on the high street, no one will know.

Instead of netbooks, I would say iPhone and mobile games as whole are on the rise…