Gamers are "exiting" the console market

US analyst PiperJaffray has boldly claimed that "gamers are exiting the [console] market for alternative forms of entertainment and leisure activities".

The prediction comes ahead of NPD’s April numbers for the US video games market which the analyst belives will once again be down year-on-year.

"Consumers are increasingly demanding interactive media experiences that are social, mobile and free to play,” the firm stated.
"These activities include photo/video sharing and social gaming, all of which are activities that the current consoles and new handhelds do not support effectively."

Looking ahead to May, it thinks Rockstar’s Max Payne 3 will emerge as the monthly champ, outselling Ubisoft’s Ghost Recon: Future, Capcom’s Dragon’s Dogma and Sniper Elite V2 combined.