Nintendo’s 
announcement on Thursday that the Wii U would come in two flavors costing either $300 or $350 instantly sparked a lot of arguments.
Some thought it was too high a number. Some felt it fair. Few, it’s worth noting, vowed to boycott the system, so any objections fell short of the ones Sony faced when the PlayStation 3 was initially priced at an astronomical $500.
After two consistent years of negative 
growth, investors in the video game industry are hoping for things to start turning around in 2011, but they may have to wait a little longer for that to happen.
Analysts expect software sales in January, which will be announced after the market closes Thursday, to be well off of last year’s pace, as a lack of big titles and the traditional post-holiday slump drag down the retail sector.
[Gamasutra asked a half-dozen of the most notable game 
industry analysts about the best and worst things to happen to the game industry this year — with some intriguing and unexpected responses.]
Wall Street analysts spend most of their time looking forward – trying to predict future trends and events in the video game industry. Rather than having them pull out crystal balls as we inch towards 2011, we thought it would be interesting to ask them to look in their rear view mirrors and give their thoughts on the year that was.
We start on a positive note – looking at the best changes of the year. (The group’s thoughts on what went wrong will run next week.)
[Gamasutra editor-at-large Chris Morris talks to game industry analysts on 
what 2011 might bring for the struggling Western retail game biz — with predictions of another slump in retail sales that might only be forestalled by the launch of Nintendo’s 3DS, a “primary driver” of any possible retail rebound.]
There’s good news aplenty from gaming companies these days – but as financial analysts begin crunching the numbers for next year, many fear that the holiday cheer could be short-lived.
The shifting business models of the Western video game industry will continue to impact retail sales figures, even with the relatively easy comparables 2010 has established, say many analysts. The good news is that digitally downloaded content should continue to grow – and help make up some of the difference.
Chris Morris: Journalist 