With the recent announcement that the father of the PS3, Ken Kutaragi, is set to leave Sony, analysts are speculating that Kutaragi was pushed because the launch of the PS3 didn’t live up to the hype.

The Cell Broadband Engine™, better known as the ‘heart’ of the Playstation 3, is finding new uses for gaming other than powering MotorStorm or Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.

Some have praised Microsoft for the addition of a new XBOX 360 model but all they have managed is to follow in the footsteps of the PS3 and it is still lacking WiFi and the HD-DVD drive.  The XBOX 360 Elite is too little too late to save it from the scrap bin of history.  Sony has taken the high end with the PS3, Nintendo has captured the low-end with the Wii and most XBOX 360 owners I know are content with their Premium systems.

Nintendo will boost production of its Wii next-generation console, according to Nintendo president, Satoru Iwata, .

Speaking at a press conderence in Tokyo, Satoru admitted that Nintendo was surprised by the amazing success of the Wii.

Microsoft might be making money from Vista, but its Entertainment and Devices Division (EDD) is reeling after sales of its Xbox 360 next-generation console plummeted to just 500,000 units in the January to March period of this year, compared to 1.7 million units in the same period last year.

Nintendo’s Wii next-generation console will stay in short supply until 2009, according to a leading video games analyst. The analyst also said that the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 need some “system selling” games as soon as possible.

Recent US sales figures from NDP that showed that in March 259,000 Wiis were sold, compared to 199,000 Xbox 360s and 130,000 Playstation 3s.

Billy Pidgeon, video game analyst at IDC, told Home Media Magazine that Nintendo could have sold more Wiis if stock had been available. He was also concerned about relatively sluggish sales of Xbox 360 and PS3.

“There’s good software movement, but hardware is stalled a bit by short Wii supply and stagnant demand for Xbox 360 and PS3,” said Pidgeon. 

Business guru, Roger Ehrenberg, has concluded that the Xbox 360 has been a “disastrous endeavor” for Microsoft after reviewing Microsoft’s financial statements and comparative sales figures.

Sony Computer Entertainment is planning to cut its Eurpoean workforce by up to 160 jobs (around 8% of its total workforce).

According to a company spokesperson, Nanako Kato, this move will streamline operations and improve the company’s competitiveness. Other regions may also be “streamlined”.

US sales figures from market research company NDP Group show that the Wii continues to dominate sales of next generation consoles.

Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has annouced more than 100 first-and-third-party PS3, PSP and PlayStation 2 titles that will launch during the next few months.