They are the professional analysts whose job it is to research, keep track of, advise their clients, and opine to the media about the gaming business. Analyze This cuts right to the chase: Rather than reporting on a subject, and throwing in quotes by analysts to support or refute a point, Gamasutra offers up a timely question pertaining to the business side of the video game industry and simply lets the analysts offer their thoughts directly to you. Each person's opinion is his own and will (probably) not necessarily agree with their fellow colleagues'.

As we enter 2007, we at Gamasutra wondered what overall predictions the analysts have for the industry. Obviously, this is a very significant year for each of the three console manufacturers. So we asked Mike Wolf of ABI Research, David Cole of DFC Intelligence and Michael Pachter of Wedbush Morgan Securities the following:

Is the Wii destined to soon be the #1 next generation console? What do you think could prevent this from being the year when Nintendo reigns supreme?

Microsoft has surpassed 10 million Xbox 360s sold, but do you think the console will be on track to sell more than the original Xbox (which was a money loser for Microsoft)? What do you expect Microsoft to do this year for the 360 (a price cut?)? What do you think the company should do?

Finally, the big question: the PlayStation 3. Has Sony given too much priority to winning the high-def DVD war over console gaming to affect its bottom line? Is the company stealthily lying in wait? What do you theorize is Sony's strategy, and what's your opinion of it?