The hardcore market could see a considerable surge this holiday thanks to hardcore Xbox 360 games like Halo 3 and a shortage of Wiis, according to one analyst. Digg this article here.

Mike Hickey with Janco Partners said in an investor note today that the Xbox 360 smash Halo 3 and critical darling BioShock could supplement a core market that is being challenged by big Wii buzz.

Hickey wrote, “We believe the recent release of killer content (Halo 3, BioShock), lower hardware price points, and limited Wii (hardware/software) supply could shift market focus from Wii casual to 360 hardcore this holiday.”

Hickey’s statements were part of a preview of Electronic Arts’ quarterly earnings, which will be reported on November 1.

“A market shift toward core gamer platforms (360/PS3) and a potential PS3 price cut (November) should benefit ERTS this holiday,” he added.

The analyst also reiterated that he is “cautiously optimistic” about last week’s $860 million BioWare/Pandemic acquisition by EA.

He put in his two cents about BioWare’s unannounced MMO. “We are uncertain over the MMO market demand for their unannounced licensed IP and game quality (BioWare has no MMO track record). A competitive MMO release prior to their CY10 or continuation of the WOW subscriber phenomena could capture a large portion of the available market, locking out their economic opportunity. Regardless, a successful MMO release would be a catalyst for cycle peak margin expansion, in our view.”

News-Source: NextGen