Pachter: Natal and Move "upgrade" 360 and PS3

Speaking on the latest version of GameTrailers show Pach Attack, Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Patcher has said he thinks Natal and Move are going to allow Microsoft and Sony to boost their respective console's power.

In response to a question regarding whether console manufacturers could allow for their systems to be upgraded in the future, Patcher said:

"We are going to see an upgrade with Natal and Move, so the console manufacturers are open to it but I don’t think they are ready to allow you to upgrade a graphics card."

The analyst added that adding system spec with additional hardware in this way is preferable for the first party's as they're none too keen on having people whack in extra grunt by physically opening console.

“I think that if companies were to allow users to upgrade consoles in the future, any upgrades would have to be external," he said.

"I say that not because it is technologically impossible but it is just that the boxes right now are made to be tamper proof.

"They're intended for people not to open them up and put mod chips in them... If you can open it and upgrade components, then you can figure out a way to overcome digital rights, put in a mod chip and then rip off all the software and all your friends' software and play it all on your console.

"The console manufacturers have no interest in allowing that to happen."

An upgrade it may be, but there's been heavy talk of Natal being technically scaled back from its original vision.

Natal is going to play a key part in Microsoft's E3 showing next month, with the motion camera getting its own LA event on Sunday, June 13. A launch date is expected at the show, but has recently been pegged as October by MS staff.

Move, PS3's motion wand, is yet to be dated.

You can watch Michael Patcher’s show in full here.