In a story repeated in several hundred news outlets worldwide countless times, the E3 expo featured announcements from all three manufacturers about their consoles.
We’ve come a long way from the Atari 2600 and its vaunted 8-bit graphics.
New consoles from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will bring gamers new levels of realism and entertainment.
Microsoft will get the jump in the new release category, as its chairman Bill Gates “accidentally” let slip the new Xbox 360 will ship in November; that would give the company a significant boost financially if it could arrive in time for holiday sales.
The graphics look great, the controller has been redesigned, and gamers will be able to get access to Xbox Live for online gaming. And the console supports high-definition televisions.
Sony’s PlayStation 3 will arrive in 2006, possibly in March. While a late arrival may raise eyebrows, Sony is the market leader with a lot more titles available for its consoles than Microsoft or Nintendo.
The PS3 will have a new Cell processor from IBM to handle the trillions of mathematical instructions realistic physics in games will require. Sony has debuted its consoles after competitors in the past and wildly succeeded, so Sony fans shouldn’t fear a Microsoft takeover yet.
Nintendo talked last about its forthcoming Revolution console. But they didn’t have much to say about it, other than assuring fans it will provide an innovative gaming experience. Nintendo has always delivered entertaining games, especially for kids, and that may be enough to keep them active in the console market.
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
