Microsoft takes a lead on Sony and Nintendo with a scheduled release date of November for the Xbox 360.
Which console do you want to play with today? It doesn’t matter, you’re going to have to wait. Only if you attended the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles recently, or read any of the one or two hundred thousand articles published about the consoles over the past week, did you have a chance to see the next-generation of home gaming.
But in about one year, you’ll have offerings from all three console making companies lobbying for a place within you home. Which one do you choose?
If you already have a PS2, an Xbox, or a GameCube, and a library of games for them, your decision may be driven by whether you can move the old console into another room with a TV.
If you can’t or if you just don’t want to keep switching between consoles, you may want to pickup your console’s newest revision. All three console makers have stated the new boxes will play most of the older titles you have.
For pure power and graphical delight, the Sony PS3 dazzled the E3 crowds. The company sees its machine as being much more powerful than the competing Xbox 360. As the market leader with a host of existing titles, and publishers eager to develop for the new machine, the wait for a Sony in springtime may be a good idea.
The PS3 will carry Sony’s Blu-ray technology, so when high-definition movies for that format become available, you will be able to play them through your PS3 to your HD television.
If you love Halo, or just want to have the newest machine as soon as you can, the Xbox 360 should see a November sales debut. Microsoft, which ranks number 2 to Sony in market share, provides a fantastic graphical experience that one analyst said looked as good as video.
Microsoft has trumpeted the online game playing Xbox Live capabilities of the 360 so loudly that Gethsemani monks likely heard about it. If the prospect of managing your multimedia devices from a Media PC-like interface appeals to you, Xbox may be your choice.
Nintendo’s Revolution console will have access to a massive library of games dating back to such titles as Duck Hunt on the original Nintendo Entertainment System. Like the other two consoles, it will support wireless controllers.
And if you have children at home, and aren’t quite ready to see them fragging demons on-screen, Nintendo has always had a dominant presence in providing entertaining children’s games. And Nintendo makes it an easier point of entry for game developers with its IBM chipset and less complex software development kit.
Sony and Microsoft want to entertain you beyond the gaming experience. Nintendo wants to give you great games. Enjoy making that decision.
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
