| With Sony's PlayStation 3 finally
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| | their sleeve? Sony has a game called
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| launched across the globe, the next-gen
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| | Heavenly Sword, which has games
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| videogames wars can start in earnest.
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| | journalists very excited, but apart from
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| Microsoft already has a reasonable
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| | this its near-future release schedule is
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| installed base for Xbox 360, but not
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| | quite embarrassing.
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| enough to guarantee dominance, while
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| | Microsoft on the other hand has a machine
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| Sony's consumers' brand loyalty is being
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| | mature enough to be expecting its
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| tested to the limits by the PS3's high
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| | second-wave of titles, games which should
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| price point.
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| | really be starting to take advantage of
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| Nintendo, meanwhile, has carved out a
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| | the next-gen hardware (to date, only
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| nice niche for itself by making next-gen
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| | Gears of War has really shown its
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| not about hi-def, with its ridiculously
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| | next-gen credentials to gamers). And its
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| named, but extremely popular Wii.
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| | line up is looking OK, and not just first
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| Within the industry though, most pundits
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| | party: Bioshock, from 2K, Mass Effect, a
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| are expecting a much more level playing
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| | highly anticipated game from Bioware, who
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| field this time around, with Microsoft
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| | can do no wrong, Halo 3 to arrive one
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| and Sony battling it out, but neither
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| | month after GTA IV on both platforms -
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| gaining significant domination over the
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| | you don't have a bucket big enough to
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| other. This is, frankly put, a disaster
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| | describe how many bucketloads this game
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| for Sony whose PlayStation 2 console
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| | will sell, Fable 2, from the well-liked
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| defined a generation, and not just of
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| | Lionhead Studio and then later more
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| consoles.
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| | Project Gotham Racing and Halo action.
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| What is the reason for this shift? One
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| | Essentially, this year Xbox 360 has some
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| word: exclusivity. In the good old days,
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| | good triple A games, with 2 tent pole
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| games publishers were convinced to launch
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| | releases in GTA IV and Halo 3. Sony has
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| their game on a single console, and then
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| | GTA IV and Heavenly Sword and then many
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| perhaps later allow it to grace the
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| | more third party, multi-platform games.
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| competitors' machines, and so Lara
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| | So, expect Microsoft to shift some units
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| boosted the original PlayStation and GTA
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| | with their line up, but Sony will also be
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| helped the PS2 explode. With the
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| | hoping for a GTA effect on its console.
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| next-gen, exclusivity is all but gone.
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| | This pinkish, if not rosy, outlook for
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| GTA will launch on both the Xbox 360 and
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| | Microsoft could change next year though.
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| PS3 and Lara is two-timing the
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| | Sony has more development staff than
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| PlayStation all over the place. There are
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| | anyone else, and while it might be taking
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| even rumours that Snake will turn tail
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| | its time, you have to expect its first
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| and that Metal Gear Solid 4 will not be a
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| | party games to start coming through.
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| PlayStation 3 exclusive. In fact, the
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| | All of this, of course, is only
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| only games that remain exclusive to a
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| | considering the games consoles as just
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| format tend to be those developed by the
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| | that, and it remains to be seen what
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| console manufacturers themselves, first
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| | effect, if any, the Blu-Ray (PS3) vs
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| party games as they are known.
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| | HD-DVD (Xbox 360) hi-definition formats
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| So, what do Microsoft and Sony have up
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| | for videos have on sales.
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