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