The Xbox 360 is the first system of its generation to hit the market, but in order to stay successful; Microsoft is going to need to keep on top of what its two major console competitors, Nintendo and Sony, are doing. Although little is known about the other two systems, comparatively, we compiled the currently known statistics about the two competitive consoles.
PlayStation 3
Name: PlayStation 3
Manufacturer: Sony
Launch Date: Sometime in 2006? Last we heard, it was in the springtime.
Known Launch Games: None at this time, but we're hoping we'll see at least a new Tekken in the launch window.
Known Major Titles: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, Devil May Cry 4, Gran Turismo 5, Killzone 2, Fatal Inertia, Lair, Heavenly Sword, and a bunch of other games that we know next to nothing about.
Known Specs: Cell Processor, Nvidia GPU :: Complete PS3 specs
Strengths against the 360: The PS3 boasts some powerful hardware that looks pretty good up against the specs from the 360. It also has Blu-ray, and though we're not sure how exaggerated the Blu-ray reports are, they sure sound nice. Combine that with the fact that we know a lot of big-name sequels are coming out exclusively to this system, like Metal Gear Solid 4, Devil May Cry 4, and Gran Turismo 5, and that many third parties, particularly Japanese third parties, have deep and long-lasting relationships with Sony, and you get a system that looks to repeat the great success of its predecessor.
Weaknesses against the 360: If the reports are true that the PS3 will not feature a centralized online service, then Sony still hasn't learned a much-needed lesson taught by Xbox Live. It's also rumored that the PS3 demonstrations of the system created expectations that will be difficult for developers to meet, at least according to comments made by Level-5 president Akihiro Hino just after the 2005 Electronic Entertainment Expo.
Ace in the Hole: It boils down to the games. People will buy the PS3 because it's got the games to back up the name. Plus it has an Old Solid Snake, and that might be just the card to pull out when the 360 sales start to climb.
The Bottom Line: The lineup of developers pledging A-list support for the PS3 makes it very dangerous, but it all boils down to whether people are going to hold out for it instead of making a jump for the tempting, and already available Xbox 360.
Nintendo Revolution
Name: Revolution
Manufacturer: Nintendo
Launch Date: After April 2006 but sometime later that year.
Known Launch Games: An online version of Super Smash Bros. was promised at the E3 keynote.
Known Major Titles: Also at the E3 keynote, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata verified that there are Mario and Zelda games in the works, a new Metroid game, and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles with wi-fi.
Known Specs: IBM processor, ATI GPU (Codenamed Hollywood and Broadway) ::
Complete Revolution Specs
Strengths against the 360: Nintendo has created something that none of the other systems are offering. While the PS3 looks to directly compete with the 360 on all fronts, the Revolution's unique controller promises an entirely different experience. Nintendo also has unquestionably the strongest first-party franchises of any other company out there. New games from favorite franchises and the Virtual Console system might provide a formidable threat against any new games Microsoft has to offer. Nintendo also has an uncanny ability to grab non-gamers and appeal to the whole family. The popularity of its pick-up-and-play games might increase even more dramatically with the family friendly Revolution controller.
Weaknesses against the 360: The Revolution will probably lack many of the fringe benefits available on the 360, including a cohesive online service and HD support. Nintendo's shyness about the hardware's power makes it sound like it'll be weak comparatively. And third-party support of both the company and the unique controller still seems pretty up in the air. Even though it seems like it's a part of Nintendo's strategy, the company appears to be giving up the hardcore gaming audience to Microsoft and Sony.
Ace in the Hole: Controller. Mario. Zelda. Metroid. Urban Champion!
The Bottom Line: The Revolution is a spooky mystery that keeps us awake at night. Plus, it's Nintendo.
The 5 day Xbox 360 Countdown
The Xbox 360 is finally here, so reminisce about what the last five days of your Xbox 360-free life were like with our five-day countdown feature.
