The console wars are heating up like never before. With the three companies firmly in place and taking regular potshots at one another, the battle between the systems is intensifying. Each system has done some things right and failed in some respects, and the scores of money being thrown around makes the battles more sophisticated than the simpler days of "Genesis does what Nintendon't". With so many exclusive titles going multiplatform, how does the future look for the war between the consoles?

D'Marcus Beatty, Co-Site Director

It's interesting to watch so many "exclusive titles" jumping ship. I was surprised and excited when Grand Theft Auto 4 was announced for the Xbox 360. I wasn't so surprised when Assassin's Creed, Mercenaries 2, Saints Row, Devil May Cry 4, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and numerous other titles found their way to another console. Creating games is simply becoming too expensive for console exclusivity, especially from third party developers. Any day now, I'm expecting to hear the announcement that Metal Gear Solid 4 will be released simultaneously on the Xbox 360. It is definitely going to happen.

I think that the PlayStation 3's hefty price tag has hurt them initially, as its penetration into households will be much less than that of the less expensive Wii and Xbox 360. Third party developers will have no choice but to go multiplatform to get their games into as many households as possible and make their money back. Game developing has never been about loyalty; it's about making money.

Sony is definitely going to have to make the PS3 stand out and show that it is worth the money they're asking for. Right now, there aren't any killer games for the PS3 that I can't play on another system. Given the choice between a game on PS3 and on the Xbox 360, I always choose the X360 game, since I can get achievement points to add to my experience and earlier downloadable content. For example, I'm waiting for the new Marvel: Ultimate Alliance expansion for my Xbox 360, and suddenly I'm glad I didn't purchase the PlayStation 3 version. That brings up another point. PlayStation 3 owners are getting games and content later than other consoles, and even when the games are released there isn't any (or enough) new content to justify the later release. If I have an Xbox 360 and a PlayStation 3, and a game I'm waiting for comes out earlier for my X360, I'm probably going to pick that one up instead of waiting for the PS3 version.

Microsoft is in a good place right now, competently competing with both opponents. Xbox Live is one of their biggest assets, with regular content that is competing with Nintendo's fairly flawed Virtual Console lineup. Also, of the consoles, Microsoft has some of the bigger exclusives, like Crackdown, Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, Mass Effect, Bioshock, and the killer app, Halo 3. If Microsoft can keep things rolling like they are, they should be fine.

Nintendo, on the other hand, has had a few missteps with an otherwise great system. The less powerful Wii will lose a lot of ports because the system just won't be able to handle it. Would Oblivion have been fun using the Wii-mote to slash and cast spells?

We'll never know. The Virtual Console also isn't being used to its fullest potential, with Nintendo so focused on the future of VC that they're giving us a bunch of unwanted games with the occasional great title. With such a vast pool of games, they should be giving us a great title every week. We also have yet to see the motion sensing technology being used efficiently, since a lot of developers are making it feel gimmicky and tacked on. We need a great FPS on the Wii. This is a given, and it's a shame that Wii hasn't found its Halo yet. Wii also need some RPGs, stat.

It's obvious that I'm siding with Microsoft. Sony's cocky pricing has cost them any hope of keeping a lot of exclusives, and the Wii needs some solid titles (on both the VC and the Wii) and someone to step up and show developers how to use the Wii-mote once and for all.

Maria Montoro, Co-Site Director

Being that this is just the beginning of a crude battle between the three major home entertainment firms, one can only make conjectures about who will come out on top at the end. However, we decided to get our feet wet and make some predictions; it's always fun to try and guess what will happen.

It's obvious that Sony won the last console war with well over 100 million sold units. The PS2 continues to sell like a king, even a few months after the release of the last two next generation consoles: the Wii and the PlayStation3. It seems like people are not ready to give up the last generation yet, especially thanks to the launch of terrific titles for PlayStation 2 such as the Guitar Hero series and God of War II.

You would think that people should be more excited about the beautiful PS3; it's such an amazing piece of hardware and it offers things that the other consoles don't, like BlueRay playback, and probably the most stunning visuals, with 1080p (full HD) support. As if that wasn't enough, the PS3 is made by Sony, the company that was supposed to have the most faithful gamers. Still, the reality is far from that; maybe people just want to have a good time and only hardcore gamers appreciate the tremendous hardware upgrade the PS3 has to offer; maybe they prefer to be "faithful" to their wallets and save the money for later when the PS3 has more and better games in the market. Whatever the case may be, one thing is clear: Sony is not the leader of the console wars just yet.

Nintendo, on the other hand, is grabbing more and more attention since they launched the renowned Wii. They decided to focus on the fun and leave the powerful visuals for the other two. Whether we totally agree with their position or not, we all wanted a Wii, we bought a Wii, and some of us buy more games for the Wii than for the other two. Every time somebody new comes to visit I have them try the Wii, no matter what their age or genre is. They all absolutely love it and go home thinking: "maybe I do like some video games," "Maybe we could have a Wii, too, so we can play it when people come over and have a blast!." And this leads me to think: "Oh! Wasn't Nintendo smart this time?!" I still wonder if this triumph will last until the next "next-generation" starts showing up. Honestly, I think they would be smarter if they started to pay as much attention to graphics as they do to gameplay. Having had some of the best gaming times of my life with the Wii, I still think their graphics are not quite up-to-date and I always regret the developers' choice of not working enough on the graphics department. The Wii could show off much more than it has until now, if only developers decided to push the envelope a little bit and not only offer an unforgettable gaming experience but fantastic visuals as well. Let's see that Metroid Prime 3: Corruption! Will it turn into Nintendo's Halo?

Microsoft is learning fast with the Xbox 360. Not only do they have a very powerful gaming system, but also excellent online support and a good appearance. Now that the PS3 is out showing off their 1080p-magnificent graphics (best seen at Resistance: Fall of Men or MotorStorm), Microsoft is about to launch another version of their home console, the Xbox 360 Elite, which will be sold along with the other two versions of Xbox 360. With full 1080p support through an HDMI output and a large 120Gb hard drive, now they can only hope their software starts being developed consistently with that full HD support that people are beginning to look up to. Having been in the market longer than the other two definitely gives them an advantage, but it's good to know they're alert and improving their offerings every day to continue to give the Xbox 360 owners the best possible experience.

If all three companies deliver their promises, the battle is going to be much tougher than it was between the Xbox, the GameCube, and the PS2. I think the PS3 might end up winning at the end, thanks to their strong fan base and the large game library that they will, inevitably, end up having. Just give it time, and we'll see it all happen. However, unlike in the last generation, this time nobody is going to get hurt. All three consoles are going to sell very well, since each of them offers its own perks. Even if some popular software like GTA or Devil May Cry goes multiplatform, people will always find reasons to own the three, if not at least a Wii and one of the other two.

The industry of home entertainment is growing larger every day; more and more people are buying large HDTVs along with great surround sound systems so they can watch their favorite shows and movies on HD. Sooner or later, people will invest on all the new gaming consoles as well to complete their home entertainment setup and have the ultimate.

Jonathan Marx, Freelance Writer

The second coming of the console wars, CWII as I like to call it, is finally underway. The Xbox 360 launched the initial salvo and is currently the force with which to be reckoned. As my colleagues have noted previously, each console brings a little something different to the battlefield. Sony's PS3 is the Uber-console. Sony has elected to go with Roosevelt's "Big Stick" policy for this fight. It has full HD capabilities, solid construction, built-in Blue Ray playback, a black, shiny housing, and a lovely symphonic theme to its menu screen. You pay $600 for it but at least you get a quality appliance. The games aren't there yet, but it's going to be the centerpiece of my entertainment center for years to come.

Microsoft's Xbox 360 is the PS3's older, more popular, less-refined, fraternal twin. It is kind of the PS3s gaming alter ego. It's not quite fully HD capable, it's very poorly constructed (I mean this thing sounds different every time I power it on!), it supports HD DVD format with the purchase of a costly peripheral, its housing is white and concave, and the dashboard is garish and full of advertisements. It's really not any cheaper than Sony's PS3 either. When you take into account all of the extra hardware you're going to have to buy to have it function equally, i.e., wireless gaming adapter, said DVD player, and Xbox Live membership, it's really not a bargain. In fact, on the surface it's amazing that the 360 can continue to compete. However, if you dig just a bit deeper, the source of its continued success becomes patently obvious. Microsoft has got online gameplay and web based functionality down. Xbox Live makes the 360 awesome. It's Microsoft's weapon of mass production. The Xbox 360 gives the contemporary gamer exactly what we want. I can continually upgrade my games, stay connected with the industry through free demos and trailers, my gamer stats are saved and constantly upgraded, I'm instantly matched to gamers of my ilk, and actually have created a gaming reputation and persona.

The Nintendo Wii is the console I always mention last. That's probably because it is the most unique. It genuinely provides an inimitable and exceptional gaming experience. The Wii is the Switzerland of CWII. It remains on the fringes while the other two duke it out for supremacy. It plays off of them, silently gaining market share. The console design is fantastic. It is tiny and unobtrusive. It is absolutely silent and works like a dream. Indeed, I have an external hard drive for my laptop that's nearly as big and far louder. Everything about the console is spot on. Out of the big three, it is the gaming platform with which I have had the most fun. Unfortunately, it's not edgy enough for teenagers and co-eds. Its sales will subsequently falter when its novelty has faded. The only way this can be avoided is if third party support strengthens, the console becomes cheaper, and the Wii becomes the "other" console that everyone purchases in addition to their main console. If motion controls remain fresh and continue to produce compelling game development, then the Wii will have a bright future.

The current state of the war is this. The Xbox 360 has made great gains early in this fight. Improvements to the system will be released in late April, and it looks as if the 360 is here to stay. The PS3 on the other hand has struggled miserably and is reeling from its competitions' challenge. The pockets of Sony share holders are deep however, and over time it will probably prove to be the winner. The Wii early on has done remarkably well. It has opened our eyes to new gaming possibilities and has created a niche for itself. It is going to hang in there and make things very interesting come CWIII.

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