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Well, it's that time of year again - the time that presents are given, fat men in red outfits get stuck in chimneys, and most importantly, the time that the Gaming Market begins to shape itself up for it's biggest sales period of the year - yes, once again, it's Christmas.
Two new consoles on the market this Christmas, in the form of the Microsoft XBox and the Nintendo GameCube, coming up against the Sony PlayStation 2, which has already got two years of experience in the Gaming Market. Will the PS2 still sell, or will GC push its way to the front and claim power this Christmas, or could even the XBox jump in front and proclaim itself as the best console this Christmas? Well, all three consoles stand quite a chance, as each features a wealth of great games - and that's what I'm here to talk about - the games!
NINTENDO GAMECUBE:
The latest console to be released, and one that has had many fans eagerly awaiting it's arrival for a number of months now. The follow-up to the N64, which as good as it was, didn't pack as much of a punch as Nintendo are looking to this time around with the GameCube.
Mario Sunshine:
This game WILL sell well. Very well. How could it not, being the first adventure Mario game since Mario 64 six years ago? It'll probably be one of the top sellers this Christmas, despite already being out for a couple of months. Many Nintys already have their hands on this masterpiece, but you can still expect it to sell by the bucketload in the next couple of weeks. Like Mario or not, if you play this brightly-coloured platform-jumping water-squirting adventure, then you will respect Mario, AND Nintendo's ability to make great games!
Starfox Adventures:
Rare's very first game for GameCube. Rare's very last game for GameCube. Rare have left for the XBox now, but they couldn't leave Nintendo without one final stunning epic, and that is what Starfox Adventures is... or was. It has been the game in development for years, but now it's out, many have criticised it - many have said that it's rubbish - they're all just suffering from disappointment. Starfox is a good game, but it doesn't match up to the hype that it has been given for the past couple of years. Despite this though, Starfox Adventures will still sell loads and loads of copies, and it'll probably help sell plenty of GameCubes too.
TimeSplitters 2:
This is a contender that not many would've thought of, but there's no doubt at all, that TimeSplitters 2 is the best FPS on the GameCube, and probably will be for quite a while too. Now that Rare have stopped development for the GameCube, we aren't going to see Perfect Dark: Zero, or some kind of Goldeneye sequel. Many took this as very bad news, but it's not so bad, when you look at the other quality FPSs coming out for the GameCube this Christmas. Die Hard: Vendetta, James Bond: Nightfire, XIII and most importantly, TimeSplitters 2. Yes, Metroid Prime has a good chance of bettering it, but if a game is going to do well, then it has to be released before Christmas, and that is what isn't the case with Metroid Prime. TimeSplitters 2 will surprise many, but if you play it, you'll see just how good it actually is!
----------
MICROSOFT XBOX
Like Microsoft or not, you have to admire the courage that they have to release their console into a Gaming Market already dominated by the PS2 and alongside the GameCube, which will sell plenty two. But Microsoft are already giving their fans a great offer on their console - the console with 4 games for under £200, and it has gone down this much in 9 months, which is pretty good of them. The XBox can't keep having price cuts to save it though - it'll need some good games, and here they are.
Halo: Combat Evolved:
This game has been out since the XBox release, and still it sells well. It's a FPS that is probably superior the magnificent Goldeneye on the N64, with astounding visuals, a vast aray of guns and levels, a top co-op mode and plenty of mini-games in the multiplayer area - it's one of the only games that has used the XBox's power to it's advantage, and without this game, the XBox wouldn't have sold half as well as it did. As mentioned above, the game is still selling in large quantities, and you can expect it to be a major asset for the XBox in this Christmas period.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell:
This game has entered the gaming market at a higher price than any of the other games around, but there's a reason for that - it's a pretty darn good game! Another XBox FPS, but that doesn't stop it being good, and it's perfectly capable of doing well alongside Halo. Great visuals, plenty of action-packed or stealth-based missions will make this Tom Clancy game one of the top sellers on the market this Christmas.
Championship Manager 2002/2003:
Not a game that many would've expected, but it isn't out on the PC yet, and isn't coming out on the PC for a few months yet, so Champ Manager 02/03 will do fairly well on the XBox, bought by thousands of impatient Champ Manager fans. Championship Manager 2001/2002 did fairly well, and it was released in the Summer, where there was a sort of 'Games Drought', and now that it's Christmas, Champ Manager 2002/2003 should do a lot better. It'll eat up your life.
----------
SONY PLAYSTATION 2:
Well, the PS2 has been out for over two years now, so you would've thought it's monthly sales would've died down by now, but nope, they're still strong, and are still outselling GC and XBox for every month. So PS2 is the winner of this 'Console War' then? Well, looks pretty likely, and with the quality line up of games that Sony have this Christmas, then the Console War really does look good and done - Nintendo and Microsoft may outsell the PS2 this Christmas, but it does still have the edge over the other two by a large amount.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City:
The fastest selling game ever - this GTA masterpiece has only been out for 3 weeks, but already almost everyone that is over 16 and has a PS2 has it... and many more too. A joy to play - all the car-jacking drug-dealing and police-dodging from GTA3 returns again, but this time set in the sunny city of Miami. If this game isn't number 1 seller this Christmas, then I'll eat an XBox..... over a period of 3 years, of course. ;-)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2:
You can take your FIFAs, take your TIFs, take your Virtua Strikers, and anything else, and shove them all together, and you wouldn't get a football games as fine as this one. The follow-up to the original Pro Evo, and it's just a sublime looking, the Master League is much more extensive and the commentary has been greatly improved. It also has a top quality multiplayer, and due to all these reasons, Pro Evo 2 will do very well this Christmas. It'll lose a lot of sales because FIFA2003 is a lot better than previous FIFAs, but it's still not even in Pro Evo 2's league.
WWE SmackDown 4: Shut Your Mouth:
SmackDown 3 was a big disappointment, so many were expecting SmackDown 4 to just get worse and continue the demise of the SmackDown series, but when pictures were released, and games modes were announced, people started to pay a little more attention. And they were right to - SmackDown 4: Shut Your Mouth was released, and quickly made lots of sales, despite being released within a week of Vice City. It'll still be selling strongly at Christmas, and is by far the greatest wrestling game to date. Oh hell yeah! (Sorry).
----------
Anyway, that's the list of games that I think will do well over the Christmas period, on each console. XBox doesn't have as many big name titles, but the few that it actually has are so good, that won't matter too much. PS2 has some quality titles, but so many people have already got PS2s. The PS2 games will sell the most, but I don't think the consoles will. GameCube is the newest console on the market, and it has a strong selection of games around the Christmas period. Still no Mario Kart, still no F-Zero, still no Metroid Prime, and most importantly, still no Zelda, but they'll all be out before the end of 2003, so expect GameCube to steadily get stronger and stronger, and it could well be THE console to have this Christmas.
Thanks for reading,
~AJ~
Two new consoles on the market this Christmas, in the form of the Microsoft XBox and the Nintendo GameCube, coming up against the Sony PlayStation 2, which has already got two years of experience in the Gaming Market. Will the PS2 still sell, or will GC push its way to the front and claim power this Christmas, or could even the XBox jump in front and proclaim itself as the best console this Christmas? Well, all three consoles stand quite a chance, as each features a wealth of great games - and that's what I'm here to talk about - the games!
NINTENDO GAMECUBE:
The latest console to be released, and one that has had many fans eagerly awaiting it's arrival for a number of months now. The follow-up to the N64, which as good as it was, didn't pack as much of a punch as Nintendo are looking to this time around with the GameCube.
Mario Sunshine:
This game WILL sell well. Very well. How could it not, being the first adventure Mario game since Mario 64 six years ago? It'll probably be one of the top sellers this Christmas, despite already being out for a couple of months. Many Nintys already have their hands on this masterpiece, but you can still expect it to sell by the bucketload in the next couple of weeks. Like Mario or not, if you play this brightly-coloured platform-jumping water-squirting adventure, then you will respect Mario, AND Nintendo's ability to make great games!
Starfox Adventures:
Rare's very first game for GameCube. Rare's very last game for GameCube. Rare have left for the XBox now, but they couldn't leave Nintendo without one final stunning epic, and that is what Starfox Adventures is... or was. It has been the game in development for years, but now it's out, many have criticised it - many have said that it's rubbish - they're all just suffering from disappointment. Starfox is a good game, but it doesn't match up to the hype that it has been given for the past couple of years. Despite this though, Starfox Adventures will still sell loads and loads of copies, and it'll probably help sell plenty of GameCubes too.
TimeSplitters 2:
This is a contender that not many would've thought of, but there's no doubt at all, that TimeSplitters 2 is the best FPS on the GameCube, and probably will be for quite a while too. Now that Rare have stopped development for the GameCube, we aren't going to see Perfect Dark: Zero, or some kind of Goldeneye sequel. Many took this as very bad news, but it's not so bad, when you look at the other quality FPSs coming out for the GameCube this Christmas. Die Hard: Vendetta, James Bond: Nightfire, XIII and most importantly, TimeSplitters 2. Yes, Metroid Prime has a good chance of bettering it, but if a game is going to do well, then it has to be released before Christmas, and that is what isn't the case with Metroid Prime. TimeSplitters 2 will surprise many, but if you play it, you'll see just how good it actually is!
----------
MICROSOFT XBOX
Like Microsoft or not, you have to admire the courage that they have to release their console into a Gaming Market already dominated by the PS2 and alongside the GameCube, which will sell plenty two. But Microsoft are already giving their fans a great offer on their console - the console with 4 games for under £200, and it has gone down this much in 9 months, which is pretty good of them. The XBox can't keep having price cuts to save it though - it'll need some good games, and here they are.
Halo: Combat Evolved:
This game has been out since the XBox release, and still it sells well. It's a FPS that is probably superior the magnificent Goldeneye on the N64, with astounding visuals, a vast aray of guns and levels, a top co-op mode and plenty of mini-games in the multiplayer area - it's one of the only games that has used the XBox's power to it's advantage, and without this game, the XBox wouldn't have sold half as well as it did. As mentioned above, the game is still selling in large quantities, and you can expect it to be a major asset for the XBox in this Christmas period.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell:
This game has entered the gaming market at a higher price than any of the other games around, but there's a reason for that - it's a pretty darn good game! Another XBox FPS, but that doesn't stop it being good, and it's perfectly capable of doing well alongside Halo. Great visuals, plenty of action-packed or stealth-based missions will make this Tom Clancy game one of the top sellers on the market this Christmas.
Championship Manager 2002/2003:
Not a game that many would've expected, but it isn't out on the PC yet, and isn't coming out on the PC for a few months yet, so Champ Manager 02/03 will do fairly well on the XBox, bought by thousands of impatient Champ Manager fans. Championship Manager 2001/2002 did fairly well, and it was released in the Summer, where there was a sort of 'Games Drought', and now that it's Christmas, Champ Manager 2002/2003 should do a lot better. It'll eat up your life.
----------
SONY PLAYSTATION 2:
Well, the PS2 has been out for over two years now, so you would've thought it's monthly sales would've died down by now, but nope, they're still strong, and are still outselling GC and XBox for every month. So PS2 is the winner of this 'Console War' then? Well, looks pretty likely, and with the quality line up of games that Sony have this Christmas, then the Console War really does look good and done - Nintendo and Microsoft may outsell the PS2 this Christmas, but it does still have the edge over the other two by a large amount.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City:
The fastest selling game ever - this GTA masterpiece has only been out for 3 weeks, but already almost everyone that is over 16 and has a PS2 has it... and many more too. A joy to play - all the car-jacking drug-dealing and police-dodging from GTA3 returns again, but this time set in the sunny city of Miami. If this game isn't number 1 seller this Christmas, then I'll eat an XBox..... over a period of 3 years, of course. ;-)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2:
You can take your FIFAs, take your TIFs, take your Virtua Strikers, and anything else, and shove them all together, and you wouldn't get a football games as fine as this one. The follow-up to the original Pro Evo, and it's just a sublime looking, the Master League is much more extensive and the commentary has been greatly improved. It also has a top quality multiplayer, and due to all these reasons, Pro Evo 2 will do very well this Christmas. It'll lose a lot of sales because FIFA2003 is a lot better than previous FIFAs, but it's still not even in Pro Evo 2's league.
WWE SmackDown 4: Shut Your Mouth:
SmackDown 3 was a big disappointment, so many were expecting SmackDown 4 to just get worse and continue the demise of the SmackDown series, but when pictures were released, and games modes were announced, people started to pay a little more attention. And they were right to - SmackDown 4: Shut Your Mouth was released, and quickly made lots of sales, despite being released within a week of Vice City. It'll still be selling strongly at Christmas, and is by far the greatest wrestling game to date. Oh hell yeah! (Sorry).
----------
Anyway, that's the list of games that I think will do well over the Christmas period, on each console. XBox doesn't have as many big name titles, but the few that it actually has are so good, that won't matter too much. PS2 has some quality titles, but so many people have already got PS2s. The PS2 games will sell the most, but I don't think the consoles will. GameCube is the newest console on the market, and it has a strong selection of games around the Christmas period. Still no Mario Kart, still no F-Zero, still no Metroid Prime, and most importantly, still no Zelda, but they'll all be out before the end of 2003, so expect GameCube to steadily get stronger and stronger, and it could well be THE console to have this Christmas.
Thanks for reading,
~AJ~
splint59 wrote:
> i had trouble finding
> it.
what gtavc for cribo or nov
> i had trouble finding
> it.
what gtavc for cribo or nov
gtavc will go in a flash every kid wants it even i had trouble finding it.
well gta vice city will sell well i know that
and im getting tony hawks pro skater 4
and im getting tony hawks pro skater 4
Well, it's that time of year again - the time that presents are given, fat men in red outfits get stuck in chimneys, and most importantly, the time that the Gaming Market begins to shape itself up for it's biggest sales period of the year - yes, once again, it's Christmas.
Two new consoles on the market this Christmas, in the form of the Microsoft XBox and the Nintendo GameCube, coming up against the Sony PlayStation 2, which has already got two years of experience in the Gaming Market. Will the PS2 still sell, or will GC push its way to the front and claim power this Christmas, or could even the XBox jump in front and proclaim itself as the best console this Christmas? Well, all three consoles stand quite a chance, as each features a wealth of great games - and that's what I'm here to talk about - the games!
NINTENDO GAMECUBE:
The latest console to be released, and one that has had many fans eagerly awaiting it's arrival for a number of months now. The follow-up to the N64, which as good as it was, didn't pack as much of a punch as Nintendo are looking to this time around with the GameCube.
Mario Sunshine:
This game WILL sell well. Very well. How could it not, being the first adventure Mario game since Mario 64 six years ago? It'll probably be one of the top sellers this Christmas, despite already being out for a couple of months. Many Nintys already have their hands on this masterpiece, but you can still expect it to sell by the bucketload in the next couple of weeks. Like Mario or not, if you play this brightly-coloured platform-jumping water-squirting adventure, then you will respect Mario, AND Nintendo's ability to make great games!
Starfox Adventures:
Rare's very first game for GameCube. Rare's very last game for GameCube. Rare have left for the XBox now, but they couldn't leave Nintendo without one final stunning epic, and that is what Starfox Adventures is... or was. It has been the game in development for years, but now it's out, many have criticised it - many have said that it's rubbish - they're all just suffering from disappointment. Starfox is a good game, but it doesn't match up to the hype that it has been given for the past couple of years. Despite this though, Starfox Adventures will still sell loads and loads of copies, and it'll probably help sell plenty of GameCubes too.
TimeSplitters 2:
This is a contender that not many would've thought of, but there's no doubt at all, that TimeSplitters 2 is the best FPS on the GameCube, and probably will be for quite a while too. Now that Rare have stopped development for the GameCube, we aren't going to see Perfect Dark: Zero, or some kind of Goldeneye sequel. Many took this as very bad news, but it's not so bad, when you look at the other quality FPSs coming out for the GameCube this Christmas. Die Hard: Vendetta, James Bond: Nightfire, XIII and most importantly, TimeSplitters 2. Yes, Metroid Prime has a good chance of bettering it, but if a game is going to do well, then it has to be released before Christmas, and that is what isn't the case with Metroid Prime. TimeSplitters 2 will surprise many, but if you play it, you'll see just how good it actually is!
----------
MICROSOFT XBOX
Like Microsoft or not, you have to admire the courage that they have to release their console into a Gaming Market already dominated by the PS2 and alongside the GameCube, which will sell plenty two. But Microsoft are already giving their fans a great offer on their console - the console with 4 games for under £200, and it has gone down this much in 9 months, which is pretty good of them. The XBox can't keep having price cuts to save it though - it'll need some good games, and here they are.
Halo: Combat Evolved:
This game has been out since the XBox release, and still it sells well. It's a FPS that is probably superior the magnificent Goldeneye on the N64, with astounding visuals, a vast aray of guns and levels, a top co-op mode and plenty of mini-games in the multiplayer area - it's one of the only games that has used the XBox's power to it's advantage, and without this game, the XBox wouldn't have sold half as well as it did. As mentioned above, the game is still selling in large quantities, and you can expect it to be a major asset for the XBox in this Christmas period.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell:
This game has entered the gaming market at a higher price than any of the other games around, but there's a reason for that - it's a pretty darn good game! Another XBox FPS, but that doesn't stop it being good, and it's perfectly capable of doing well alongside Halo. Great visuals, plenty of action-packed or stealth-based missions will make this Tom Clancy game one of the top sellers on the market this Christmas.
Championship Manager 2002/2003:
Not a game that many would've expected, but it isn't out on the PC yet, and isn't coming out on the PC for a few months yet, so Champ Manager 02/03 will do fairly well on the XBox, bought by thousands of impatient Champ Manager fans. Championship Manager 2001/2002 did fairly well, and it was released in the Summer, where there was a sort of 'Games Drought', and now that it's Christmas, Champ Manager 2002/2003 should do a lot better. It'll eat up your life.
----------
SONY PLAYSTATION 2:
Well, the PS2 has been out for over two years now, so you would've thought it's monthly sales would've died down by now, but nope, they're still strong, and are still outselling GC and XBox for every month. So PS2 is the winner of this 'Console War' then? Well, looks pretty likely, and with the quality line up of games that Sony have this Christmas, then the Console War really does look good and done - Nintendo and Microsoft may outsell the PS2 this Christmas, but it does still have the edge over the other two by a large amount.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City:
The fastest selling game ever - this GTA masterpiece has only been out for 3 weeks, but already almost everyone that is over 16 and has a PS2 has it... and many more too. A joy to play - all the car-jacking drug-dealing and police-dodging from GTA3 returns again, but this time set in the sunny city of Miami. If this game isn't number 1 seller this Christmas, then I'll eat an XBox..... over a period of 3 years, of course. ;-)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2:
You can take your FIFAs, take your TIFs, take your Virtua Strikers, and anything else, and shove them all together, and you wouldn't get a football games as fine as this one. The follow-up to the original Pro Evo, and it's just a sublime looking, the Master League is much more extensive and the commentary has been greatly improved. It also has a top quality multiplayer, and due to all these reasons, Pro Evo 2 will do very well this Christmas. It'll lose a lot of sales because FIFA2003 is a lot better than previous FIFAs, but it's still not even in Pro Evo 2's league.
WWE SmackDown 4: Shut Your Mouth:
SmackDown 3 was a big disappointment, so many were expecting SmackDown 4 to just get worse and continue the demise of the SmackDown series, but when pictures were released, and games modes were announced, people started to pay a little more attention. And they were right to - SmackDown 4: Shut Your Mouth was released, and quickly made lots of sales, despite being released within a week of Vice City. It'll still be selling strongly at Christmas, and is by far the greatest wrestling game to date. Oh hell yeah! (Sorry).
----------
Anyway, that's the list of games that I think will do well over the Christmas period, on each console. XBox doesn't have as many big name titles, but the few that it actually has are so good, that won't matter too much. PS2 has some quality titles, but so many people have already got PS2s. The PS2 games will sell the most, but I don't think the consoles will. GameCube is the newest console on the market, and it has a strong selection of games around the Christmas period. Still no Mario Kart, still no F-Zero, still no Metroid Prime, and most importantly, still no Zelda, but they'll all be out before the end of 2003, so expect GameCube to steadily get stronger and stronger, and it could well be THE console to have this Christmas.
Thanks for reading,
~AJ~
Two new consoles on the market this Christmas, in the form of the Microsoft XBox and the Nintendo GameCube, coming up against the Sony PlayStation 2, which has already got two years of experience in the Gaming Market. Will the PS2 still sell, or will GC push its way to the front and claim power this Christmas, or could even the XBox jump in front and proclaim itself as the best console this Christmas? Well, all three consoles stand quite a chance, as each features a wealth of great games - and that's what I'm here to talk about - the games!
NINTENDO GAMECUBE:
The latest console to be released, and one that has had many fans eagerly awaiting it's arrival for a number of months now. The follow-up to the N64, which as good as it was, didn't pack as much of a punch as Nintendo are looking to this time around with the GameCube.
Mario Sunshine:
This game WILL sell well. Very well. How could it not, being the first adventure Mario game since Mario 64 six years ago? It'll probably be one of the top sellers this Christmas, despite already being out for a couple of months. Many Nintys already have their hands on this masterpiece, but you can still expect it to sell by the bucketload in the next couple of weeks. Like Mario or not, if you play this brightly-coloured platform-jumping water-squirting adventure, then you will respect Mario, AND Nintendo's ability to make great games!
Starfox Adventures:
Rare's very first game for GameCube. Rare's very last game for GameCube. Rare have left for the XBox now, but they couldn't leave Nintendo without one final stunning epic, and that is what Starfox Adventures is... or was. It has been the game in development for years, but now it's out, many have criticised it - many have said that it's rubbish - they're all just suffering from disappointment. Starfox is a good game, but it doesn't match up to the hype that it has been given for the past couple of years. Despite this though, Starfox Adventures will still sell loads and loads of copies, and it'll probably help sell plenty of GameCubes too.
TimeSplitters 2:
This is a contender that not many would've thought of, but there's no doubt at all, that TimeSplitters 2 is the best FPS on the GameCube, and probably will be for quite a while too. Now that Rare have stopped development for the GameCube, we aren't going to see Perfect Dark: Zero, or some kind of Goldeneye sequel. Many took this as very bad news, but it's not so bad, when you look at the other quality FPSs coming out for the GameCube this Christmas. Die Hard: Vendetta, James Bond: Nightfire, XIII and most importantly, TimeSplitters 2. Yes, Metroid Prime has a good chance of bettering it, but if a game is going to do well, then it has to be released before Christmas, and that is what isn't the case with Metroid Prime. TimeSplitters 2 will surprise many, but if you play it, you'll see just how good it actually is!
----------
MICROSOFT XBOX
Like Microsoft or not, you have to admire the courage that they have to release their console into a Gaming Market already dominated by the PS2 and alongside the GameCube, which will sell plenty two. But Microsoft are already giving their fans a great offer on their console - the console with 4 games for under £200, and it has gone down this much in 9 months, which is pretty good of them. The XBox can't keep having price cuts to save it though - it'll need some good games, and here they are.
Halo: Combat Evolved:
This game has been out since the XBox release, and still it sells well. It's a FPS that is probably superior the magnificent Goldeneye on the N64, with astounding visuals, a vast aray of guns and levels, a top co-op mode and plenty of mini-games in the multiplayer area - it's one of the only games that has used the XBox's power to it's advantage, and without this game, the XBox wouldn't have sold half as well as it did. As mentioned above, the game is still selling in large quantities, and you can expect it to be a major asset for the XBox in this Christmas period.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell:
This game has entered the gaming market at a higher price than any of the other games around, but there's a reason for that - it's a pretty darn good game! Another XBox FPS, but that doesn't stop it being good, and it's perfectly capable of doing well alongside Halo. Great visuals, plenty of action-packed or stealth-based missions will make this Tom Clancy game one of the top sellers on the market this Christmas.
Championship Manager 2002/2003:
Not a game that many would've expected, but it isn't out on the PC yet, and isn't coming out on the PC for a few months yet, so Champ Manager 02/03 will do fairly well on the XBox, bought by thousands of impatient Champ Manager fans. Championship Manager 2001/2002 did fairly well, and it was released in the Summer, where there was a sort of 'Games Drought', and now that it's Christmas, Champ Manager 2002/2003 should do a lot better. It'll eat up your life.
----------
SONY PLAYSTATION 2:
Well, the PS2 has been out for over two years now, so you would've thought it's monthly sales would've died down by now, but nope, they're still strong, and are still outselling GC and XBox for every month. So PS2 is the winner of this 'Console War' then? Well, looks pretty likely, and with the quality line up of games that Sony have this Christmas, then the Console War really does look good and done - Nintendo and Microsoft may outsell the PS2 this Christmas, but it does still have the edge over the other two by a large amount.
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City:
The fastest selling game ever - this GTA masterpiece has only been out for 3 weeks, but already almost everyone that is over 16 and has a PS2 has it... and many more too. A joy to play - all the car-jacking drug-dealing and police-dodging from GTA3 returns again, but this time set in the sunny city of Miami. If this game isn't number 1 seller this Christmas, then I'll eat an XBox..... over a period of 3 years, of course. ;-)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2:
You can take your FIFAs, take your TIFs, take your Virtua Strikers, and anything else, and shove them all together, and you wouldn't get a football games as fine as this one. The follow-up to the original Pro Evo, and it's just a sublime looking, the Master League is much more extensive and the commentary has been greatly improved. It also has a top quality multiplayer, and due to all these reasons, Pro Evo 2 will do very well this Christmas. It'll lose a lot of sales because FIFA2003 is a lot better than previous FIFAs, but it's still not even in Pro Evo 2's league.
WWE SmackDown 4: Shut Your Mouth:
SmackDown 3 was a big disappointment, so many were expecting SmackDown 4 to just get worse and continue the demise of the SmackDown series, but when pictures were released, and games modes were announced, people started to pay a little more attention. And they were right to - SmackDown 4: Shut Your Mouth was released, and quickly made lots of sales, despite being released within a week of Vice City. It'll still be selling strongly at Christmas, and is by far the greatest wrestling game to date. Oh hell yeah! (Sorry).
----------
Anyway, that's the list of games that I think will do well over the Christmas period, on each console. XBox doesn't have as many big name titles, but the few that it actually has are so good, that won't matter too much. PS2 has some quality titles, but so many people have already got PS2s. The PS2 games will sell the most, but I don't think the consoles will. GameCube is the newest console on the market, and it has a strong selection of games around the Christmas period. Still no Mario Kart, still no F-Zero, still no Metroid Prime, and most importantly, still no Zelda, but they'll all be out before the end of 2003, so expect GameCube to steadily get stronger and stronger, and it could well be THE console to have this Christmas.
Thanks for reading,
~AJ~