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Every 3-4 years, rather like parts of the Middle East, a new conflict emerges which divides people, the "my console is better than yours" waving campaign.
This time it's being played out not in the schoolyards of the world, but between two of the largest corporations on the face of this planet, namely Sony and Microsoft.
Despite what some people may think, this time it really isn't about the contents of the console's themselves, at least insofar as the contents are needed to make the damn things work.
It's about vision, or rather, two competing visions of what the future of digital entertainment will be.
For the first time, one company will gain a gigantic lead over the other because one will be right, the other will be wrong.
Microsoft sees this future as being one of interconnectivity, with the user being not just a gamer, but a member of a community, a community that has the Xbox 360 at the centre of their digital entertainment needs. They'll play games alone, with friends, online, they'll watch DVD's watch online tournaments, video message, chat, create unique content for others and themselves, interact online via PC, stream PC content from their home computer to their tv, load up digital pictures, stream music from their Ipods and PSP's..... in short a relativley knowledgeable consumer future.
Evidence that this is possible and feasible lies in two places, the growth of Xbox Live - not only has Microsoft succeeded with the Xbox, but it has beaten Sony at the online side of gaming at the same time. Consumers have largely grasped the somewhat awkward process of getting on Live (ie routers, broadband, settings etc). Secondly, the PSP - officially the most imported console ever. This is indicative of the growing number of consumers who will use the internet to find information and purchase items, and generally fiddle around with them when they get them! They trust the technology and are eager to use it, to get it, to pay what they have to for it.
Both these trends bode well for Microsoft.
Sony's vision is quite different, essentially one of limited connectivity with the PSP (albeit the lack of PS3 info makes this hard to be certain of) and other devices, with powerful gaming experiences the most important aspect of the system. Online gaming so far seems to be an afterthought. Sony has always dreamed of online content delivery, consumers getting music and movies, even games, straight from Sony and delivered to their living rooms - but there is little sign of this becoming reality and such a thing requires greater technology than is common right now, not to mention the hard drive issue.
Why could this focus on gaming succeed? Sony's fanbase in Japan for one, and elsewhere Sony has strong sales on key titles to a broader base of consumers who recognise the brand and will, unfortunately in some case, buy what it promotes. Mass appeal titles like GTA, Getaway, Eyetoy, Jak, Ratchet, Final Fantasy, and strong multiformat support, means that there are huge numbers of people who will take strong persuading NOT to buy a PS3. There is another sticking point here though, Sony's mass appeal was bought with pricing, lower pricing boosted the PS2, and it would need to do likewise this time especially given the 360's lead in terms of launch time. Can Sony take that kind of hit, and would it guarantee victory?
You might be wondering why I have not mentioned, until now, dear Nintendo. Well the company's latest move, delaying key title Twilight Princess - a game it well knew it needed this Holiday Season - until April 2006, indicates that it quite frankly knows stuff all about it's own consumer base. This was the game that was the only thing of interest, bar Fire Emblem, to most owners over the age of 16. Instead the company is pouring money into promoting the GBA Mini, which absurdly will not use any previous accessories, and will cost £70 despite the PSP being released two months prior.
The DS, a godsend for the company, is being left to wallow in a pile of titles which barely use the hardware with only a few gems shining through the mud, and at it's current price it will need a small miracle to seriously contend with the PSP and the Sony marketing machine.
It is no longer the case that Nintendo can guarantee success because of price, it's own Gamecube proves that price is not alway the deciding factor.
The wildcard factor is Japan, Nintendo can undoubtedly do well in it's home territory, whilst Sony finds itself juggling three major territories, often unsuccessfully as the PSP launches show (unsuccessful in terms of damage done to consumer opinion, lost sales to importing etc) and Microsoft is strongest in the home of the free but would dearly love to break into Japan.
Interesting Times....
This time it's being played out not in the schoolyards of the world, but between two of the largest corporations on the face of this planet, namely Sony and Microsoft.
Despite what some people may think, this time it really isn't about the contents of the console's themselves, at least insofar as the contents are needed to make the damn things work.
It's about vision, or rather, two competing visions of what the future of digital entertainment will be.
For the first time, one company will gain a gigantic lead over the other because one will be right, the other will be wrong.
Microsoft sees this future as being one of interconnectivity, with the user being not just a gamer, but a member of a community, a community that has the Xbox 360 at the centre of their digital entertainment needs. They'll play games alone, with friends, online, they'll watch DVD's watch online tournaments, video message, chat, create unique content for others and themselves, interact online via PC, stream PC content from their home computer to their tv, load up digital pictures, stream music from their Ipods and PSP's..... in short a relativley knowledgeable consumer future.
Evidence that this is possible and feasible lies in two places, the growth of Xbox Live - not only has Microsoft succeeded with the Xbox, but it has beaten Sony at the online side of gaming at the same time. Consumers have largely grasped the somewhat awkward process of getting on Live (ie routers, broadband, settings etc). Secondly, the PSP - officially the most imported console ever. This is indicative of the growing number of consumers who will use the internet to find information and purchase items, and generally fiddle around with them when they get them! They trust the technology and are eager to use it, to get it, to pay what they have to for it.
Both these trends bode well for Microsoft.
Sony's vision is quite different, essentially one of limited connectivity with the PSP (albeit the lack of PS3 info makes this hard to be certain of) and other devices, with powerful gaming experiences the most important aspect of the system. Online gaming so far seems to be an afterthought. Sony has always dreamed of online content delivery, consumers getting music and movies, even games, straight from Sony and delivered to their living rooms - but there is little sign of this becoming reality and such a thing requires greater technology than is common right now, not to mention the hard drive issue.
Why could this focus on gaming succeed? Sony's fanbase in Japan for one, and elsewhere Sony has strong sales on key titles to a broader base of consumers who recognise the brand and will, unfortunately in some case, buy what it promotes. Mass appeal titles like GTA, Getaway, Eyetoy, Jak, Ratchet, Final Fantasy, and strong multiformat support, means that there are huge numbers of people who will take strong persuading NOT to buy a PS3. There is another sticking point here though, Sony's mass appeal was bought with pricing, lower pricing boosted the PS2, and it would need to do likewise this time especially given the 360's lead in terms of launch time. Can Sony take that kind of hit, and would it guarantee victory?
You might be wondering why I have not mentioned, until now, dear Nintendo. Well the company's latest move, delaying key title Twilight Princess - a game it well knew it needed this Holiday Season - until April 2006, indicates that it quite frankly knows stuff all about it's own consumer base. This was the game that was the only thing of interest, bar Fire Emblem, to most owners over the age of 16. Instead the company is pouring money into promoting the GBA Mini, which absurdly will not use any previous accessories, and will cost £70 despite the PSP being released two months prior.
The DS, a godsend for the company, is being left to wallow in a pile of titles which barely use the hardware with only a few gems shining through the mud, and at it's current price it will need a small miracle to seriously contend with the PSP and the Sony marketing machine.
It is no longer the case that Nintendo can guarantee success because of price, it's own Gamecube proves that price is not alway the deciding factor.
The wildcard factor is Japan, Nintendo can undoubtedly do well in it's home territory, whilst Sony finds itself juggling three major territories, often unsuccessfully as the PSP launches show (unsuccessful in terms of damage done to consumer opinion, lost sales to importing etc) and Microsoft is strongest in the home of the free but would dearly love to break into Japan.
Interesting Times....
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Every 3-4 years, rather like parts of the Middle East, a new conflict emerges which divides people, the "my console is better than yours" waving campaign.
This time it's being played out not in the schoolyards of the world, but between two of the largest corporations on the face of this planet, namely Sony and Microsoft.
Despite what some people may think, this time it really isn't about the contents of the console's themselves, at least insofar as the contents are needed to make the damn things work.
It's about vision, or rather, two competing visions of what the future of digital entertainment will be.
For the first time, one company will gain a gigantic lead over the other because one will be right, the other will be wrong.
Microsoft sees this future as being one of interconnectivity, with the user being not just a gamer, but a member of a community, a community that has the Xbox 360 at the centre of their digital entertainment needs. They'll play games alone, with friends, online, they'll watch DVD's watch online tournaments, video message, chat, create unique content for others and themselves, interact online via PC, stream PC content from their home computer to their tv, load up digital pictures, stream music from their Ipods and PSP's..... in short a relativley knowledgeable consumer future.
Evidence that this is possible and feasible lies in two places, the growth of Xbox Live - not only has Microsoft succeeded with the Xbox, but it has beaten Sony at the online side of gaming at the same time. Consumers have largely grasped the somewhat awkward process of getting on Live (ie routers, broadband, settings etc). Secondly, the PSP - officially the most imported console ever. This is indicative of the growing number of consumers who will use the internet to find information and purchase items, and generally fiddle around with them when they get them! They trust the technology and are eager to use it, to get it, to pay what they have to for it.
Both these trends bode well for Microsoft.
Sony's vision is quite different, essentially one of limited connectivity with the PSP (albeit the lack of PS3 info makes this hard to be certain of) and other devices, with powerful gaming experiences the most important aspect of the system. Online gaming so far seems to be an afterthought. Sony has always dreamed of online content delivery, consumers getting music and movies, even games, straight from Sony and delivered to their living rooms - but there is little sign of this becoming reality and such a thing requires greater technology than is common right now, not to mention the hard drive issue.
Why could this focus on gaming succeed? Sony's fanbase in Japan for one, and elsewhere Sony has strong sales on key titles to a broader base of consumers who recognise the brand and will, unfortunately in some case, buy what it promotes. Mass appeal titles like GTA, Getaway, Eyetoy, Jak, Ratchet, Final Fantasy, and strong multiformat support, means that there are huge numbers of people who will take strong persuading NOT to buy a PS3. There is another sticking point here though, Sony's mass appeal was bought with pricing, lower pricing boosted the PS2, and it would need to do likewise this time especially given the 360's lead in terms of launch time. Can Sony take that kind of hit, and would it guarantee victory?
You might be wondering why I have not mentioned, until now, dear Nintendo. Well the company's latest move, delaying key title Twilight Princess - a game it well knew it needed this Holiday Season - until April 2006, indicates that it quite frankly knows stuff all about it's own consumer base. This was the game that was the only thing of interest, bar Fire Emblem, to most owners over the age of 16. Instead the company is pouring money into promoting the GBA Mini, which absurdly will not use any previous accessories, and will cost £70 despite the PSP being released two months prior.
The DS, a godsend for the company, is being left to wallow in a pile of titles which barely use the hardware with only a few gems shining through the mud, and at it's current price it will need a small miracle to seriously contend with the PSP and the Sony marketing machine.
It is no longer the case that Nintendo can guarantee success because of price, it's own Gamecube proves that price is not alway the deciding factor.
The wildcard factor is Japan, Nintendo can undoubtedly do well in it's home territory, whilst Sony finds itself juggling three major territories, often unsuccessfully as the PSP launches show (unsuccessful in terms of damage done to consumer opinion, lost sales to importing etc) and Microsoft is strongest in the home of the free but would dearly love to break into Japan.
Interesting Times....
This time it's being played out not in the schoolyards of the world, but between two of the largest corporations on the face of this planet, namely Sony and Microsoft.
Despite what some people may think, this time it really isn't about the contents of the console's themselves, at least insofar as the contents are needed to make the damn things work.
It's about vision, or rather, two competing visions of what the future of digital entertainment will be.
For the first time, one company will gain a gigantic lead over the other because one will be right, the other will be wrong.
Microsoft sees this future as being one of interconnectivity, with the user being not just a gamer, but a member of a community, a community that has the Xbox 360 at the centre of their digital entertainment needs. They'll play games alone, with friends, online, they'll watch DVD's watch online tournaments, video message, chat, create unique content for others and themselves, interact online via PC, stream PC content from their home computer to their tv, load up digital pictures, stream music from their Ipods and PSP's..... in short a relativley knowledgeable consumer future.
Evidence that this is possible and feasible lies in two places, the growth of Xbox Live - not only has Microsoft succeeded with the Xbox, but it has beaten Sony at the online side of gaming at the same time. Consumers have largely grasped the somewhat awkward process of getting on Live (ie routers, broadband, settings etc). Secondly, the PSP - officially the most imported console ever. This is indicative of the growing number of consumers who will use the internet to find information and purchase items, and generally fiddle around with them when they get them! They trust the technology and are eager to use it, to get it, to pay what they have to for it.
Both these trends bode well for Microsoft.
Sony's vision is quite different, essentially one of limited connectivity with the PSP (albeit the lack of PS3 info makes this hard to be certain of) and other devices, with powerful gaming experiences the most important aspect of the system. Online gaming so far seems to be an afterthought. Sony has always dreamed of online content delivery, consumers getting music and movies, even games, straight from Sony and delivered to their living rooms - but there is little sign of this becoming reality and such a thing requires greater technology than is common right now, not to mention the hard drive issue.
Why could this focus on gaming succeed? Sony's fanbase in Japan for one, and elsewhere Sony has strong sales on key titles to a broader base of consumers who recognise the brand and will, unfortunately in some case, buy what it promotes. Mass appeal titles like GTA, Getaway, Eyetoy, Jak, Ratchet, Final Fantasy, and strong multiformat support, means that there are huge numbers of people who will take strong persuading NOT to buy a PS3. There is another sticking point here though, Sony's mass appeal was bought with pricing, lower pricing boosted the PS2, and it would need to do likewise this time especially given the 360's lead in terms of launch time. Can Sony take that kind of hit, and would it guarantee victory?
You might be wondering why I have not mentioned, until now, dear Nintendo. Well the company's latest move, delaying key title Twilight Princess - a game it well knew it needed this Holiday Season - until April 2006, indicates that it quite frankly knows stuff all about it's own consumer base. This was the game that was the only thing of interest, bar Fire Emblem, to most owners over the age of 16. Instead the company is pouring money into promoting the GBA Mini, which absurdly will not use any previous accessories, and will cost £70 despite the PSP being released two months prior.
The DS, a godsend for the company, is being left to wallow in a pile of titles which barely use the hardware with only a few gems shining through the mud, and at it's current price it will need a small miracle to seriously contend with the PSP and the Sony marketing machine.
It is no longer the case that Nintendo can guarantee success because of price, it's own Gamecube proves that price is not alway the deciding factor.
The wildcard factor is Japan, Nintendo can undoubtedly do well in it's home territory, whilst Sony finds itself juggling three major territories, often unsuccessfully as the PSP launches show (unsuccessful in terms of damage done to consumer opinion, lost sales to importing etc) and Microsoft is strongest in the home of the free but would dearly love to break into Japan.
Interesting Times....