Mcv Feature On Next-gen Consoles

[Guest Lisa_MCV]

Thanks to the moderators for letting me post this.

I'm the managing editor of the games trade magazine MCV and I'm putting together a feature looking at consumers' views on what the hardware manufacturers are telling you. My questions are:

With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

Your comments will be published in the September 2nd issue of MCV. Thanks for your help!

[BlinkyBear]

At this stage no side is winning anything. We've had nothing but hype, counter claim and alot of nonesense from all the relevant compaines.

We know little more than than before E3, but for a few scant details on possible launch titles. Hardware features and deatils have yet to be finalised, even with the 360, so how can anyone decide what to buy at this stage?

When they finally shut up bickering and get round to finalising what their hardware will do and what games will be available, then i'll be able to make some sort of judgement.

Until then, i'm happy enough playing my PS2 and with so many strong looking games coming out in the next 6 months, the next gen isn't something that concerns me at this point. Especially when the first wave of next gen titles seem slightly improved versions of what we have at the moment.

[dose]

Well...E3 was very strange regarding next-gen. Sony wheeled out pre-rendered footage, Microsoft was showing poor stuff on early dev kits and Nintendo showed virtually nothing. Ultimately it comes down to what the developers prefer and the quality of games they produce on each format, but for me, Sony is ahead, as long as they price the hardware right.

The Xbox360 doesn't interest me at all at the moment (higher-res versions of PGR, Ghost Recon, Dead or Alive? No thanks), with Nintendo yet to show their hand.

To be honest I'm happy playing the current gen games, and reckon that the next-gen has come far too soon.

[roadkill]

I'm just concerned that it appears across the board games will be more expensive and less diverse.

[therearerules]

Thanks to the moderators for letting me post this.

I'm the managing editor of the games trade magazine MCV and I'm putting together a feature looking at consumers' views on what the hardware manufacturers are telling you. My questions are:

1.With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

2.If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

3.Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

4.And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

Your comments will be published in the September 2nd issue of MCV. Thanks for your help!

←

1. Nintendo's won my vote, but I doubt they've won many other people's.

2. Yet to make up the mind.

3. I don't think I had any left anyway

4. Nope.

[Xevious]

With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

None of them. Microsoft appears to be massively disorganised and uncertain what they're doing. Sony is using blatant fibs and just generally trying to prove that other machines are worse than theirs, rather than proving that their machine is better. Nintendo doesn't have any propoganda.

If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

If I had to have one, it would be the Revolution, but only because it intrigues me and I want to see what it can do. Nothing announced for the PS3 or the Xbox360 interests me at all yet.

But I don't want one yet. I'll wait until there's stuff that's interesting and isn't just an existing game with prettier graphics.

Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

Lost respect for Sony, because of their fibbing. Lost respect for Microsoft, because of their rushing into an incremental change in generation. No change in respect for Nintendo, because they've done nothing to affect that in respect to their next-generation. The DS is another matter - it's great, and respect for that is owed in spades.

And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

Generally, no. Especially not Sony, given their track record. Microsoft is on shaky ground too. Nintendo, again, haven't said much.

[jonamok]

Lisa,

My take is that Sony won the post E3 propaganda war with the PS3 "rendered" movies. Most educated gamers know that the final games (or at least the early ones for this next gen) won't look like that, but looping those videos (Killzone etc) on TVs in GAME shops will likely convince a lot of gullible buyers to hold off on a 360 and wait for PS3 next summer.

Personally I do believe what MS are putting out, but have less faith in Sony. Nintendo haven't shown anything of value, and not until we see what is "Revolutionary" will we be in a position to have a valid opinion either way. However, Ninty's pricing of the GB micro shows they still have a thing or two to learn about the market.

I intend to buy a 360, though that will depend on what happens re. the inclusion of a hard drive as standard in the package (else no devs will use it, and loading times will be just as bad as this gen).

And when PS3 and Revolution hit these shores, I will likely buy them too. It's all about the games, and as long as classic games are exclusive to all three platforms, I will just have to find room under the TV.

j.

[Sng]

Sony can hype anything better than anyone (Except Apple, I guess).

I'm getting a PS3 first. Not because I believe anything Sony have said, but because the X360 simply hasn't appealed to me. We're already a mere few months away from launch and it seems even Microsoft aren't sure what they're up to.

[Xevious]

Oh, and while we're at it, can you get a new picture for use when illustrating "the high street"? That one you've got of Oxford Street is getting rather old and dull now!

[tnman]

Well I'd say Microsoft have the most solid stuff so far, but that's to be expected with their Xbox360 launch round the corner. They have games announced, details announced, and the price has just leaked and hopefully to be confirmed (or denied) later today.

Sony (read: Ken Kutaragi) are just throwing petty and quite cringeworthy stabs at other companies around like there's no tomorrow. I don't think they realise that, unfortunately, those stabs are likely to receive more attention than the latest processor number they release. Oh dear.

And Nintendo haven't really done anything, leaving everyone to speculate if anything they do will turn out to be revolutionary or not.

Being a Nintendo fan, it's kind of annoying to say that Microsoft are probably 'winning' at the moment because they seem to be getting on with it the most. Unlike Sony or Nintendo, they're not relying on more speculation than fact.

The true war will begin when all three consoles are released into the market, consumers have 100% concrete details to play with, the software is out... etc etc.

And at the moment, I'm likely to buy the Revolution simply down to blind hope and adoration for what Nintendo puts out. That's not to say however I'm not strongly considering an Xbox360 instead of or as well as, because what they're giving out is mighty tempting. The PS3 has nothing for me...the controller looks like a boomerang with buttons, and I haven't seen anything on software, confirmed technical details, so I predict Sony to lose completely in this war.

Hope this helps with your feature, Lisa.

[Sng]

Sony (read: Ken Kutaragi) are just throwing petty and quite cringeworthy stabs at other companies around like there's no tomorrow.

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Where?

[tnman]

Sony (read: Ken Kutaragi) are just throwing petty and quite cringeworthy stabs at other companies around like there's no tomorrow.

←

Where?

←

Can't find them all, but after a quick Google search this seems to turn up something pretty similar.

http://www.ps3today.com/Blogs/JournalBlogV...qs/blr_129.aspx

[Zoltar]

With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

←

Microsoft are first out of the blocks so are surely winning, they have shown playable builds of games and are beginning to drown us with trailers and features about the first wave of software. Sony have really only produced counter mearsures effective enough to keep interest in the PS3. Now that time has passed on their E3 showing most who saw it (and were initially impressed) have become cynical about what potential was really demonstrated. Nintendo are playing the slowest game, content to let the two biggest companies in the world wage war, they can't compete this generation nor in the next so perhaps they can afford to approach the next generation differently and take their time. Only time will tell if Microsoft's desperation to be first will pay off, or if the rush will expose the hardware or the software or even if the market was ready for the next generation so soon.

If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

Knowing so little about what software on the PS3 will be like and just generally knowing so little about the Revolution, right now the only realistic option is the XBox360. The XBox has won over a lot of people, it produced the games and developed online console gaming into a stable and enjoyable format (it's matured, even if some of the players haven't), its evolution over revolution. There's nothing wrong with that, but was from a technical and consumer point of view was it needed so soon?

Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

They've all behaved as you would expect, Nintendo have been secretive, Sony have set up a technical specification which (I don't think I'm wrong in saying) many would be surprised to see the hardware meet and Microsoft have been loud.

And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

The new hardware will be better, the average game budget will increase but will the game's look any better? Most probably, in time but we'll never see the swansongs that all the systems deserved, squeezing every last vertex out of current hardware.

[The Lone Ranger]

To be honest I'm happy playing the current gen games, and reckon that the next-gen has come far too soon.

←

That says it all really. Whilst the current generation has not been pushed to its limits we've all paid for stuff we aren't getting to use.

[Project 2501]

At the moment it's too early for me to form a solid opinion as there is too much hype and bullshit, too much emphasis on hardware and nothing in the way of compelling software. By default I am going to side with Nintendo for now even though they showed absolutely bugger all as I feel with Nintendo you are always guaranteed a certain degree of quality. I remember how everyone mocked the DS after it's pitifully inept announcement (er, it's a console with two screens!) until people actually got the machines in their hands and it became a gaming phenomonen.

What I'm more worried about is media spin and perception. The media (specialist, retail and non-gaming) took great delight in throwing handfuls of cold shit at the gamecube even before it was released, by that time, and over the course of the machines lifetime, enough of it stuck that nobody was willing to take Nintendo seriously anymore, regardless of the quality of the games for the hardware. I'm worried that if Nintendo don't pipe up soon the same thing will happen.

That said, I feel if the Rev can provide (through interface and download catalog, among other things, I feel it is unfair it is being purely labelled as a download retro machine) something the opposition does not and it has a positive impact on the games, Nintendo could easily have another DS style success story on their hands.

[Rayn]

Thanks to the moderators for letting me post this.

I'm the managing editor of the games trade magazine MCV and I'm putting together a feature looking at consumers' views on what the hardware manufacturers are telling you. My questions are:

With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

Who can tell for sure? My personal impression is that Microsoft seems to be more aggressive in their marketing than Sony and Nintendo and that they are collecting followers by being 'out there'.

While Sony seems to be a bit more calm they are actually doing the same thing as Microsoft: Hyping their console by presenting numbers and graphs that are trying to convince us how much more powerful they are compared to the other(s).

Nintendo haven't begun to hype their Revolution yet and instead seems to be eager to tell the gameplayers that Nintendo is all about the actual games and the entertainment values of them, not system specs and terraflops.

The hype around the Nintendo Revolution is made up by Nintendo fans.

Personally I don't like either Sony's or Microsofts way of doing propaganda as they both try to put their words into my mouth. I have my own mind, thank you very much.

If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

When I buy a new console I choose the hardware on behalf of the software available on the platform in question. Of the current gen platforms I have everything except the Xbox and the PSP since those two don't have enough exclusive games to warrant the purchase.

I've never even thought about buying any of the next gen consoles on release date since I don't know anything about the games yet. If I had to choose one at the moment it would've been the Nintendo Revolution and thats because I'd have the Nintendo back catalogue available which I know have loads of good games in it.

Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

Not really. The prelaunch propaganda is all about getting followers and to keep the already established fanbase at hand. I believe it is more important to keep current followers and not letting them slip over to 'the enemy' than to get new ones.

And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

In these modern times with the internet being so easy to use as propaganda tools for everyone it is getting harder and harder to see the diffrence between genuine propaganda and fan made propaganda.

There are claims of proper physisc, photorealistic visuals, unsurpassed interactivity etc. and to be honest I think this is a load of bulls***.

I'm aware that next gen games will look better, and that they will probably have better physics and AI but for a game be more interactive than those we already have on offer on the current gen I honsestly believe we need a new interface. I don't think you can recreate unsurpassed interactivity set in a photorealistic environment with proper physics and AI using a bog standard joypad which both Sony and Microsoft are going to deliver with the next batch of consoles.

Even if Nintendo brings something new and unique with the Revolution I still believe we're a generation or two too early to have games as detailed and interactive as many are making us believe we'll get on the next gen.

[Dapple]

I predict Sony to lose completely in this war.

←

I predict your prediction to be utterly fanciful.

On a more constructive note, it certainly seems to be the case that with each generation of hardware comes greater cynicism among consumers.

Entirely understandable, really - this will be the 3rd significant launch of console hardware that I've followed with any keenness and each time the companies wheel out the bullshit / pretty tech-demos etc, etc... Is anyone really surprised when launch games don't live up to expectations?

That said, it's naive to think the hype doesn't have an effect. Even if there's a (growing?) proportion that have seen it all before, there are plenty of people who lap this sort of thing up.

I'd quite happily stick with my GC/Xbox for a while yet (especially given the quality of recent releases (RE4)) but that's not to say I won't be buying an Xbox360 / Revolution. If I want to play the latest games, I won't have much of a choice.

[pretentious_helvetica]

Seems that Sony did "win" E3, though only through lies. "Who cares that it was pre-rendered, it looked great!". My heart soared and my eyes filled with hope when I saw that Killzone 2 footage. The sane part of me said "pre-rendered", my heart hoped it wasn't. "Crazy Ken" has also shown how unprofessional he is when it comes to mud-slinging and fact-flinging. PS3 also looks terrifying, though I've hear a rumour that the boomerang-tastic controller was conceptual and Sony could well be going back to Dual Shock 2. Yey.

Xbox 360 - the conference had a weird iPod/MTV feel to it which kind of alienated me as an older gamer. They're going for the beautiful people with their push of the console, though it's nice to see it looks a lot better than the original Xbox and they're learning lessons from that through to a better console design. Microsoft themselves are very much into streaming media, and Xbox 360 fits more into this philosophy than the original Xbox. Xbox Live will definitely be the thing which gives Microsoft the edge - when they announced Live a while back, people were kind of unsure of their motivation but now it makes perfect sense. The launch line-up in E3 was kind of underwhelming, though the recently announced launch line-up has a great range of games.

Nintendo are scarily turning into Sega. They seem to be the also-rans, though I was more excited about the DS online news than the Revolution. The old git inside of me actually was looking forward more to sampling the back catalogue of Nintendo titles through Revolution than actual Revolution titles. They need to get more original IPs on the table and not rely on Mario/Zelda solely. Revolution could shake off the (undeserved) kid-ified image of the Gamecube, though it does feel like they're still not 100% sure themselves as to how things are going to turn out.

[Alex W.]

With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

Sony, simply because of their existing market position.

If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

The PS3, as I'm a slave to the various franchises en route to the system.

Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

Gained respect for: Microsoft. They seem to have learned a great deal from the original Xbox, which is good to see.

Stayed the same: Sony. Based on the PS2 launch, they're acting in more or less the same way I'd expect.

Lost some respect for: Nintendo. Trumpeting the fact that they had a great innovation, rather than the innovation itself, when their rivals were unveiling their systems was a major mistake IMO.

And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

Beyond information such as the numbers of controller ports, no.

[mackemansj1]

With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

I think in the mind of the charve EA buying generation sony are winning the propoganda war. Sony have alot of stret cred and with there pre renders and hype that they spouted at E3 05 they really have that generation where they want them.

If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

If i had to pick one it would be the xbox 360. I like the online set up that microsoft has brought to the console world, and i can only see them improving and moving it forward with the 360.

Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

I have lost what little respect i had for sony. With there pre rendered movies and swipes at ms and nintendo, they really feel they can do what they want and still come out n the number one slot this coming gen.

And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

I think with the big two sony/ms you really have to take the stats they where tossing about with a pinch of salt. As with all pre launch you have to take stat at face value as they like to baffle your mind to the point you dont know what to think. Just sonys super computer remarks are pushing them on to a whole new bs talking level.

[GinzaUK]

With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

1. The proganda war was won by Sony a long time ago. It works the hype machine like no other. Everyone was amazed by the PS3 footage. They all thought it was real time. Rendering is such a great tool isn't it?.. Nintendo will always be looked on as the loser in 3rd place when compared to Sony and even newcomer to the field Microsoft. The true fact of the matter however is that in terms of profit made Nintendo is the clear winner. Microsoft for example lose hundreds of millions but still hail the XBox as a success. The unknowledgable public believe that Nintendo are finished. Some predicted that the Revolution wouldn't happen.

2. If I could buy just one console it would be the Revolution. I've seen with the DS that Nintendo are really trying to shake it all up. Not just having tired Fifa yearly updates coming out on it's console but having truly ground breaking games which are making innovative use of the touch screen too. Games like Elektroplankton, Band of Brothers and Nintendogs to name but a few. To think that Mario Kart and Animal Crossing iterations are still to arrive along with the whole online aspect of the DS makes me feel excited like a kid at Christmas.

3. I've lost any respect I had for Sony with the whole approach they have taken with the PSP and the rendering of PS3 footage for E3. Microsoft I've been impressed with how they are the newcomers and the 360 I am sure will be a popular choice.

4. I follow the path of seeing is believing and am not taken in by the Sony Hype MachineTM and prefer to reserve judgement until I actually see everything for myself. Trailers are fine but as you have seen they can be tampered with. I don't believe everything that is claimed but that's because you have to take some things with a pinch of salt. In the past I've believed and then been bitterly disappointed at the outcome. It's better now to not believe anything and then be genuinely surprised at the outcome.

[PyramidFace]

Microsoft is winning the propaganda war amongst those who go on gaming forums and so on ( I'm loathe to say hardcore gamers, but I guess thats what they, we, are). But no matter what they achieve Sony WILL win. The PlayStation brand is insanely powerful, and while I expect Microsoft to gain ground, are Sony going to be overturned? It seems unlikely.

I've lost even more respect for Sony over this period. Their highly aggressive stance has never been particularly attractive. Pre-rendered videos and verbal attacks on rivals has not helped. I believe Microsoft as they haven't shown anything too unbelievable. Nintendo, too, despite their elitist 'we're saving video-games alone' approach to innovation have not rammed Revolution down our throats. Which is nice.

If I had to choose a next-generation console XBox 360 would be it. Despite 'Cube being my only console of this generation, the Revolution seems so distant, and support for Nintendo so thin that I may enter the next generation Ninty-less. And PS3? I have little time for Sony or their games. And Dual Shocks hurt my hands

[hub2]

With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

None, because we really don't know enough about the games or consoles or price or release dates. Sony disappointed due to the prerendered footage, and lack of ingame footage at E3. Microsoft disappointed due to the generic and dull line up they have instore for launch - absolutely nothing appeals to me. And finally Nintendo disappinted by showing nothing but a black box and no controller. Backwards compatibility with their NES, SNES, N64 games did impress howecer.

If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

Nintendo Revolution.

Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

Not really.

And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

Not so much disbelieve what they're claiming, but dissapointed in what they're claiming, certainly from MS and Sony. Number of polygons pushed and the overall graphics concerns are even more tedious than usual. Nintendo have promised a change in the way that we play games and promise new experiences, that intrigues me and gives me hope that the next generation is going to bring new things to gaming rather than just prettify them.

[stiff_swede]

With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

←

Sony, all the talk about being 2 times more powerful than Xbox 1.5 have clearly made an impression on the younger generation.

Revolution, I am hooked on Zelda, I will buy a PS3 also but if only to chose one I gotta get my Zelda kicks.

No, I don't have much respect for either MS or Sony’s marketing. Nintendo haven’t really said much about the Rev.

No.

/andreas

[JPickford (retired mod)]

Your comments will be published in ... MCV.

←

I'm not falling for that again.

[will2097]

With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

- Sony. (PS3 seems to be gathering the same mystical super powerful aura that PS1 had, it'll turn out to be total twaddle but it's fun while it lasts.)

If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

- Nintendo Revolution. If the backwards compatability 'idea' works or, even, exists. I never played Nintendo much before, so the idea of getting at their back catelogue is quite appealing and day one, there should be plenty of interesting, if not necessarily good, stuff.

- After that, PS3 (Only partially 'cos my PS2 is dying.) and I prefer arcade style gaming, which for me, Microsoft machine doesn't, historically, have.

- Last Xbox 360. It'll be big on online gaming & FPS' & HDTV, which I don't give 2 hoots about. It is an American machine, that'll be targetted to American game playing public, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, just not my bag.

Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

- Microsoft have gained and lost respect. Their propeganda seems most bitchy and they should focus less on beating Sony and more on making the best games console, but they have come a long since Xbox.

And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

- Never, until I've got one, then only maybe.

Cheers,

Will

[Project 2501]

OK, proper answers.

With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

Calling it a war would be kind, Sony and Microsoft are not competing like businesses so much as trying to out-bullshit one another with all the grace of two 10 year olds having a pissing contest. In that sense they are both "winning" in the same way you can "win" an argument on the internet (but you'd still be retarded).

I'm disappointed in Nintendo decision to show absolutely fuck all. It seems that in the absence of any real information the shitheads in the media are more than happy to write Nintendos obituary. This could probably lead to a repeat of the Gamecube situation where it was pronouced "kiddy", "underpowered" and "doomed" before it had even had a chance to prove otherwise.

If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

Revolution: Because whatever it is Nintendo are (or aren't) hiding, they won't have to try very hard to come up with anything less boring than Sony or Ms's vision of "gaming"

Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

No comment.

And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

No. Especially the whole HD era hype thing. All HD will do is become an albatross around the neck of developers who will now have to sacrifice cpu and rendering power that could be used to enrich gameplay and environments to render at resolutions that will be irrelevant to 95% of consumers. next next generation I would expect it to be the standard, right now it is way to early and will prove more of a burden than a benefit. the way I see it, I'm expecting the next generation to become a huge money pit for Sony, MS and those publishers and developers who ally themselves with them. Nintendo? I don't know, but they seem to do a very good job of making money...

[nih]

Microsoft is winning the propaganda war, so far: When they announced the "HD-era" everyone went WTF? Is that it?

Now, even though HDTV won`t be prevalent in Europe for years, that HD is the next big thing in gaming is almost taken for granted.

By comparison, Nintendo`s "play Nintendo`s games online for free"-approach has not led to a stampede against Microsoft for charging for Xbox Live, this generation or next.

While Sony`s E3-demoes are already questioned (it`s just CGI; can the PS3 actually do this?).

Microsoft is simply playing this game better than Nintendo and Sony.

[tiedtiger]

With Microsoft, Sony and, to a certain extent, Nintendo consistently courting the media with a series of announcements, side-swipes and rumour, which console manufacturer do you think is winning the propoganda war?

Sony, for the moment. But I think that their superiority is built on quicksand foundations as there is no way that the PS3 will live up to what they're saying it will and, unlike the PS2 launch, they have some real competitors this time (especially Microsoft) who can out-punch them. It's extremely early days to tell which way the market is going to jump, and inevitably the real decision of consumers will come down to what the games themselves actually look like.

If you could buy one of the next gen consoles, which would it be and why - or have you yet to make up your mind?

I have yet to see any compelling reason to buy any of the new consoles. Graphically, these machines are not going to be that much better than the current ones in real terms. Games-wise, the software is going to be more expensive. I see no need to have any of them at the moment if all that they are offering is slightly better versions of that which has gone before. Some say that the real difference in hdtv etc, but then I have no intention of buying a hdtv for several years at least. I can't see what, if anything, any of these machines are offering that I don't already have.

Have you gained or lost respect for any format holders in this pre-launch period?

Lost, for the most part, because they do not seem to be doing anything for the industry as a whole other than trying to carve it up again. The industry is in very real trouble because of the spiralling costs that the hardware manufacturers are in part responsible for. Rather than refocussing their efforts on trying to find ways to bring the costs of development down, encouraging independent development and generally acting like companies that truly want to broaden the medium. No, they'd rather simply turn the console industry into a personal pissing contest, creating very expensive games and a closed market that will stall.

And, ultimately, do you believe what they're claiming?

Not a word of it. What you're going to see in the next generation is an exercise in companies running very fast while standing still. The net improvement that these new consoles are going to bring is going to be marginal at best, while the effect on the industry in terms of cost-related damage is going to be massive. The console manufacturers are doing more to ensure that the games industry inverts upon itself and collapses than any other sector of the industry today so that they can get to say that they are number one.

The industry is never going to reach its full potential while it keeps getting wrapped up in these distractions. The inherent instability that constant technological change brings will force a collapse.

[senor_herer]

Personally, I don't believe a word that comes out of Sony or M$ regarding the power of their machines. What do PR hacks know about it? And more to the point, PR hacks are well paid professional bullshitters anyway. If there are decent games I want to play once the machines launch, I'll buy one.

I'm inclined to at least listen to what Nintendo have to say as their claims in the past have proved to be far closer to actual reality. It's not that Nintendo are intrinsically any more or less "honest" than Sony or M$, simply that they tend not to get involved in the schoolyard pissing contest that are Sony/M$'s bullshit hardware claims. Again though, I'll buy a Rev if it's home to decent games I want to play. Hardware specification willy-waving will not influence my purchasing decision on any of the machines.

If I had to guess, I'll end up with one or other of PS3/XB360 based primarily on the games and possibly based upon less tangible qualities like HD movie playback and online services. I'll almost certainly buy a Revolution because I have to buy a Nintendo machine if I want to play Nintendo games, which I do. You can also guarantee that the Rev will also be relatively cheap which makes the decision easier.

One of the few ways any of the three major hardware vendors could impress me and influence my decision is to actually treat PAL territories with a shred of respect. In fairness to M$, whilst they're not perfect they do far, far better than Sony or Nintendo in this regard. But having said that, as a PC gamer who has no choice but to run Windows as my OS, I'm naturally reluctant to give M$ any more of my money than I absolutely have to. Nothing Sony and Nintendo do can provoke my anger like my tenth reboot of the day.

Actually what am I saying. I think I'll actually make my decision based upon how many rent-a-quote celebrities endorse each machine, how much money each company can throw away selling their machines as a loss leader to try and dominate the market and kill off the competition, how "cool" their respective "lifestyle" adverts are, which one comes with the largest selection of pointless coloured fascias and whichever one will win me most kudos from my geek friends. Presumably this is what Sony/M$ and Ninty's marketing departments really want to hear, right?