Consoles Galore

[WPW_Feedbot]

It's E3 week in LA, meaning all the big guns are introducing their plans for next-generation consoles. I'll point you to the Beeb's coverage of the big three:
- Sony Playstation 3
- Microsoft Xbox 360
- Nintendo Revolution

A lot of other people (like Gartenberg, and hopefully soon Jay) are spending a lot of time parsing the publicly-available information on these consoles, so I'll leave it to them. But I'm paying special attention to how well these consoles get gamers online, what content is available once the gamers are there, and how well these consoles connect with other devices in the home (e.g., Xbox 360 as Windows Media Center extender). So far they're all talking the talk, but I'll hold off on a deeper analysis because the details are a bit thin.

Which brings up a good point. As you read all the reviews this week, remember that every single word you're reading is based on press releases and launch parties, rather than hands-on game play, game title availability, pricing information, and launch timing. And, as Garty sagely reminds us: "it's going to be more than specs that decide the next generation of consoles."

For more on consoles, check out our Profile of the European Console Gaming Household report, or our US-based PC and Console Gaming service.

Read more...