FAQ: The next video game consoles?

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What kind of online capabilities will it have?
Sony--Support for multiplayer online games has gradually grown with the PS2, and the PS3 should continue the trend. But one of the most intriguing aspects of the Cell processor is the capability to use broadband connections to shuttle demanding computing tasks to groups of networked machines, which could dramatically boost performance for streaming media, online games and other tasks.

Microsoft--The Xbox Live online game service has become one Microsoft's key selling points for its console, and the company is promising dramatic expansions of the service with Xbox 2. Gates has talked about adding features such as instant messaging to the service, which will also become more of a venue for selling downloadable games and other content.

Nintendo--Executives until now have vowed to steer clear of online games until they see a viable business model in it. But Nintendo recently revealed that Revolution will have built-in support for wireless networking, partly to support an online gaming service Nintendo plans to launch late this year.

Will it connect with other gadgets?
Sony--A recent Sony patent application paints an intriguing picture of a PlayStation 3 hooking up with Sony's new PlayStation Portable handheld machine to perform tasks such as downloading content and swapping settings from one version of a game to another.

Microsoft--Xbox connectivity is centered on the PC. Xbox 2 could be Microsoft's secret weapon to popularize Windows XP Media Center, the entertainment-centered version of its PC operating system.

Nintendo--It tried to make connections with its ubiquitous Game Boy Advance a key selling point for the GameCube, but the idea never caught on. Built-in wireless networking in the new DS handheld player could promote a more spontaneous type of networking with the Revolution.

Will it play games for current consoles?
Sony--It set a game industry precedent by making the PS2 backwards-compatible; it can play games for the original PlayStation, and the company has vowed to continue the practice with PS3. "PlayStation 3 will offer the same compatibility for PS2 software, and the format will continue forever," Sony President Ken Kutaragi told a Japanese newspaper last year.

Microsoft--It hasn't said whether the Xbox 2 will play games for the current Xbox. Backwards compatibility likely would be an expensive feature to implement, thanks to licensing and hardware restrictions, but Microsoft may feel pressured to match Sony's commitment.

Nintendo--Nintendo, which has introduced an incompatible new media format with each console, plans to break with tradition and make Revolution compatible with GameCube discs.

[Andrew J Glina]

Pointless

Surprisingly factless article. I thought that the PS2 would use Memory Sticks, but it didn't so I am not conviced that the PS3 will. (I think that Sony wanted to be able to charge the same for the Memory Card instead of dripping the price as flash became cheaper.) I am hoping that the PS3 will have a HD, or at least 1GB of flash interally. Memory Card are annoying (and expensive) and it is why I buy more XBOX games these days.

[Andrew J Glina]

Pointless

Surprisingly factless article. I thought that the PS2 would use Memory Sticks, but it didn't so I am not conviced that the PS3 will. (I think that Sony wanted to be able to charge the same for the Memory Card instead of dripping the price as flash became cheaper.) I am hoping that the PS3 will have a HD, or at least 1GB of flash interally. Memory Card are annoying (and expensive) and it is why I buy more XBOX games these days.

With comments like these

Why didn't you rather leave the Cube out of the article completely?

With comments like these

Why didn't you rather leave the Cube out of the article completely?

[montgomeryburns]

What other newish game consoles are there?

What other newish game consoles are there? Any good ones?

New systems

To answer your question. The three main consoles that are going to be coming out over the next 2 1/2 or so are from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. Microsofts next Xbox (widely rumored to be called Xbox 360) is expected to be released by the end of the year. Sony initially said mid 06-early 07. But I think Sony wouldn't want Microsoft building up too much momentum before it releases its next Gen system, and Nintendo? Well, no game developers even have dev kits (Sony doesn't either for that matter) out to developers yet, so I wouldn't expect to see anything from Nintendo until PS3 launches or even after.

[montgomeryburns]

What other newish game consoles are there?

What other newish game consoles are there? Any good ones?

New systems

To answer your question. The three main consoles that are going to be coming out over the next 2 1/2 or so are from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft. Microsofts next Xbox (widely rumored to be called Xbox 360) is expected to be released by the end of the year. Sony initially said mid 06-early 07. But I think Sony wouldn't want Microsoft building up too much momentum before it releases its next Gen system, and Nintendo? Well, no game developers even have dev kits (Sony doesn't either for that matter) out to developers yet, so I wouldn't expect to see anything from Nintendo until PS3 launches or even after.