Well there is some good news for Xbox fans. I have been doing alot of reading and the matchups in the coming years are beginning to stack highly in favor of the Xbox.
It currently looks like the xbox 2 will reach stores about a year (or more) before the PS3, but about the same time as the PSX. Here's the problem that PS has, though. The PSX will offer NOTHING NEW to the PS community. It will be a "desktop" design, which means it won't look like a game console, but other than that it's main internal componets will be EXACTLY the same. It will however, sport an integrated DVD burner and a hard drive, but both of those items are already available as aftermarket parts for the PS2. They are hoping that the PS brand name will entice people to buy what they already have. However, I don't think the gaming community is that stupid. Currently, the PSX is due out mid to late 2004 (which is about the time that the xbox 2 is rumored to release). However, the PS3 isn't do out until late 2005 or later. The reason for this, as stated in one article, is because PS is currently "floundering in technology hell" as it tries to develop an infastructure to produce R&D releases that haven't even been proven to work as designed. This doesn't bode well for the PS platform.
On the Xbox side, this places them in a very strong position as it looks as though the xbox 2 will be an almost complete redesign. The have dumped Nvidia and brough ATI on board. In addition, they are putting alot of pressure for intel to "do it the way we want it or else". Not to mention, Microsoft has started to put pressure on PC game designers that hold DirectX licences to port games to Xbox as well as to develop "Xbox only" games, which should increase the number of games available for the Xbox.
It is rumored that the xbox 2 will post up with a somewhat streamlined version of the P4 as well as an updated version of it's video conversion (being provided by Focus Enhancements). The new video conversion will include VGA -yes, VGA- as well as an enhanced HDTV resolution, and the ever faithfull standard analogue TV. This enhanced video conversion as well as the other deals that Microsoft has (and hasn't) announced shows that Microsoft is planning to have a "full multimedia entertainment console" (movies, music, broadband connectivity, shopping, television, "tivo", and games) on the market in excess of a year before it's competition.
I would say that if the PS boys can't buck up and do some serious design and implementation work over the next few years, we can all sit back and watch as Microsoft waves through the rear view mirror as PS fades into the distance.
Alexander
It currently looks like the xbox 2 will reach stores about a year (or more) before the PS3, but about the same time as the PSX. Here's the problem that PS has, though. The PSX will offer NOTHING NEW to the PS community. It will be a "desktop" design, which means it won't look like a game console, but other than that it's main internal componets will be EXACTLY the same. It will however, sport an integrated DVD burner and a hard drive, but both of those items are already available as aftermarket parts for the PS2. They are hoping that the PS brand name will entice people to buy what they already have. However, I don't think the gaming community is that stupid. Currently, the PSX is due out mid to late 2004 (which is about the time that the xbox 2 is rumored to release). However, the PS3 isn't do out until late 2005 or later. The reason for this, as stated in one article, is because PS is currently "floundering in technology hell" as it tries to develop an infastructure to produce R&D releases that haven't even been proven to work as designed. This doesn't bode well for the PS platform.
On the Xbox side, this places them in a very strong position as it looks as though the xbox 2 will be an almost complete redesign. The have dumped Nvidia and brough ATI on board. In addition, they are putting alot of pressure for intel to "do it the way we want it or else". Not to mention, Microsoft has started to put pressure on PC game designers that hold DirectX licences to port games to Xbox as well as to develop "Xbox only" games, which should increase the number of games available for the Xbox.
It is rumored that the xbox 2 will post up with a somewhat streamlined version of the P4 as well as an updated version of it's video conversion (being provided by Focus Enhancements). The new video conversion will include VGA -yes, VGA- as well as an enhanced HDTV resolution, and the ever faithfull standard analogue TV. This enhanced video conversion as well as the other deals that Microsoft has (and hasn't) announced shows that Microsoft is planning to have a "full multimedia entertainment console" (movies, music, broadband connectivity, shopping, television, "tivo", and games) on the market in excess of a year before it's competition.
I would say that if the PS boys can't buck up and do some serious design and implementation work over the next few years, we can all sit back and watch as Microsoft waves through the rear view mirror as PS fades into the distance.
Alexander
