Interesting points, though I don't believe sales of PSP games and hardware are at all linked to sales of next-gen consoles. The PSP could be called a next-gen handheld, and it is clearly one of the first (many would say it was the first, though Nintendo might try to argue that point a bit with the history of the release date of the Nintendo DS).

I am not certain of how things will really play out with the PS3. I believe some of it's possible success will rest on backwards compatibility or more importantly on the availability (breadth and depth) of games for the new generation.

I'll give props to Microsoft for putting together a fairly impressive list of software for release date on the 360. As you noted, the 360 itself has an impressive list of features and there are looking to be plenty of games of just about every genre available when the console hits the streets. That is very important, as a console is worthless if there's no games to play on it.

I suspect that Sony may be reconsidering a bit some of the choices they are or will be making on what winds up in the PS3. I know they are close to, or supposedly have hit final specs, but they have to be sure that whatever those specs are reflect nicely when compared to the 360. They also need time for software development of their own, as well as time for third party developers to crank up production of content for the PS3 all while trying to keep cash flowing by selling software for the PS2.

Clearly the PS2 is seeing it's final year of big time software sales. They may have some must have game up their sleeves for this holiday season, but they know that much of the money in the hands of their potential customers will probably be spent on 360 software and consoles. But, by the time the PS3 really hits the streets, we should be back to a point of some disposable income. Perhaps via tax refunds, and perhaps just from saving a few pennies as we enter the new year.

In anycase, Sony will most definitely not have the big lead they had last time, and that may make them hungrier and perhaps more competitive. At least we can hope so.

Let it be. Bland monopolists with sheer power and less innovation can take over and establish their peaceful (but non-innovative) reign. It is the rule of robots over humans, technocrats over inovators. The king is dead; long life to the king

TBH A lot of talk about 360, but not a lot talk about games for 360. We all know what happens to counsels that dont deliver the games...

Bland monopolists

I for one welcome our new bland monopolist overlords. Them and their spiffy console.

TBH A lot of talk about 360, but not a lot talk about games for 360. We all know what happens to counsels that dont deliver the games...

Eh? I just got a new EGM that shows around 20 xbox 360 games. IDK what your talking about. Also go to gamespot and look at their 360 page.

360 looks to have far superior games than PS2 or PS3 had/will have. Also they got the Japanese RPG companies as well so you will get all the wannabe asians, the largest console buyer market imo, in their as well. It seems whatever console has the most of their games is the one that is considered the best, as terrible as that is. IDK why those are suck hardcore, heh. Rather play Oblivian than FF12 anyday.

I'm ignoring the basic fanboy battlez above, but will add a few more comments/thoughts here to earlier comments.

I've seen some comments lately taking Microsoft to task for not including an HD DVD drive in their box while Sony is promising to include a BluRay drive in the PS3.

I'll give a nod to Sony for including the BluRay, but until things shake out on the eventual winner in the HD DVD format wars (BluRay vs. HD DVD), it seems somewhat stupid to me to declare a winner in that area. If BluRay isn't supported for DVD movies, then it's gonna be a nice little niche format that is only really used for PS3 games. Sony needs main stream support for that format, and some customers (like me) may not buy PS3's right away (if at all) and may never get a player that uses that format.

MS went with the old DVD9 format. It's well known, fairly cheap for the media, and fully compatible with existing standards.

One other thing that is mentioned in a blog article I posted recently, HD DVD will require digital rights management features, including hardware firewalling which really isn't mainstream yet. If you can't use the discs until you have the TV, and the TV has nothing to drive it, then which comes first?

I hope that MS winds up making some sort of external HD DVD drive available for the 360, and if so, I may very well buy one later. For now, I'm trying to avoid that next gen of stuff because of the rights management features that I really want to see die-die-die!

I have to disagree with Kan up above.

The hardware specs for the 360 show that it will not be superior to the PS3, so why would the games? Some of the games that made the Xbox a hit were also available on the PS2, and even then, popularity could be a factor. PS2 outsold MS at every step, and mostly because of games. The 360 isn't showing a incredible lineup yet, because many of the games have bene pulled for the release, if they are even going to be ready.

And as far as the Japanese RPG companies, and pulling in the wanna be asians as you say, I don't know where you read that. While some game companies have decided to try out the 360 for their games, it has nothing to do with their like of the 360, it means more money. And putting games like Final Fantasy XI on the 360 is not getting in the RPG market. None of the biggies, and certainly Square-Enix, have said that they would develope games for the 360. They will port previous games, and that is it at this point. That statement may change, but not likely. The Asian markets have hated ther Xbox, and I think it will continue to hate the 360. There is little elegance for them with american games, and that was the first turn off. And because 360 has Oblivian, doesn't mean anything. Beautiful game, but one game doesn't make a console. With only a handful of hits on the Xbox, the 360 will have a lot ot prove to me.