I can’t help but think that the new XBOX360 is going to be pretty much a dud right from the start.
Despite a few slick titles on the XBOX, the most exciting use for that hardware was the hacked mediacentre that made it a very nice media server; despite Microsoft’s attempts to block the hacks.
I see no significant innovation in XBOX360, which is not dissimilar from the PS3 in offering nothing really new other than gruntier hardware. I have no doubt Microsoft are in for the long haul, but I doubt XBOX360 will see them take a significant seat in the gaming market.
It is interesting to see that Nintendo have chosen to stay out of the “mine’s bigger than yours” battle and instead try to turn the industry in a new direction, most noteably with their new split controller.
Like the DS, the new Revolution controller promises an entirely new user experience. Only time will tell if software titles are sufficiently novel to create a separate market segment for Nintendo.
I think the future is rosy for Sony, uncertain for Nintendo, but gloomy for Microsoft. It will be interesting to see what happens when all three products are in the market place.
