New wave of game consoles compete

The new wave of gaming consoles have been on the scene long enough to firmly establish themselves. Although the competition between game systems has traditionally been a dynamic struggle, the recent pack has developed a fierce struggle for supremacy over the new frontier of gaming, the Internet. To the victor will go the spoils of the multi-billion dollar gaming industry.

The three major gaming companies – Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo – have all taken a different approach to on-line gaming. While the Sony PlayStation2 and Microsoft Xbox look to produce major gains in the burgeoning field, the Nintendo GameCube is taking a secondary role.

Although computers have played a large part in on-line gaming since the dawn of the World Wide Web, many users find that networking with one another can be complex and uninviting. The forerunners of the reinvention of on-line gaming look to avoid these problems as networking software need not be installed and networking bugs can be eluded.

Microsoft has recently begun to make some headway into uncharted waters, but it is the PS2 that currently holds the lead. Of late, Sony has worked out a system that will allow up to 400,000 PlayStation2 users to compete with each other on-line this year. Following in Sony's footsteps, Microsoft plans to launch a similar system in November; however, Microsoft is striving to release a superior system. Coming in third with a scant effort is Nintendo who plans to release a more generic system at a later date.

Even though Sony is the most popular of the current gaming consoles, Microsoft has the steady advantage. The company is already well established on the Web, it has tried and true networking software, it runs Zone.com (a PC-based game network), and it is an Internet service provider (as can be seen with MSN). If Microsoft is able to pool together its resources, it could drown out the competition in a similar fashion to what it has done in the software industry. The plans have already been formulated as Xbox was designed as an "Internet-enabled game console," coming complete with an 80-gigabyte hard drive and an Ethernet port.

It is clear enough that both Sony and Microsoft are planning to charge head-on into on-line gaming. The two companies feel that the populace is in need of this new dimension. Users are not always able to find another to play with and playing against a computer drone can get tiring. On-line gaming will allow users from around the world to compete with each other and it will afford a higher degree of participation.

Nintendo, on the other hand, does not maintain this attitude. After seeing the flop of Sega's Dreamcast, the contemporary initiator of on-line gaming, Nintendo is uneasy. Jim Merick, director of network marketing for Nintendo of America reportedly told The New York Times that "I think, in part, it [on-line gaming] is technology looking for an application…We are not a technology company. We are here to entertain people." Nintendo feels that, although on-line gaming may be a beneficial addition, it is not necessary for success. In fact, there will only be one on-line friendly game released for GameCube this year.

Contrary to this, Sony and Microsoft plan to release plenty of games. Game developing companies, like Activision and Electronic Arts, will follow suit, designing their new ventures with on-line capabilities. Kathy Vrabeck, Activasion's executive vice president for worldwide publishing, reported to the Times that "this on-line capability will enhance game experiences and extend our franchises." She felt that this realization will only come to fruition with the release of the next generation of gaming consoles.

The first wave of on-line attacks will soon commence. On Nov. 15, Microsoft will launch its Xbox Live gaming service. After Xbox users buy the startup kit, they will be able to play each other on-line. On the other hand, once PS2 users purchase a hard drive or port, a Sony network adapter, and a memory card for on-line play, they can play each other without a recurring fee.

There are two views to the burgeoning domain of on-line gaming. Some companies, like Sony and Microsoft, view the Internet as the new frontier of gaming, while others, like Nintendo, maintain a contrary position. Only time will tell which position will yield the big payoff, and its up to marketing to see which company will reap the spoils.