Next-Gen Console Score Card (page 8 of 10)

GAME LIBRARY

In the end, it always comes down to the games. Exclusives, third-party support, even online downloadable titles. This is a key battleground for all three console manufacturers, and nowhere is the competition more fierce.

Xbox 360

While the PS3 and Wii are getting their launch line-ups ready, the 360 is basking in the glow of its year-long head start. The Xbox 360's library is stacked with triple-A titles like Dead Rising and Saints Row and more are on the way, such as Gears of War which is set to "emerge" in November. The 360 also has a rock-solid stable of exclusive titles such as Halo 3, Halo Wars, and the recently announced Grand Theft Auto 4 episodes.

But Microsoft can't rest on its laurels just yet: for all its troubles, Sony's launch line-up is looking to exceed all expectations and the Wii is backed by the strength of Nintendo's first-party franchises like Zelda and Mario. Microsoft has yet to cultivate a killer first-party franchise outside of Halo and it must do more to secure bigger exclusives in order to make the 360 a must-stop gaming destination.

And let's not forget Xbox Live Arcade, a growing source of retro gaming archive that lets users buy titles a la mode for a few bucks.

Game Library score: 4.00 (out of 5.0)

PlayStation 3

The real wildcard, primarily because the PS3's launch lineup is still shaping up. The Xbox 360's year-long head start has been kind to the console, allowing a handful of triple-A titles. The PS3 launch lineup is more nebulous. We're expecting to see as many as 24 PS3 launch titles, but that number is likely to sag a bit as key titles are delayed.

Marquee "launch window" titles will include sci-fi shooters Resistance: Fall of Man and F.E.A.R., hit RPG The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and racers like Ridge Racer 7 and MotorStorm. 2007 will see megaton titles like Lair and Metal Gear Solid 4. It's a promising lineup, to be sure, but is it enough to counter Microsoft's year-long lineup of exclusives? Time will tell.

Game Library score: 3.5 (out of 5.0)

Wii

Contrary to Nintendo's traditional licensing modus operandi, the Wii's game lineup sports strong first-party and third-party support covering a plethora of genres. We can expect to over 40 games for the Wii by the end of the console's "launch window." Third party support for the Wii, in particular, seems to be growing by the second.

Standout launch window titles include Ubisoft shooter Red Steel, Activision's Tony Hawk: Downhill Jam, medical puzzler Trauma Center: Second Opinion, and Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2. Then there's Nintendo's megaton bomb, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, which will be available from day one. Zelda is an advantage that can't be easily dismissed.

Moreover, the Wii's Virtual Console will provide unlimited access to Nintendo's entire backlog of past Nintendo, Sega, and NEC console games, including classics like Super Mario World, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Super Mario 64. Thirty titles are expected on launch day, but it's tough to say whether the Virtual Console will be a fun bonus or a momentum-shifting advantage for the Wii.



Game Library score: 3.75 (out of 5.0)

DECISION



Xbox 360

A key win for Microsoft. The Xbox 360's year-long lead is the console's number one advantage, and it's not hard to see why. A whole year of lead time gives third-party developers more practice to develop cutting-edge graphics and interesting new franchises (see Saints Row and November's Gears of War). It also allows for prices to droop, value lines to evolve, and an affordable used game market to emerge. Add in extensive support on Xbox Live Arcade, and you've got a universe of gaming options.

But that won't stop Sony and Nintendo from scoring their own must-have exclusives. These are only the opening shots in what is sure to be a long, drawn-out conflict.

Victor!

Victor!

Comments [1]

post a comment

  • First
    • Jump To Page:
    • [ 1 ]
  • Last
  • First
    • Jump To Page:
    • [ 1 ]
  • Last

Post a Comment