Let the console wars begin

The battle between the three dominant video game console makers — Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo — heated up in the wake of the E3 2006 conference in Los Angeles, as new details emerged about the Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii (pronounced “we”) platforms, which are scheduled hit store shelves later this year. Microsoft also shed some light on the future of its 6-month-old Xbox 360 console.

Here’s what you need to know if you’re a die-hard gamer — or the parent of a kid who will beg you to buy video gaming’s latest and greatest.

Sony PlayStation 3

Sony, the No. 1 video game machine maker, says its PlayStation 3 will debut Nov. 17 in North America with a price of $499 (with 20-gigabyte hard drive) and $599 (60GB hard drive). This next-generation console also will let gamers play high-definition movies on Blu-ray Discs.

Sony also showed its PS3 controller that looks and feels like its two predecessors but also employs a six-axis sensing system.

“The PlayStation 3 is what everyone wants,” says Dan “Shoe” Hsu, editor-in-chief of Electronic Gaming Monthly, an industry journal. “They have the strongest brand awareness and it’s what all the kids will want this holiday.”

The PS3’s price tag — up from $199 for the PS2 console — isn’t deterring gamers who contribute to Internet message boards.

“The price is a bit steep for me, but I should be able to get one,” writes one poster in a forum at GameSpot ( www.gamespot.com), a popular video game site. “I’ll probably preorder it or try to get the store real early so I don’t have to resort to eBay.”

Nintendo Wii

Nintendo, currently in third-place with its GameCube system, plans to fight back with a new console that promises innovation in game control, rather than cutting-edge graphics. The Wii is designed to make video games more appealing for new and casual gamers, rather than just hard-core fans.

The wireless Wii controller, for example, resembles a DVD remote and has internal sensors so it can be wielded like a sword, swung like a tennis racket or gripped like a steering wheel in racing games. The angle of the controller guides the onscreen action. The controller also has a built-in speaker, a vibrating mode and can be attached to a nunchuck peripheral for two-handed action.

The Wii is scheduled to go on sale in the fourth quarter. Nintendo says the console will be “affordably priced” and will launch with “The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess,” a new title in the popular franchise.

While Nintendo hasn’t announced the Wii’s price, at least one industry analyst says it probably will be less than the PS3 or Xbox 360.

“Because of Sony’s announced price on the PS3, which ranges from $500 to $600, they are giving Nintendo the ticket to name their price on the Wii,” says Billy Pidgeon, with Go Play Research in New York. “Before E3, I predicted the Nintendo Wii to be about $199, but now (it) can go as high as $299 and include two controllers and possibly a game.”

Electronic Gaming Monthly’s Hsu agrees: “For mom and dad and the kids, the Nintendo Wii is the safe way to go. The Wii has very accessible controls and will be the cheapest machine out of the three systems.”

Gamers reacting to the news on gaming Web sites also appear to agree.

Microsoft Xbox 360

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates made a surprise appearance at E3 to reinforce the company’s commitment to the console wars.

He told an audience of industry and retail types that the Xbox 360 will have a 10 million-unit head start even before Sony and Nintendo launch their respective next-generation machines. What’s more, roughly 160 Xbox 360 games will be available by the end of the year.

Microsoft wowed the crowd with a real-time demo of the creepy action game, “Gears of War,” and teaser trailers to “Halo 3,” the latest iteration of the one of the best-selling video games, and “Alan Wake,” a new story-driven cinematic thriller.

Gates also talked about “Live Anywhere,” an always on cross-platform service that connects gamers between the Xbox 360, a Windows Mobile-based cell phone or a PC running the upcoming Windows Vista operating system.

Scott Ellis, a 20-year-old from Gainesville, Fla., says he enjoys the game play offered by his Xbox 360 but is frustrated with ongoing hardware issues. “I’ve had three defective Xbox 360s in a row, and I am going on my fourth,” he says.