The Next-Gen Gaming Chronicles: Predictions and Protests

Let the mud-slinging, well, continue: just months before the intended release of Sony's Playstation 3 (PS3) console, rumors are beginning to swirl in the tech industry on which console company might come out on top.

In response to a recent analyst report which projected the PS3 to claim victory, Microsoft alleges that one of Sony's most significant claims about its console is unlikely to be a success.

Furthermore: Boston-based market analyst "The Yankee Group" recently predicted that Sony, undoubtedly the most successful console-producer of the last two gaming generations (PS1 and PS2), will again topple the competition from Microsoft and Nintendo in the coming years.

Despite Microsoft's one year head start with the November 2005 release of its Xbox 360, The Yankee Group believes that by the end of this gaming generation -- sometime in 2011 -- Sony will have more than made up for the lost ground.

The Yankee Group predicts that the PS3 will sell 30 million units by 2011, with the Xbox 360 shipping 27 million and Nintendo pushing about 11 million of its underpowered but trendy Wii. (Source: gamespot.com)

Perhaps in response to the recent predictions, Microsoft is protesting against its most-dominant competition by arguing that Sony's claims of supporting 1080p high definition are unlikely.

In a statement from Andre Vrignaud, Director of Technical Strategy for Xbox Live, Microsoft claims that the graphical abilities of the PS3 are not significantly greater than the Xbox 360's, meaning that most of Sony's next-gen games will run at 720p and not 1080p. According to Vrignaud, even if you do see 1080p releases from Sony, they won't be this year and they won't look much better than the Xbox 360's 1080i. (Source: dailytech.com)

One simple thing is for sure: if Sony hopes to rope in nearly $600 USD for every PS3 it sells, the games BETTER look good.