interesting bits and pieces about next-gen from IGN...

[StefanS]

DISCLAIMER: O.K. I have to admit this might be a load of bull produced by IGN. So please take with a grain of doubt...

I can understand why the industry is already geared up for the release of Microsoft's next console: it'll be here before the end of the year. But PlayStation 3 is a 2006 product. If I had to place a bet on it, I'd put my money down on Nintendo shipping Revolution shortly before PS3.

Never mind that both Microsoft and Sony will have playable versions of Xbox 2 and PS3 respectively on the show floor.

Link: Nintendo and E2005

So if this is true, Sony will arrive last in this gen, which I don't believe to be very likely. Plus, PS3 will be playable at E3, which I didn't expect. But keep in mind this might as well be false info...

 

[Acert93]

Nintendo announced last year that they would not be the last to launch (although they softened that stance a little it seems). As for playable, I know that last year many of the big players had mentioned showing their new machines (I know at E3 last year Nintendo said their new machine would be shown... no word on playable demos though). I am not sure, but I am pretty sure PS3 was always slated to show at E3 this year although the playable games is a nice surprise.

 

[cthellis42]

Frankly, it's all a bit "who knows" right now still. I don't think any of the commentators we've been hearing from so far are in a position to know for sure, and I don't think any of the companies are so locked into one thing that they adjust their target date by a bit one way or another if they judge it necessary.

Nor can I see any inherent/overriding advantages or disadvantages over going first versus going last versus neither... Any of those could be either advantage OR disadvantage depending on how the company plays it and their competition responds.

It's going to be an interesting year though, I'll tell you that much.

 

[London Geezer]

Well, we've seen the Cell chips, i think some kind of "playable" (as in, rolling demos running on it, behind a reinforced 9inch thick glass wall) prototype with a placeholder GPU and placeholder whatever else could be possible. Not sure what the point would be, but hey, they do have a few months to stick those Cell chips on a board with some memory and an NV40, if they don't have a prototype GPU by then.

 

[rabidrabbit]

Chances of Sony releasing the PS3 this year seem a bit slim.
Didn't nVIDIA say their chip for PS3 wouldn't be ready until at the end of this year.
If they didn't mean it'll be ready and in production, then the PS3 will not likely launch until spring 2006 in Japan.
Microsoft seems to be rady for Christmas 2005, and I wouldn't be too surprised if Nintendo released their "Revolution" this Christmas too. It would be wiser for them to go head to head with xbox2 than with PS3. They both still are fighting for the no.2 spot next gen after all, there's no denying that.

 

[PC-Engine]

Iwata has recently said the Revolution will be shown at E3 in some shape or form, however, he also said Nintendo wasn't sure how much of Revolution they would show...