The gaming and entertainment industry is so dynamic. Every year something big comes out and changes are made. I'd like to make a few predictions of my own.

1) Sony will re-release the Sixaxis controller with advanced rumble support from Immersion. Much like the dual analog setup of the PSone era, Sony will see the advantages here. So will gamers.

2) The XBox 360 will maintain it's strong sales in the U.S. but continue the poor sales in Japan. With two other (now) current-gen options, expect traditional Japanese developers to lean more support on Sony and Nintendo beginning in 2007.

3) Bouncing back from terrible PR up through the release of the PS3, expect Sony to get smart. In 2007 expect announcements for more Sony exclusives.

4) Bigger hard drives in the PS3--sooner rather than later.

5) Expect a bit of a marriage between the PS3 and PC gamers. With Sony support of USB devices, game developers are likely to give users more options of how to play. FPS's on PC's have usually dominated because of the keyboard/mouse setup.

6) Microsoft will leave 2007 with a console lead mostly due to supply. Expect Sony & Nintendo to make up a lot of ground though. I imagine Sony will have sold 8 million PS3's by next August with Microsoft around 13 million. With huge fall releases for both consoles expect that gap to be smaller going into 2008.

Okay that's enough. Nothing too shocking or crazy here but I'd like to hear some of your opinions and predictions. Let me know what you think.

So it's been a landmark week in gaming. Both the PS3 and Wii debut to large fanfare. I've owned and loved my PS2 for a long time and was very interested to see Sony's latest. These are my thoughts so far.

Like most consoles the worst press comes from the initial batch. The PS3 is no exception. A small amount of games aren't backward-compatible yet, some broken systems, and the usual run-of-the-mill mediocre launch titles.

However despite these I think the future for Sony (and Nintendo) is still bright. The PS3 like it or not is a beast and it's true power is not tapped. Blu-ray is starting to come around and my HD set will be here soon enough.

By next summer both systems will be readily available with (likely) better games, systems updates and reliable consoles. Again my decision to not buy a launch console was probably a smart one. Truth be told I'm getting greedy and considering an XBox 360 too...

Well after moving away for a year I decided to get serious and seek out a real job. After two interviews and way too long waiting to know whether I got it I finally heard back yesterday.

They made a good offer, I accepted and start my training in a little over a week. I'm pretty psyched, it's a huge company and I actually have benefits and vacation time.

Well the PS3 has taken a small blow in the last week with the announcement of less units shipped on day one. However, it is all relative. The PS2 launched with only 250K units on launch day; by comparison the PS3 will have 400K on launch day. The 400K is 40K more than the X360 sold after a week.

Everyone has read this or something like it by now. The reason people are focusing on it is because much of Sony's success will depend on how they can meet their hardware demand. If Sony truly can deliver 6 million units by March of 2007 then there really isn't a problem; 6 million shipped will be 6 million sold at that point.

However if they falter, then the leads by MS and Nintendo (gasp!) only become greater. It should be pointed out though that consoles don't hit their stride until the 3rd of 4th year of their lifespan. Christmas 2007 is much more important for Sony considering the big guns (MGS4, FFXIII, GTA4, DMC4) that is has coming out next year.

Also with studios adopting the VC-1 codec for Blu-ray recently, Sony's vision of the future and HD may fully be realized. Their decision to go with Blu-ray will likely prove wise as into 2007 and 2008 more people buy HD sets. Now if they can only bump their price down $100...

It's funny how things have turned around for Sony. They've gone from having gamers on the fence about them, no rumble, expensive prices, etc. and suddenly it's turning around.

I'm partial to Sony mostly because I love the software library for PS2 and back library for PS. All of that makes me want a PS3 but I was skepticle and now I can barely wait.

The latest MGS4 video and new Assassin's Creed pics might have done it. Maybe it's that IGN has reported very positive things about the latest devkits and their seemless PS3 network. How about the 35 playable demos for TGS?

No FIFA 07, no rumble, no problem.

Read this

Finally Nintendo is using a good idea. Read my 7/17 post to know exactly what I mean. Hooray Nintendo.

So I just got a free month of blockbuster online. The promo code is 36826 for free 30 days including a coupon for a free in-store rental each week. Share the wealth.

So far it's pretty good, let me know what you think. Also, I'd recommend the movie Versus, it's sick!

I have gone back to some of the early reviews I did for the site about a year ago and shined them up a bit. They were not well done at the time. The content hasn't been changed just expanded.

• Super Mario RPG
• Final Fantasy Origins
• Indigo Prophecy

No doubt Microsoft is doing everything in their power to position themselves as a console leader. They've garnered a fair market-share but have yet to leap over the top. The question they probably sitting around asking is "why?"

Some lessons from history.

Being first out the gate doesn't necessarily make you the winner. Plenty of consoles and handhelds have come out with more power and quicker than others to fail or not take the lead. In the end, it's not about power, it's about games.

I never purchased an XBox for two reasons. One, it never had a game that I couldn't get somewhere else (like my currently owned PS2 or high-end PC). Two, the gamers that were exclusives were lame.

Another FPS isn't going to make me break out my wallet. Neither will some racing game. Unique adventure games and RPG's will on the other hand. Let's name a few. Crash Bandicoot (PS), Devil May Cry, God of War, Final Fantasy, Shadow of the Colossus. See the trend?

Each game was an exclusive, single-player title with something new to offer. Sure Microsoft can tweak marketplace and create ultimate online gaming but I'm someone that could care less about that. There are a lot of people of that opinion too. I would rather take a single player experience over a massive multi-player one any day.

In any massive multi-player the idea is you get to be connected to other people. The problem is you are connected to other people. Each person enjoys their game experience differently and I don't want to share mine with someone ten years younger than me that says stupid things and takes away from my fun.

So Microsoft, stop churning out cookie cutter multi-player titles and position yourself to provide unique solo experiences. It's something Sony has done well and look where it got them.

While I'm of the opinion that the Wii's remote may not lend itself to all gamers, Nintendo does have options. Ones that could change future gaming and how we play forever.

Nintendo's dedication to retro-gaming in the Wii is the key. Nintendo Entertainment System, SNES, Nintendo 64 and Gamecube compatibility all in one box. In fact, the Big N even has the option of emulating any of their other systems if they so choose.

Now imagine this scenario. The Wii is out for about 6 months and behind closed doors development for some "new classic" games begins. Imagine getting Super Mario Bros. 4 playable on the NES, that is through the Wii.

The options here become endless. If Nintendo can get good third party support you may finally see some of those Japanese-only releases playable after 10 or more years of missing out.

Without the cost of shipping and manufacturing cartridges this is a low-risk investment. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to play a good translation of Final Fantasy II or Final Fantasy III, hell let's stretch it and say "Earthbound Zero" in it's original format.

The ball is in your court Nintendo.