Is the Console War Still Anybody’s Race?

By Nick Mokey Published May 29, 2008

Is the Console War Still Anybody

Ask anyone what the hottest video game system is these days and you’re bound to get one of three answers: PlayStation 3, Wii, or Xbox 360. Although the Wii has been the statistical sales leader in recent months, each system has its own drawbacks and benefits, leaving fierce competition between the three. In this week’s episode of Players Only, Scott Steinberg wonders which system will persist as the ultimate victor in the console wars.

Steinberg talks to both the gaming companies and independent experts to get their takes on the situation. Shane Bettenhausen of Electronic Gaming Monthy, for instance, is ready to chalk the victory up to Nintendo, while David Perry of GameInvestors.com is ready for the PlayStation 3 to finally surge ahead. Likewise, a handful of game developers, including Lionhead Studos founder Peter Molyneux, favor the Xbox 360 based on the strength of Xbox Live.

New episodes of Players Only, Digital Trends’ ongoing video game industry series, are released every Thursday, running up until June 6. The final series will comprise 10 episodes, spanning topics from the artistic merit of video games to the latest industry trends, like casual gaming.

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Gaming

Move over Helldivers 2. A Starship Troopers game is coming to consoles

Key art for Starship Troopers: Extermination.

Helldivers 2 is one of 2024's breakout gaming hits, but it's finally getting some competition from the franchise it is heavily inspired by. Offworld's Starship Troopers: Extermination, a co-op shooter based on the satirical sci-fi franchise, will exit early access on PC and launch for both PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S this October.

Starship Troopers: Extermination originally entered early access on Steam in May 2023 and is a co-op first-person shooter that supports up to 16 players. Helldivers 2 definitely stole a bit of its thunder, but this officially licensed Starship Troopers game does stand out because of its first-person gameplay perspective, character classes, and light base-building elements. While hardcore Helldivers 2 fans on PS5 and PC might not want to switch games, this finally gives Xbox players a game that's somewhat similar to Sony's multiplayer hit to check out.

Gaming

Valorant is coming to consoles but won’t have crossplay

Key art for Valorant on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

Valorant is coming to the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S as soon as next week with a limited beta test. Riot Games announced these long-awaited ports for its competitive hero shooter during Summer Game Fest 2024. Notably, while Valorant on consoles will feature cross-progression, it won't have crossplay.

The lack of crossplay may come as a disappointment to some players who hope to party up with their friends on PC; Riot Games says that it made this decision "to maintain Valorant's standard for competitive integrity." It wouldn't be fair for those with a controller to face off against players using a keyboard and mouse to control the game, after all. It also wouldn't make sense because Riot Games is not only adapting Valorant's control scheme for the Xbox and PlayStation controllers but reworking some gameplay features as well. Namely, it added a new feature called Focus that makes hip-fire feel more precise on a controller. Valorant Production Director Arnar Gylfason elaborated on this in a comment provided to Digital Trends.

Gaming

Sonic X Shadow Generations races to consoles this October

Shadow in the moonlight.

Sonic X Shadow Generations made a brief appearance at Summer Game Fest 2024 and it got a launch date of October 25. The rerelease will launch on PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC and cost $50

Revealed at the January 2024 State of Play, Sonic X Shadow Generations is a remake of the 2011 title that adds Shadow as a new playable character alongside the modern and retro versions of Sonic. Shadow will feature his own unique levels and gameplay. All the original Sonic stages returning, though there was no indication that any new Sonic stages would be added to this version of the game.