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FC NOW: The Fast Company Weblog

February 25, 2005

Microsoft's First Move

Last night Microsoft announced that they had hired Hironobu Sakaguchi to create two games for their upcoming Xbox Next. Sakaguchi is the creator of the bestselling series Final Fantasy.

And so Microsoft makes their first move for the upcoming console wars. They are hoping to get a solid foothold in the Japanese market, which they never did with the current Xbox. Microsoft out performed their competitors this holiday season and are gearing up for the future. This week Sony released Gran Turismo 4, the last hurrah for the PlayStation 2, as they switch their focus to the PlayStation Portable and the upcoming PlayStation 3. And Nintendo? Besides their new console being code-named Revolution, they are mum about their plans and are promoting the Nintendo DS.

Everything is gearing up for a battle of epic proportions -- just like the previous console wars. There shall be leaked specs and screenshots, rumors and innuendo, leading up to the E3 in May where all three next generation video game consoles are supposed to debut. We already have pics of Sega's Condemned and Electronic Arts' The Godfather.

With the video game industry steadily growing, taking in almost $10 Billion last year, the competition becomes more and more fierce. And, of course, as the technology becomes more realistic, video game popularity rises. Will Sony take the lead once again, or will someone else get the largest piece of the proverbial pie?