New Developments in the Digital Homes

Whether you grew up on Pong or PacMan, Sonic the Hedgehog or Mario, it looks like things are continuing to advance in home game systems. Planning for brisk holiday sales, Microsoft has taken another step toward making their Xbox gaming system the centerpiece of the digital home. Launching November 22, the first anniversary of Xbox 360, Microsoft will be providing a content-downloading service that includes 1,000 hours of both standard and high-definition tv and movies from such companies as Warner Bros., Paramount, MTV Networks, and Adult Swim. Microsoft has sold 6 million Xbox 360’s and has about 4 million Xbox Live subscribers.

Not content to let the other guy get a dollar more during the holiday buying frenzy, Nintendo is releasing their new Wii system on November 19. Though not having the tv and movie bells and whistles of the Microsoft system, the Wii will have an innovative controller that melds user movements with the action on the screen. For example, in the Wii Sports tennis game, players swing the Wii Remote like a racket to hit the ball, as in real life. They can add topspin or slice the ball just by angling their hands and wrist like they would in a real match.