Insider: The New Wave

"It may be our colony, but is it inhabitable?

When Microsoft entered the console wars in 2001 many were skeptical about how the Xbox would fare. The PS2 had been released a year earlier to a reception that bordered on mania. People were buying PS2s on eBay for $1000 and for many the PS2 truly ushered in the DVD era. Nintendo's popularity was waning, leaving a chance for the Xbox to squeeze its way onto the scene, but could Microsoft hack it with a new system roughly the size of a minivan and no prior experience in the console market? The answer to that question is complicated. While the PS2 was definitely the winner in the current console bout, the Xbox secured a solid second place and gathered many fans with its impressive graphical capabilities and robust online support. For the next console generation Microsoft hopes to secure a place in gamers' living rooms ahead of its competitors by releasing their system first. Will Microsoft's earnestness pay off or will the Xbox 360, overshadowed by the impending PS3 release, go the way of the Dreamcast?"