I was just checking when the XBOX came out, and actually it's only about 3 years old. Doesn't this seem a bit early to be releasing a next gen console only 3 years after the original?

Obviously they have their reasons, but they are going to be almsot a full year ahead of Nintendo and Sony. The PS2 has been out since 2000, and it will be 6 years old before it is replaced by the PS3.

Expect the third XBOX in 2008 I guess..

I guess sad would be a good way to put it. Microsoft really does want to rule every aspect of computers they can. I can't wait until we start seeing big screen tv's with their name stamped on it. Then again, I don't want the BSoD coming up when I'm trying to watch a good porn.

Xbox came out in 2001, right? That makes it four years old, not three.

Yeah it's 4 years old. But that is still pretty early to introduce a new console.

It's not that early. Most consoles only last 5 years. Xbox already reached it's potential a while ago.

I could have sworn it came out in 2002, but I guess it was 2001?? The UK release date was in 2002 I think.. Either way, it's potential may have been reached, but it just seems early. I can't complain though. I've been bored with XBOX games since PC games have passed them up. It will be nice when Microsoft levels the playing field a bit. The 360 should look nearly as good as any PC games out there, unless you are running an insane card.

Somehow I doubt the 360 is going to look better than some of the $600+ video cards out there..

Yeah, they obviously have to get it out early to have any chance of outselling PS3. I think it's smart. PS3 comes out a year later and will hardly have much of an advantage in performance. The only problem is that there don't seem to be many great games available at launch. There's definitely no Halo. But PDZ will be good and could surprise us.

I have been looking forward to PDZ since even before Halo.. and actually prefer Rare style FPS games over the style of Halo. I think PDZ will be a Halo-killer on the XBOX. If the mission mode inlcludes insanely hard objectives like GoldenEye and the original Perfect Dark had, then it will be awesome. The best part about Rare FPS games is how earning cheats is so hard. There's just a great satisfaction involved with beating Facility in 2 minutes and 14 seconds.

Personally, I didn't think the singleplayer in Perfect Dark was that fun. It was so much better in Goldeneye. I spent so much time trying to beat the game on 00 agent and get all the cheats. I think I got all but one or two. I never even tried to beat PD on all difficulties and only got a few cheats. It just got boring, particularly the levels later in the game with all the aliens. Then again, the singleplayer in Halo isn't much better, if any.

Probably worse. I think the original PD holds its own very well against Halo.