A battle too close to call

Nintendo came into E3 with its own hardware issues — it simply can’t make enough Wii consoles. In the eight months since launch, the company has sold 6 million of the cute little machines with the funny name and would have sold more — if only they could keep up with consumer demand.

On the one hand, this is great news for Nintendo. It’s like telling a prospective employer that your biggest flaw is your perfectionism. But it’s also bad news. If Nintendo can’t get consoles into living rooms, it’s not going to sell software. And that’s where the real money is — especially at Christmastime.

Not that there’s much software to speak of on the Wii yet, either. “Legends of Zelda: Twilight Princess” and “Resident Evil 4” are essentially GameCube games that take advantage of the Wii’s motion-sensing controller.

Developers like Activision and Ubisoft, caught off guard by the success of the Wii, rushed to port titles like “Call of Duty” and “Prince of Persia: Rival Swords.” But Nintendo’s legions of fans love the software more than the hardware. And eight months is just too long to wait for a brand-new Mario game.

Nintendo says the wait is nearly over. Company president Reggie Fils-Aime says “Super Mario Galaxy,” due out in the U.S. by November 7, will do for the Wii what “Super Mario World” did for the SNES. In other words, make it a best-seller.

Nintendo also says that the oft-delayed “Metroid Prime 3” is set to hit shelves by August 20. “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” is promised by December 3, just under the wire for holiday shopping season. But those gamers waiting for “Mario Kart Wii” (and what Mario fan isn’t?) will have to sit tight until at least the first half of 2008. Bummer.

Another bummer for game fans is the news that Sony’s PlayStation 3 still costs an awful lot of money. Despite a pre-show price cut of $100, most industry-watchers and show attendees agree that $499 is still way too much to pay for a system that doesn’t have a single awesome game.

But let’s not forget who we’re talking about here. Sony was the undisputed console king for a long, long time. Yes, they’ve been stubborn — arrogant, even — in the face of sluggish sales. But Sony’s track record in this industry cannot be denied — and all it takes is a few amazing games to make everyone forgive and forget. 

Attendees left Sony’s press briefing Wednesday plenty wowed after seeing demos of “Killzone 2,” “Gran Turismo 5,” “Unreal Tournament 2007” and “Metal Gear Solid 4.” Many predict that Japanese fans will jump on the PS3 bandwagon once “Final Fantasy XIII” ships in December 2008. Japan loves PlayStation, but that’s a long way off.

As we leave this year’s E3, it’s tough to predict which of the console makers will emerge as the top dog.  Maybe consumers, which now include soccer moms and seniors, will buy more than one console for their living rooms. Perhaps the industry, which is projected to enjoy another great year with 2008 as a potential record-smasher, can actually support three strong consoles.

Perhaps. But it looks like we’ll just have to wait and see.

MORE FROM ON THE LEVEL

On the Level Section Front

Ottumwa, video game capital of the world? Do 'tweens really need their own online game? Games a 'healthy escape,' say disabled readers For disabled, video games can be a lifesaver Can OnLive really revolutionize gaming? Seth Rogen's monster move to video games More 'mature' games for Wii? Yes, please Can the Wii win back hard-core gamers? Economy has game-makers honing strategies No 'Call of Duty' without 'Rules of War' On the Level Section Front   Add On the Level headlines to your news reader: