RF: And that's another point. The majority of folks who buy any successful system don't buy it within the first year at "full price."

BK: Of course not. They don't want another Dreamcast or Saturn.

RF: I do! But I want them to succeed.

BK: Though both systems were well worth owning.

RF: Yeah.

BK: I let the market fight it out. But really, Sony's backwards compatibility is so sweet, I can still play my favorite PS games and if I buy a PS3, I'll be able to play NHL Hockey '06 on it.

RF: In this round, I'm digging Nintendo's backwards compatibility. Sony will let you play PS and PS2 games on PS3 but there's no memory card or controller plugs. so if I want to play Taiko Drum Master with my awesome PS2 drum, I can't. Microsoft is the same way. Nintendo has pretty much provided a Gamecube and Revolution console in one. Sony's backwards compatibility is good for most games but it could have been a tick better.

BK: And Sony's online play isn't close to where it should be.

RF: Right, they're promising a lot; well the rumor is they're promising a lot with their Xbox Live Killer. We'll see.

BK: Ever know a company to say, "Our next gen system really isn't going to be that impressive?"

RF: No not really. They all love to talk shit, I guess that's their jobs.

BK: Yeah, but this four to five year cycle is ridiculous. They have got to let these systems to hang out longer and stop getting people all worked up about what's coming NEXT. Give the systems seven to eight years, let the developers teach them how to stand up and do tricks and when you can make a quantum leap, then make it. But with these guys, it's planned obsolescence on a four year rotation and it kills the existing systems.

RF: I agree especially with longer dev cycles. Two to three years to make a proper game in a five-year lifecycle isn't enough.

BK: Of course it isn't. As you say, we're looking at development cycles that are longer than most films and yet, even if you start development on the first day the system launches, you have to sweat as to whether it'll still be the "hot" system by the time your software arrives — or will the company be trumpeting its Next Big Thing?

RF: Most films? Almost every film! unless you develop EA games, they shit those glorified upgrades out fast.

BK: True, but remember the screenwriting process is generally not included in movies.

RF: True that. I'm a filmmaker and I definitely know what you're talking about! Is a woman's place in the kitchen or online playing you in Halo?

BK: If it's Halo, she's probably kicking my ass. I don't like that game — rather play Goldeneye (the original). But you bring up a crucial point. The demographic breakdowns are indicating a world that is pretty much 50-50 male and female. Designers are going to need new paradigms, such as Will Wright, who is a genius, created The Sims. Women aren't satisfied by a rail gun and a bunch of zombies; they want something different and game designers better be thinking about what that is — especially the female designers.