Year in review: Battle of the game handhelds

Games: Battle of the handhelds Xbox 2 won't have a hard drive. Or maybe it will. The PlayStation 3 will pack in all sorts of multimedia functions. Or maybe it won't. This year, it sometimes seemed that gamers were more interested in rumors about game consoles they couldn't yet buy, as Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo kept a tight lid on plans for their . But there was plenty of action with the current editions of each company's game machine, plus some efforts to pave the way for the future. Microsoft set the stage early in the year by releasing XNA, a meant to serve PCs, the current Xbox and future generations of the game machine. Microsoft expects the tools to give it an edge as game publishers deal with spiraling development costs for next-generation consoles. Microsoft scored another coup a few months later when it finally convinced leading game publisher Electronic Arts to . Around the same time, Sony introduced a smaller version of its PlayStation 2 console, matched Microsoft price cuts and dropped a few more hints about the PlayStation 3, whose inched closer to reality. This was also the year Sony tried to grab a piece of the handheld gaming market with its , which was scheduled to go on sale in Japan in mid-December after a troubled history of delays and developer complaints. Nintendo counterpunched with the , an advanced handheld game player meant to expand a market the company already dominates with its GameBoy franchise. Mobile phone giant Nokia, meanwhile, struggled to keep a toe in the market with a revamped version of its . On the PC side, the big news was the release of "," a Freudian sequel to the best-selling PC game franchise of all time. Interest in subscription-based online gaming continued to grow as well, attracting attention from big tech companies but few breakthrough hits. PC makers also looked to get into the game, with Dell and others selling colorful, heavy-horsepower models . Game publishers capped the year with an unprecedented tsunami of AAA titles, including "," the sequel to Microsoft's signature Xbox title and the inspiration for one of the most lucrative launch days for an entertainment product of any type. The game also packed a , many of whom found themselves banned from the Xbox Live online gaming service run by Microsoft. Game makers also managed to stir up a fair degree of controversy, with joining the usual bugbears of . --David Becker Software giant announces new game development platform covering current and future versions of Windows and the Xbox game console. March 24, 2004 Researchers predict that ubiquitous displays and reconfigurable chips will revolutionize video gaming. And players can toss out their clunky old gamepads. March 26, 2004 Mobile phone giant announces the N-Gage QD, which corrects some of the most widely criticized design flaws in the original version of the high-priced game machine. April 14, 2004 Upcoming portable game players from Sony and Nintendo and a widely expected price cut for Sony's PlayStation 2 console top the agenda for the game industry's annual trade show. May 6, 2004 A holdout no longer, the market-leading game publisher says it will bring its games, including the "Madden" football franchise, to Microsoft's online service. May 10, 2004 IBM, Sun Microsystems and others are looking to profit from the growth in online games, selling servers and services to game publishers who increasingly see the value of outsourcing. June 3, 2004 Sony and Microsoft confront consumer apathy as they attempt to turn game consoles into multipurpose entertainment gadgets. August 16, 2004 Mental breakdowns and warped childhoods add to the fun in "The Sims 2," creator Will Wright explains. September 15, 2004 More game companies may drop out of business as new consoles push up development costs. September 23, 2004 In Japan, that is. The game player's surprising pricing there may indicate what the U.S. market can expect. October 23, 2004 Game publishers and hardware makers will battle for consumers' holiday dollars with a slew of high-profile releases. October 26, 2004 Hundreds of Xbox owners with modified consoles say they've been banned from the Xbox Live service in the past few days. November 12, 2004 Global gamers battle for glory--and money Intel ratchets up game chip Playing games with VoIP Amazon lists PlayStation 3 PlayStation 2 shortage rattles shoppers Game console sales plunge in 2004 How gory is that game? PlayStation 3 chip on track

Year in review: Battle of the game handhelds

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