BBC Wednesday, 16 May, 2001, 13:47 GMT 14:47 UK

Excitement over X-Box

Computer game professionals are waiting to play on Microsoft's new X-Box console for the first time when it is unveiled at an exhibition in Los Angeles.

The Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), which starts on Wednesday, is described by Microsoft as a "coming out party" for its console.

Nintendo's new GameCube will also be previewed at the four-day event, as will new games for the Sony Playstation 2.

The three are set to be engaged in a battle for users when the new Microsoft and Nintendo games machines are launched later this year.

E3 says it will attract more than 62,000 retailers, developers, investors, distributors and journalists from more than 100 countries.

They will be given the first peek at the very latest technology.

So far the X-Box, Microsoft's first venture into the world of console gaming, has made most headlines.

"X-Box has more momentum in terms of excitement and hype," according to Electronic Gaming editor-in-chief Ken Hsu.

With a marketing budget of $500m (£350m), the console is to be launched in Japan and America later this year.

One worker on the X-Box's website said it has been hard to get work done because the games are so good.

"Our web team has seen - and played - a lot of games prior to working on X-Box," he said on the site.

"But the last week has been full of people yelling in the halls about 'how-freakin'-good' this game looks, or that game looks."

Microsoft hopes to have 15-20 game titles available when the console launches, with all the major programming houses - including Electronic Arts and Sega - signed up to produce them.

UBS Warburg analyst Mike Wallace said the available games will include two of the top sports titles.

Supremacy

"The technology is great, but they need to have exclusive games to make people buy the hardware," he said.

"They have John Madden and Tony Hawk converted for the Xbox and others, but none of these are exclusive."

There will be a strong battle for supremacy between the different platforms, says Mr Hsu.

Sony's Playstation 2 was launched last year, and some think the Nintendo GameCube could be the dark horse of the trio.

"In terms of power, all are about equal and it really comes down to what games [players] are going to get excited about," Mr Hsu said.

"Nintendo has the best games in the world, most gamers will tell you. They have really strong franchises, so they don't even have to show the games and people are excited."

Nintendo has been very tight-lipped about the GameCube's details.

It is scheduled to be on sale in North America by November.

Sony will use E3 to demonstrate how their recent deal with internet service providers AOL will work.

They hope the deal - which will give Playstation 2 users quick internet access - will give them the edge over their rivals.

"If you are playing a strategy or mission-based game and you need to chat strategy with your teammates, you can do that," said Kazuo Hirai, president of Sony Computer Entertainment America.

The games war has already had one casualty.

Earlier this year Sega, makers of the Dreamcast console, announced that they were ending its production to concentrate on developing software.

-- Anonymous, May 16, 2001