The PlayStation 3 already launched November 2006- almost a year later from their rivalry, Xbox. The advantage on that front goes to the Xbox. But the ps3 has a lot going for it, and the buzz that it has built has been outstanding.

Sony is shipping hundreds of thousands of units- an initial release of 400,000, with more than twice that number by the end of the year. It is very likely that all of these will sell out as everybody scrambles to see what they can do with the Ps3. Meanwhile, the Xbox 360 has a head start of almost a year, and has built up an impressive line of games.

The advantage on games does not go entirely to wholesale xbox on e-commerce, though. Sony already has a stunning line-up of PlayStation 3 games, at least 27 were in the works and many of these will be available from the launch date. Games for the PlayStation 3 include Need for Speed: Carbon, Resistance: Fall of Man, Ridge Racer 7, and Fatal Inertia.

Even before its release, the PlayStation 3 triumphed at the Tokyo Game Show, as several PlayStation 3 games were given awards. In addition, the PlayStation 3 will be able to run all games built for the PlayStation 2.

Whether it is in the wholesale playstation 3 markets or Sony retail commerce, it has another trick up its sleeve- what is being described as user created content. That is, the PlayStation 3 promises to bring some gamers out of their passivity, and empower them to add new features to the coming console.

This should appeal to PC Gamers, who are used to the joys of molding and creating new levels and environments for games. Sony hopes that they will transfer their talents and enthusiasm to the PlayStation 3 gamers. Microsoft typically takes a much less enthusiastic view of user-created content and the Xbox has very limited capacity in that regard in many of our views.

The xbox and the PlayStation 3 both have online services, but these are quite different in style. With the xbox, everything is tied closely into the Microsoft Empire through the medium of xbox Live. Sony has taken a more hands-off approach, and it seems there will be the option for gamers to choose one of several online services. It will be possible to play tournaments online through the PS3.

Who will win this battle? In the short term, Sony with the PS3 will likely win the next time Christmas sales battle- provided Sony could ship enough units to keep up with demand. But that is simply because they are the new kid on the block.

In the longer term, expect sales of the two consoles to be fairly similar- and impressively high in both cases, perhaps between 20 million and 30 million each over the next few years. And whoever claims triumph in the console battle, the gamers will win, being able to play the two most advanced consoles ever created. In the battle of the wholesale xbox and wholesale playstation 3 savings, we all win.