The video game industry, like most things in life, operates in cycles. A comet will come within a few hundred miles of our atmosphere, swing around the sun and disappear to the far end of our solar system, only to reappear 10 years later. The stock market will rise to previously unattainable numbers, take a wicked downturn and cause a near recession, only to rebound- all within a decade. Similarly, the video game industry every couple of years has to have a royal rumble in the form of a next generation console war. We are on the verge of yet another such occurrence in 2006, and the prospect of what’s next should leave all of us salivating.

In November of 2005, amidst much publicity and high expectations, Microsoft released the X-Box 360. Toting a sleek new design, and boasting graphics and gameplay previously only seen on high end PCs, the first “next-gen” system is an impressive piece of hardware. It has also been virtually impossible to acquire one. During the first two months of the system’s release date, it would have been more likely to see Mario & Luigi star in the latest Mortal Kombat game, than to walk in a store and buy one. Combined with the fact that only about half of the launch titles are originals (the other half being touched up versions of current gen games), and critics deeming the 360 a colossal failure.

That will all soon change however, and all 360 owners will have reason again to brag. Firstly, the system’s availability is no longer a needle in a haystack. Best Buy and Toys R Us all over have been getting small shipments, and other game stores expect to have systems for walk-in sales by early March. Coincidentally, March is also the month where the potentially hottest games of the year will be released, and that game is Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, sequel to the never ending quest Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, available on the original X-Box. The next Elder Scrolls will contain the same free-roaming adventure but with mind-blowing visuals and sophisticated A.I. that will immerse gamers into that world as never before.

While Oblivion might turn out to be the flagship role-playing adventure on the 360 for some time, there are other reasons to be excited. EA’s Fight Night series, currently the ‘king of the ring’ when it comes to boxing games, gets the 360 treatment in February. Gamers will awe at how incredibly detailed the pugilists are, and marvel at how each fist of fury contorts an opponent’s face in unheard of realism.

Also on the horizon is Gears of War (not yet available for pre-sales), the X-Box 360’s big sci-fi first person shooter that promises to bring plenty of large guns, huge monsters and epic confrontations (at least until Halo 3 in 2007). And not to be over looked is what I believe to be a sleeper hit for the 360: Blazing Angels. It will be the system’s first aerial combat game, and will likely recreate the Battle of Britain along with other legendary firefights of WWII in all of their dog-fighting, and sky shattering glory. This game is begging for a surround system and subwoofer to rattle your floorboards and wake the neighbors.

While Microsoft is gearing up for its second wave of killer 360 titles, Sony enters 2006 like a Great White with swimmers in the water; silent and ready to feed. Emerging as the clear winner from the last system war, Sony prepares for the release of its most powerful system to date, the Playstation 3. With an already massive game library, a legion of committed third party developers in their pocket, and the trust of both Japanese and American consumers, it is a near certainty that the PS3 will come out of the chute, guns blazing. What makes the coming of the PS3 so highly anticipated is the potential of all of our favorite franchises on PS2 getting the game makeover and delighting us anew. The grandeur of the Final Fantasy series, the stylistic swordplay of Dante in Devil May Cry, and the fierce and frantic firefights of Killzone are all examples of grade-A titles that are being upgraded to the PS3.

Probably the one game gathering the most attention is the next title in the Metal Gear Solid franchise: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. MGS4 is Hideo Kojima’s new espionage masterpiece that will house a “living, breathing world” in addition to the stealth action and invigorating story. Despite all this, Sony has not yet abandoned the PS2. Kingdom Hearts 2 drops in April to prove that point. The long awaited Disney with Square-Enix sequel again tantalizes gamers with its endearing characters and simple but fun gameplay.

And of course, there are our friends at Nintendo. Lately I tend to regard them as an aging boxer who no longer has the power or speed to be the champ, but can still win some bouts using her ring savvy. For a while now, Nintendo has been pulling up the rear in the console skirmishes, and the disparity has never been greater. With competitors upgrading their console, Nintendo will as well with their new console: Nintendo Revolution- slated for release this year with no actual time frame known at this point. The main selling point thus far will be that the system will allow us to access the entire Nintendo game collection from the earliest Super Mario game to Super Metroid- all available for download.

It is an interesting tactic, and appealing to the often fond memories gamers have of “old school,” before graphics ruled. The revolution will also bring an innovative controller with a sensor that gives it great versatility, allowing you to play using one or two hands, or even swing it as though it were a sword in an action game. How practical it will be is open to debate, but you have to be psyched for such a different stab at game interaction. What does it all mean? As we stand in the eye of the storm, the war of the next-gen console heats up, which we can only benefit from. In their effort to surpass each other, Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will continue to improve their hardware’s abilities and power, and thereby enhance the gaming experience. The 360 is just the first step and it will be fin to witness the furor the PS3 will create in its glorious arrival, which is fast approaching. 2006 is here, the first salvo has been fired, and now its time to watch the fireworks, and prepare our wallet for onslaught.