Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony are set for battle with the introduction of the next generation of video game consoles.
Microsoft's Xbox and Nintendo's GameCube are expected to go on sale later this year in the US. They will be competing against Sony's PlayStation 2.
All three products will be promoted this week in Los Angeles at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the world's largest video game trade show.
The console war will bring the next generation of entertainment into living rooms, offering varying combinations of internet access, MP3 downloads, DVD-playing capability and multi-player games with richer graphics and faster processing. Neither Microsoft nor Nintendo have said what their boxes will cost. The PlayStation 2 costs $299 (around £399 in Ireland).
Newcomer Microsoft is likely to get the most attention. Analysts say the software giant is spending $500 million to market its new system, more than it spent promoting Windows 95. At the E3 show, Microsoft will highlight Xbox's built-in hard disc, which it says enables better graphics and more sophisticated games.
The company will also hype games including Halo, a sci-fi soldier combat game; Shrek, based on the soon-to-be-released animated movie of the same name; and the third instalment of Odd World, a quirky strategy/combat game featuring a cast of freakishly cute characters in a strange land.
The company plans to announce release dates during the conference and begin promoting Xbox's online connectivity. The unit will come with hardware for online access, but executives have said full online service for Xbox owners won't arrive until next year.
Nintendo, meanwhile, will be highlighting its system by promising more titles unique to its GameCube than the game lineups of competitors. Nintendo is counting on that edge to divert attention away from the fact that GameCube has no DVD player. Instead, Nintendo is positioning itself as a pure game company.
Sony will use E3 to silence questions about PlayStation 2's initial lack of internet connectivity, hyping a newly announced partnership between the company and AOL. The joint venture allows PlayStation 2 owners to access AOL through the console.
PA