However, in the fickle world of video game entertainment, there are no permanent alliances. Look at Nintendo and Square. Look at Nintendo and Sony. Look at Microsoft and Rare. Look at Microsoft and Bungie Soft.

They may be Xbox 360 exclusives today, but it’s only a matter of time before these 5 titles will appear on the Sony Play Station 3. The sooner the better, say PS3 owners.

1. Dead Rising. Capcom’s “other” zombie hit was one of the first titles for Microsoft’s then fledgling video game machine. Reviews about the game were mixed. Some called it innovative, while others called it repetitive. Some described it as a technological marvel, while others claimed that it was all icing. Some applauded the game for being fun, while others are complaining that they didn’t get the “scares” that they expected. Regardless of the reception about Dead Rising, the fact is, it’s not an exclusive “exclusive.” It has since been ported to the Nintendo Wii, and industry experts are predicting that it’s just a matter of time before Dead Rising rises on the Play Station 3. Also, Capcom is currently keeping mum on the question of what system the announced Dead Rising 2 will be appearing on, something which many people believe is a clear sign that the franchise is headed to the Play Station 3.

2. Mass Effect. People are of the mistaken impression that Microsoft owns the rights to the Mass Effect franchise. The intellectual property belongs to Bioware, which currently has an exclusive developer’s contract with Microsoft. When this contract expires, Bioware can bring its property wherever it pleases – and the Play Station 3 may be the new home of this controversial space-faring, lesbian-loving, sci-fi RPG.

3. Star Ocean: The Last Hope. It is not common for seemingly exclusive RPGs to jump shift to another console. Most Japanese developers only agree to a “timed exclusive” clause, anyway. Such is the case with Eternal Sonata and Tales of Vesperia which were first released on the Xbox 360 but eventually found their way to the Play Station 3, with added content to boot. Tri-Ace’s newest masterpiece, as published by Square-Enix, may follow suit, as Sony’s line of consoles are the traditional homes of jRPGs (Japanese Role Playing Games).

4. Blue Dragon. The dream team that comprises Mistwalker are said to be disappointed with the performance of their very first game for the Xbox 360, and the very first jRPG for the said system. Microsoft’s console only has a limited base in Japan, and this contributed to the poor sales experienced by Blue Dragon. One the timed exclusive agreement with Microsoft expires, people predict that Mistwalker will bring their franchise to the Sony Play Station 3. But first, they must publish one game under such an agreement – Blue Dragon 2.

5. Ninja Gaiden II. This is a given. One of the highest rated action platformers today will appear on the Sony Play Station 3, eventually. After all, an improved version of its predecessor, Ninja Gaiden Sigma, made the jump a year after debuting on the Xbox 360.

PS3 owners. Patience.

Your turn will come.

Let’s face it, these gaming consoles don’t come cheap. And in the face of a global recession, we will want the best value for our money. So, which console will be worth our hard earned cash? The Xbox360 or the PS3?

Alas, the answer to that question depends on 5 key points that every avid gamer is concerned about.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td><img src="" /><td></tr><tr><td><td></tr></table>1. Which console has a deeper game library? Games define game machines, not the other way around. Quality, of course, is more important than quantity, but a console that has 100 games has better chances of getting more quality games than a console which has 50 games. When it comes to the depth of the game library, the Xbox360 is the runaway winner. Having been released a year before the PS3, the Xbox360 has managed to amass quite a number of exclusive titles. WINNER: Xbox360.

2. Which console offers a better online experience? Basically, this is a battle between Xbox Live and the Playstation Network. The difference between them is like night and day. Xbox Live provides a smooth, optimized multiplayer experience. The Playstation Network is laggy. Xbox Live hosts more demos and freebies than its counterpart. Though the Playstation Network has released a Second Life-like social networking, avatar-based game called Home, the Xbox Live has secured partnerships with a slew of digital distributors that will stream content for Xbox360 owners. WINNER: Xbox360.

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" border="0"><tr><td><img src="" /><td></tr><tr><td><td></tr></table>3. Which console is more reliable? The PS3 is known as a very durable machine. There are even rumors that the Japanese engineers who test drove the PS3 had it play continuously inside a sauna bath… and the unit fared very, very well. The Xbox360 is plagues by numerous (way too numerous) reports of error codes involving 3 red lights – infamously known as 3RL – which indicate general hardware failure that will render the console unplayable. Though Microsoft has tried to remedy the situation by extending the Xbox 360’s warranty to an unprecedented 3 years, the PS3 is the current console that provides interrupted gaming enjoyment. If you want to play with confidence about your console, go for the PS3. WINNER: Playstation 3.

4. Which console is more affordable? As of this writing, the Xbox360 Arcade package costs $199, and the basic package costs $299. The Playstation 3 80GB costs $399 and Sony refuses to implement a price drop, claiming that they already lose $307 for every unit sold since production of the PS3 is quite expensive. WINNER: Xbox360.

Based on the four areas of concern discussed above, the Xbox360 is the clear cut winner.

But the more important question is: is the Xbox360 the clear cut winner for you as well?

Sony originally said it would introduce the controller this spring, but is now delaying the release of its new motion-sensing controller for the PlayStation 3 game console until autumn.

The new release date gives Sony more time to accumulate a “comprehensive portfolio of titles to choose from at launch.”

This may still bring the new PS3 controller out before the XBox version, which games rival Microsoft Corp. aims to release in time for the end-of-year holiday season. Supposedly the Microsoft entry (Project Natal) eliminates the need for a controller altogether by using the body’s movements to control on-screen actions.

Nintendo, whose Wii videogame console originated the motion-controller, has not indicated whether it’s upgrading its controller.