Seattle Times technology reporter Kim Peterson is reporting this week from the annual Electronics Entertainment Expo, known as E3, in Los Angeles. She answered a selection of your questions today, live from L.A., during a lunchtime Q&A. Thanks to all who participated!

Read Peterson's dispatches from E3.

Welcome, everyone. I'm in Los Angeles, wrapping up a week at the Electronics Entertainment Expo, the annual conference for the video game industry. It's been a good week with lots of news, as this is an exciting transition time to next-generation gaming consoles. I'm happy to take your questions about where this big-money industry is headed.
— Kim Peterson

I noticed that Square Enix is not releasing any new role-playing games for the Xbox 360. Is their business relationship crumbling? And just how many new RPGs (from all publishers) are coming to Xbox 360 this year?
— Carlo Carrasco, Cebu City, Philippines

Kim Peterson: Japanese game giant Square Enix's biggest announcement this week was "Final Fantasy XIII," an exclusive for Sony's PlayStation 3 that's coming out this fall. It's also developing a new game in its extremely popular "Dragon Quest" series for Nintendo's Wii console. It was a little surprising that there wasn't a big Xbox 360 announcement, but I wouldn't take that as a sign of a broken relationship. I think if Microsoft started seeing more love from Japanese game players, Square Enix would start to be interested.

I asked Microsoft today how many role playing games (RPGs) are coming to the Xbox this year or next, and the company said there would be 12, including the sequel to the game "Fable." Others include "Mass Effect" by Bioware and "Blue Dragon" by Mistwalker (although "Blue Dragon" is being targeted at the Japanese market it will be available in the U.S. as well).

I was wondering what is the price of PS3's in Australia?
— Darren Chung, Sydney, Australia

K.P.: In Australia, the version with the 20 gigabyte hard drive will cost AUD $829 and the 60 gigabyte hard drive model will cost AUD $999. The PS3 is scheduled to launch there on Nov. 17.

Kazuo Hirai justified the price because "consumers will be using the PS3 for the next 10 years." Who does he think he is kidding?
— Bruce Frazier, Bement, Ill.

K. P.: Yeah, it was like suddenly the console life cycle had doubled from five to 10 years.

But the comment from Hirai, CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment America, did get me thinking. I wonder if the console cycle will end at some point. Five or 10 years from now, maybe all of the games we play will be available for download. Maybe the days of disk-based games will be gone. Maybe the PS3 and the Xbox 360 will be able to sufficiently handle those new games.

We just need our broadband infrastructure to improve to where it won't take hours, or even days, to download a high-caliber game.

With all the innovations and new possibilities that Nintendo has shown us recently — and all the same old stuff that Sony has shown us — why should anyone buy a PS3 for $600 when the Wii's price is likely to be less than half of that?
— John Lester, New Kennsington, Pa.

K. P.: That's a good question, and one that a lot of people are probably going to be asking over the next several months. The onus is on Sony now to convince everyone that yes, they need to pay the extra 300 bucks for the PS3.

One obvious difference is that the PS3 has a high-definition video player and the Wii doesn't. But would the average person on the street say he needs that video player? Probably not. And that's Sony's challenge moving forward.

When will they combine it all into one appliance: video (TV, DVR, home, et . al) audio, Internet, games, mail????
— Steve Means, Myrtle Point, Ore.

K. P.: Well, much of what you've mentioned is already in one appliance: Microsoft's Windows Media Center PC. But do you really want a PC at the center of your living room? I don't. Also, the Media Center PC doesn't play the sophisticated video games designed for a PlayStation 3 or an Xbox 360. There have been some attempts to bring it all together, but none of them are very elegant yet. I think it will take years to produce something like you described.

Holy smokes! That is way too expensive for any normal working anybody to afford, especially if one has to drive and pay $3.11 per gallon. Not worth it.
— DVader, Renton

K. P.: Hey, you could always sell your car and move back in with your parents. It's a tried-and-true method for video gamers. ;-)

Do the large and small game companies which prepare games for PlayStation have the specs for PS3 and will they also be launching their games in November when PS3 comes on the market? It seems these companies which have worked exclusively for Sony PlayStation consoles should know all about the PS3 so that they could continue to prepare games for the new machine.
— Linda Mathison, Seattle

K. P.: Good question. Sony gives early developer kits to video game makers with all the specs they need to build games. I think a final developer kit is coming out very soon. Some developers will be launching games in November when the PlayStation 3 goes on sale, but I don't think it'll be more than a dozen or so.

How can they realistically expect consumers to pay $600 for for a PS3 when a fully capable PC is available for close to the same money? The PS3 will have more limitations on it and be non-upgradable as well. Why would I pay that much for basically a weak computer?
— John McGivern, Forks, Wash.

K. P.: Your point is one that's being expressed here often in this Q&A and one I'm hearing on the floor at E3. Also, we haven't heard how much games will cost on the PS3 but I'm guessing they'll be in the $50 to $60 range.

Have there been any talks about the release of Shenmue 3 on Xbox 360 or PS3?
— Jason, Seattle

K. P.: Zero talk. I think this title might be vaporware at this point.

What will the English price be?
— Joey Walker, Liverpool, England

K. P.: Well, going from the price in euros I'm going to guess the PlayStation 3 will cost roughly 340 British pounds for the 20 gigabyte version and 408 pounds for the 60 gigabyte version.

How do you expect kids to be able to afford the games and controllers after they shell out $500! I have been waiting years for the PS3 but now the price is so high I will be buying an Xbox ... at least I can afford it.
— Jonathan, Seattle

K. P.: Ah, music to Microsoft's ears. Between the PS3's delay from spring to November and the $600 price tag, no wonder Microsoft execs are all smiles here at E3.

Can you imagine playing with the Wii and its controller for an entire lifecycle of the console? Or do you think it's gimmick-y and something people will be bored with a couple months after purchase?
— Andrew, Seattle

K. P.: That's a really good observation. Clearly the Wii is riding a wave of euphoria now because the controller is just so new and different. What happens when it's not-so-new?

Even Nintendo admits its graphics aren't as good as what you'll get on the PlayStation 3 or the Xbox 360. Nintendo says it's all about fun games, and so the pressure will be on to keep its controller fun and fresh. In some ways, that's more of a burden than what Sony and Microsoft have.

Is there any way that the PS3 might come down in price?
— Justin, Wautoma, Wis.

K. P.: Of course it will. Just about every console has gone through numerous price drops in their lifetimes. But I suspect there won't be a price drop until way down the road. Sony will likely produce the PS3 at a huge loss — in other words, it's going to cost the company more than $600 to make one of these things — and though components will get cheaper over time I don't think the company will want to drop the price unless sales start to slow down.

OK, first a comment and then a question. Kim, you seem to be VERY biased in favor of the Xbox 360. I must admit, I've never read your past reports so this could be a mistaken impression on my part though. Why so down on Sony? I know you're in Microsoft's back yard, but really, do you have to be so obvious about it? I hope that my news will be reported to me in an unbiased way and I feel that I'm not getting the real story from you when it comes to Sony. Having said that I should add that I LOVE my 360, I bought it at midnight on day 1 and have been playing it constantly. Further, I actually work at Microsoft (not in gaming). However, I am a true gamer and want the "real" pros and cons of the system, not just the MS company line spewed back at me by a reporter I read in hopes of finding some of the benefits of the PS3 (I may work at MS but I love my PS2 as much as my Xbox), so I can make an informed decision on whether to buy one. Really, please, give me some real content on some of the positive features of the PS3! Thanks!
— Matt, Seattle

K. P.: Now this is an interesting question. Well, I hate to be accused of bias, and so I suggest that you read my past articles before making this kind of statement.

Now, on to the positive features of the PS3. The graphics look amazing, for one. The PS3 should have some interesting connectivity features with the handheld PlayStation Portable — in other words, the two machines will be able to work together to present games in new ways. And it comes with a high-definition movie and game player — the Blu-ray player — so if movie studios do some cool things with Blu-ray movies that would be a big plus.

If you owned an Xbox 360, you'll have to go out and buy the competing HD-DVD player for the machine. Sony's Blu-ray player will play both movies and games in the Blu-ray format. The Xbox 360 player will only play HD-DVD movies, not games.

Is the PS3 worth the $600, or is the price too high for the game?
— Luis, Dallas, Texas

K. P.: It's too early to tell. Sony is keeping a lot of PS3 features secret for now, so we don't know all the bells and whistles in the PS3. But be assured that once the company turns on its marketing machine you'll have a pretty good idea of what you're going to get with the PS3.

Will there be another Grand theft Auto game, if so, when will it be released? I can hardly wait!!!!!!!!!!
— jonathanpink, Federal Way

K. P.: I know. I'm a big fan of the "Grand Theft Auto" games, and so I was really excited to hear about "Grand Theft Auto 4." But we have a long wait. It's not coming out until Oct. 16, 2007, and it will debut on the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. No word on where it will be set, either.

Will Sony will be able to assure customers that the PS3 won't be plagued with DVD playing problems similar to those the PS2 experienced? PS2 was a wretched DVD player: Ask Radio shack, which for $30 repairs thousands of PS2s.
— Paul Thomas, Corning, NY

K. P.: Tough one to answer. I'm sure if I were to ask Sony, they'd say of course there will be no problem. Hang on to your receipt if you're lucky enough to find a PS3 to buy this coming holiday.

Is Xbox 360 the only platform that "Halo 3" will be available on? Why would they not release it for the old Xbox also?
— Gary Brown, Seattle

K. P.: Microsoft hasn't said officially which consoles it will be out for, but I would bet serious money it'll come out only on the Xbox 360. It would be too much work to make it for both the original Xbox and the Xbox 360 because the guts of the two machines are so different. And Microsoft of course wants to use "Halo 3" to sell more Xbox 360 consoles.

Is there currently any word on when Halo 3 will be coming out for Xbox 360? I've been hearing rumors that Microsoft will try to release Halo 3 during the same time that the PS3 is released ... any truth to that rumor?
— Dominic Hung, Richmond, British Columbia

K. P.: That rumor came from a Bill Gates comment that Microsoft quickly backtracked on. The company showed a very short "Halo 3" trailer at its briefing this week, and it indicated a 2007 release for the game.

You can see that trailer here.

Is "Assassin's Creed" going to come out on XBox 360 at a later date, or will it only be available on PS3? Thank you.
— Michael, Seattle

K. P.: I asked Ubisoft this very question yesterday. They said for sure that "Assassin's Creed" will come out on the PS3, but they wouldn't confirm one way or another whether it would come out on the Xbox 360 at the same time or later. I don't see why they wouldn't port it to the Xbox 360 at some point, unless Sony paid them big money to keep it exclusive.

Do you see a potential for Redmond buddies Nintendo and Microsoft to partner together? Nintendo knows Japan, Microsoft has the muscle and deep pockets. They work towards different demographics, and they both are threatened by Sony. Is this a match that seems likely?
— Mat, Issaquah

K. P.: I don't know about partnering together, but the two companies certainly seem friendly to one another. Xbox chief Peter Moore has been downright complimentary to Nintendo in interviews this week at E3. Perhaps Microsoft doesn't view Nintendo as much of a threat — at least not as much as Sony. You're right, Nintendo could definitely help Microsoft in Japan, where it has been frankly floundering for years. But Nintendo has very deep pockets as well, and I don't know what advantage such a partnership would really offer that company.

Are there any rumblings of a new "Rallysport Challenge" for Xbox 360?
— Jason, Bellevue

K. P.: It's a great idea, and would breathe new life into the popular series, but Microsoft hasn't made any rumblings about an Xbox 360 version here. At least, not that I've heard.

On average what will the games run for the PS3?
— Chris Hohrmann, Lakewood, Colo.

K. P.: I'm guessing $50 to $60 — about what new games for the Xbox 360 cost. Sony hasn't announced game prices yet.

Which game on the Nintendo Wii is the most fun to play? And any word on any new Sims games?
— Will Affleck-Asch, Seattle

K. P.: Honestly, I wasn't sure what to make of the Wii before I played it. I thought it looked strange and that Nintendo couldn't possibly live up to the claims it was making. But trying it out made all the difference. The graphics aren't the greatest, but the Wii is really fun.

I normally hate racing games, but one of my favorites was "ExciteTruck," where you drive a truck by holding the Wii remote on its side like a long, flat steering wheel. I also liked "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess." In that game, when you shoot an arrow, you can hear the fwip of the arrow's release in the controller's speaker. The sound the arrow makes when it hits comes across on the regular television screen's speakers.

I didn't see any new Sims games, but I saw a Sims-like "Desperate Housewives" game. You actually have to do things like fold clothes and make spaghetti and meatballs, tasks that are so fun to do in real life. I can't wait for the scrubbing-toilets and the scrape-paint-off-the-back-fence level.

How much will the Nintendo Wii cost?
— James, Camano Island, Wash.

K. P.: Nintendo hasn't announced a price, but it has hinted the Wii will cost less than the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. I wouldn't put it at less than $150, but maybe it could go as high as $250.

Now that we have the price of the console, I'm windering if there will be an increase in the price of the games?? After forking over 600$ for the PS3, I want to know if I need to save more up for a 60-70$ game. Any insight??
— Tim, Bainbridge, NY

K. P.: Paying $70 for a video game would be fairly outrageous, don't you think? Unless there are some cool things that come with it, such as the guitarlike controllers for the fun "Guitar Hero" game that debuted last year for the PlayStation 2. I imagine games will still hover in the $50 range but some will start to reach $60.

Is developing games for Wii and PS3 much more difficult now that the controllers are motion-sensing? How do people feel now that PlayStation controllers can no longer rumble?
— Chris, Bothell

K. P.: I've been told that it's not really that difficult to adapt a game to work with the motion-sensing controller. I think some games will really benefit from the technology, such as the "Warhawk" flight simulation game that Sony is showing off here. Other games, like first-person shooters, don't seem like a good fit for that kind of controller. Sony is taking the "DualShock," or rumble/vibrate function, out of the controllers moving forward. The only person who's talked about this to me is Xbox chief Peter Moore. I have a Q&A with him in today's paper and on the site. "I think it's a big mistake to take force feedback out of the control," Moore said. "I'm one of those guys, if I drive or if I get shot in a game, that rumble that goes in there is important. Maybe because I'm old and I need stimulation from both sides. That is a big deal, and I'm surprised that happened."

Hi there, thanks for taking time to answer a question. My son is physically disabled and has limited use of only his right hand. He has an Xbox and is looking for a controller that would work for him. Do companies plan controllers like that or have any available? Thanks again.
— Caroline, Bellingham

K. P.: That's a good question. I haven't seen many controllers like that here except for the one with Nintendo's Wii. That controller has two parts: one looks like a remote control. You hold the remote with one hand to play the Wii's tennis game, for example. You don't have to swing the remote wildly like you would a tennis racket, you just need to flick it to the right or left to hit the ball. Some games on the Wii require only the remote control part of the controller. Others require attaching a separate part in what Nintendo is calling a "nunchuck" style. I'm not sure if that would be appropriate for your son, but you could just stick to the games that call for the remote control part only.

Why does the new PS3/George Foreman Grill look-a-like cost $600? (Cook more burgers at a time?)
— Alan Chan, Seattle

K. P.: I'd pay $600 for a console that can grill cheeseburgers. That's genius! The main reason for the price increase is the high-definition Blu-ray player that Sony is including in the PS3. It will play games and movies on Blu-ray discs, which can hold a lot more data than a DVD. Blu-ray disc capacity can range from 25 to 50 gigabytes, and I believe a standard DVD is about 5 gigabytes. We'll see what kind of stuff Sony and other companies can pack into a Blu-ray game or movie disc. It might be enough to justify paying $600.

Blizzard's much anticipated Starcraft:Ghost has been showcased at E3 over the last few years, but recently was removed from the development portion of the Blizzard website. Was Starcraft:Ghost showcased again at E3 this year, and did Blizzard have any other games to showcase?
— Daryl, Bothell

K. P.: I hear Blizzard's mysterious "Starcraft: Ghost" is on permanent hold. At least, I didn't see much of it at E3. The big game at Blizzard's booth this year was "The Burning Crusade," the first expansion pack for the hugely popular "World of Warcraft" massively multiplayer online game , which I wrote about earlier this week. No release date on that yet. Blizzard announced at E3 the new Alliance race it will debut in "The Burning Crusade:" the Draenei. For being good guys, the Draenei are pretty ugly. Blizzard has previously announced that the new Horde race for the expansion pack will be called the Blood Elves. And the expansion pack will allow players to reach a maximum level of 70 instead of the previous cap of 60. Even amongst the nerdy throngs at E3, I'm embarassed that I know so much about this. I'm a level 35 gnome rogue in my spare time.

Are you surpised by Sony's resistance to replace the old controller model with something sleeker, more in step with the Xbox style of design? As a an Xbox guy, I think the PlayStation controller has always felt a bit dated and, frankly, less than desirable, and I for one,have been looking forward to a new Playstation controller design. What are your thoughts on Sony choosing to stay with the old design?
— William Wang, Issaquah

K. P.: I don't know if you remember, but at E3 a year ago Sony did unveil a controller design that was a little unusual. You can see that design here.

Sony always said the controller was a prototype, and when it came to choosing a final product it went back to the tried-and-true controller of the past. The design isn't very innovative, and there is debate as to whether its new motion-sensor feature is either, but it works. With the amount of money Sony is spending on making the PlayStation 3, I imagine the company was fine with sticking to a standard controller.

Do you think gamers will spend $500 or $600 on a PlayStation 3? What at E3 would entice people to buy this system at launch?
— Andrew, Seattle

K. P.: I'm sure there's a core group of gamers who will easily spend that much on a PlayStation 3 right now. No question. For everyone else, it's going to take a little convincing on Sony's part. Expect Sony's massive marketing machine to rumble to life in the next few months (after being dormant for a while now) to show us every single benefit to owning a PS3. As far as E3 goes, Sony has shown incredible graphics for the PS3 that are impressing people. There are also some really cool games that look good on the PS3. One of those, "Assassin's Creed" by Ubisoft, looks amazing. I got to check out a behind-closed-doors demo yesterday. It takes place during the Third Crusade and the main character is an assassin. It's being made by the folks who made one of the "Prince of Persia" games, and so it has a good pedigree. The Ubisoft people I talked to said this is coming to the PS3 for sure, but they were being coy about whether it will run on the Xbox 360 as well. Check out the game online at assassinscreed.com.

Can the PSP be used as a second controller for the PS3?
— Matthew, New York, NY

K. P.: I don't think it will technically be used as a second controller. For example, it doesn't have the motion-sensitive capability that the PS3's controllers will have. But the PSP will be able to be used with the machine in other ways. Sony demonstrated a car-racing game, for example, in which a PSP set near the machine can function as a rear-view window for a player. In other words, the PSP will show video of what would appear in a driver's rear-view window during the game.

Will they add headsets for online playing? Also will they actually be able go online and play Runescape?
— crazy squirrel, Grapevine, Texas

K. P.: I'm sure headsets will be available for the PlayStation 3. They already are a standard for online play, as many online games, such as Sony's "Socom" series, offer voice-based commands and the ability to chat with other players. It's unclear if they will come with the PS3 package or if you'll have to buy them as an accessory. I'm not sure about a headset for Nintendo's Wii. I haven't seen any mention of it.

It seems that at almost every E3, the media is able to declare a clear "winner." From what I've read, Sony has had a bit of a lackluster show. So who is it? Microsoft or Nintendo?
— Aaron, Seattle

K. P.: It frankly annoys me that the media is so set on finding a "winner." This is a multi-billion dollar industry, it's very complex and the landscape changes all the time. It's not so black-and-white that anyone can predict a winner - particularly when two of the three big console makers haven't even launched their systems yet. But I will say this: Sony's buzz at the show has largely been around the pricing and launch date , which the company disclosed here. And, as one Microsoft employee told me, pricing is never a fun announcement. So the buzz has ranged from pure excitement about the PlayStation 3's potential to negativity about its cost. The buzz about Nintendo is very positive because the company mainly is trying to thrill everyone with its unusual controller. Keep in mind that Nintendo hasn't made any pricing or launch date announcements yet. The wait in line here to try out the Wii console stretched to three hours at one point. Microsoft's main product, the Xbox 360, is already in stores, and so the company doesn't seem to be getting the levels of attention that its rivals are right now.

I am curious if there is any presence at the show from the Everquest team. This is a game I have played for years but it seems interest is dying down, perhaps due to more interest in WoW.
— Bob, Seattle

K. P.: It's kind of hard to keep track of the original Everquest team these days. Designer Brad McQuaid went off to form Sigil, a studio developing a new MMO called "Vanguard." That was supposed to be published by Microsoft, but late last week Sigil announced it was breaking ties with Microsoft and moving over to Sony Online Entertainment. "Vanguard" is on display here at E3.

As far as "Everquest" goes, I haven't heard much talk of it here. I'm thinking that "World of Warcraft" (WoW) might renew interest in another "Everquest" game by bringing new players to the genre. We'll see.

Is it true that the PS3's online play service will be free? What else will it feature for free? What will cost money? Thanks.
— Seth, Seattle

K. P.: Some aspects of the online service will be free, for sure. But it's still not entirely clear what will fall under free and what Sony will charge for. Sony said video chat would be free, for example, and I don't think Microsoft has said whether its video chat will be free as well. Sony will charge for extra features in a game. For example, if you are playing the "Singstar" karaoke game and want to download a new song for it, that'll cost you. And I don't know if it'll be free to actually play against other people online. Microsoft charges for that feature, and Sony hasn't said what will happen. Many of those pricing decisions will be up to the individual game publishers, in Sony's business model.

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