But the battle to lead the next generation is a never-ending one in the gaming industry. And while none of the major console manufacturers wants to talk specifics, developers in the know say Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo are already hard at work putting together their next systems.

Game machines typically are on the shelves for five or six years before a console manufacturer rolls out the next one. With the expense and success of this crop of systems–which have been out two to three years–it could be closer to eight years before we see the PlayStation 4, Xbox 720 and Nintendo “Us”–or whatever they end up being called.

“One of the things I like about this generation is we are still very early and there’s still a lot of room for growth … as we move down those price curves,” says Brian Farrell, CEO of THQ . “Those engines have a lot of steam left in them. We think it could be seven or eight years before new machines start to roll out.”

Epic Games, maker of the hit “Gears of War” series, agrees. President Mike Capps recently said the company estimates new systems will not hit shelves until somewhere between 2012 and 2018.

Both hardware and software manufacturers are already gearing up. Work on Epic’s “Unreal Engine 4,” a graphics engine for next-gen games, has been under way for almost two years now under the guidance of founder Tim Sweeney. “It’s not like there’s anything to show today,” notes Epic Vice President Mark Rein.

Pokemon Ranger, like Mystery Dungeon, is another spin-off that has elements from the true Pokemon RPG design, but takes its design into a different direction so as not to step on the toes of the game everyone really wants: Game Freak’s own Pokemon RPG.

In the case of Pokemon Ranger, this is more action-based than RPG based, and unlike Mystery Dungeon it’s a game that uses the DS for its more unique design.

It’s not really mindblowing but it’s a neat diversion with its own charm, and it’s a cool branch out of the familiar Pokemon universe that sticks to the fun and familiar “gotta catch ‘em all” attitude.

Mystery Dungeon put players in the role of an actual Pokemon critter whose purpose in this new furry life is to join a rescue team and help other Pokemon in need.

Perhaps HAL Laboratory overheard what the designers at ChunSoft were working on for that game, as Pokemon Rangers has a similar theme: you’re not a Pokemon trainer, you’re a Pokemon Ranger whose talents lie in helping others by recruiting the talents and abilities of wild Pokemon critters.

See, you don’t use Poke-balls to grab or snag your animal teammates — you instead use what’s called a “Styler” to wrangle in these critters. Once you’ve wrangled your Pokemon, he’ll tag along with you until you either utilize his skills or simply release him in the wild.

News coming from a Q&A session following Nintendo’s Wii press conference in North America now puts the GameCube release of Twilight Princess as December 11, several weeks after the game will debut on the Wii.

Whilst no doubt a clever move from Nintendo to get fans of the game to snap up a Wii on launch, it’s still a kick in the teeth for GameCube owners – after all, the game was intended to be released well before the Wii hit the market.

He points out all the great things about this game and also the things it lacks.

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time is a followup of a very successful game that had delighted gamers all over the world with it’s fantasy worlds and characters.

It is a good play, allowing the player to learn interesting things about a civilization that is no longer found today.

The game is availabler for PC, PlayStation2, Xbox and GameCube.

Curently priced at $149, PlayStation 2 is the best sold console in history, being followed by far by its competitors Xbox and GameCube. Analists say that Sony could reduce the price to $129 or even to $99.

This move would help them focus on the new PlayStation 3, while still owning the market.

They’ve mentioned that it is compatible with all important consoles such as Sony Playstation, Xbox, and Game Cube and others, so parents will not be forced to purchase a new console for their young gamers.

The game follows the basic plotline of the Star Wars movies. All the important characters are present, Darth Vader, Luke, Han Solo and Princess Leia, with an obvious comic cartoon twist on them.