The console wars are moving to a new front. As Microsoft and Sony plug their boxes into the Net, the competition will get fierce � not just between CPUs, but among gamers miles apart. We played for 36 hours straight, running analog and cable lines to our test couch. Here are the bleary-eyed results.
| PS2 Playstation 2 ONLINE | VS. | XBOX LIVE
| $264. PS2 ($200), network adapter ($40), memory card ($24). No service fee. | Goods | $250. Xbox ($200), Xbox Live Starter Kit ($50) includes Xbox Communicator headset and one year of service.
| 11 (as of December): ATV Offroad Fury 2, Madden NFL 2003, NBA 2K3, NBA Live 2003, NCAA College Basketball 2K3, NFL 2K3, NFL GameDay 2003, Socom: US Navy Seals, Tony Hawk�s Pro Skater 4, Tribes: Aerial Assault, Twisted Metal: Black Online| Games | 8 (as of December): MechAssault, NBA 2K3, NFL 2K3, NFL Fever 2003, NHL 2K3, Tom Clancy�s Ghost Recon, Unreal Championship, Whacked!
| PS2 Online is more inclusive than Xbox, as it lets dialup users participate. Downside: Game speed is noticeably slower. Multiple sign-ons for multiple games is annoying, but unlike Xbox Live, it�s free � for now. | Experience | It�s all broadband, all the time. Beyond fast and furious gameplay, you can download goodies such as new missions right to the Xbox�s 8-gig hard drive. Adding online buddies is easy, but the service tracks when you quit games early and warns opponents.
| Socom: US Navy Seals is awesome, with strategic firefights between soldiers and terrorists (watch the action in the online waiting room and pick a side before you join in) and a surreal Ghost mode that lets you watch how your Net teammates are faring � through their eyes � after you�re extinguished. While the demo version of Madden is superior to NFL Fever in almost every way offline, Net action is sluggish. | Gameplay | Both NFL Fever 2003 and the beta racing game ReVolt weren�t nearly as immersive as Socom. But with the Optimatch feature (which works on all titles), you can choose an opponent based on skill level and customize quarter lengths to make every snap count. While ReVolt�s playful Museum track and the ability to race six cars simultaneously impressed, the action was too fast for my taste. Frag fests like MechAssault should help Live live up to its potential.
| The announcer�s commentary in Madden NFL 2003 cut out on several occasions, even over a cable modem. But Twisted Metal�s menacing soundtrack and screeching tires came in crystal clear. | Sound | The announcer�s commentary in NFL Fever is downright dumb (�That�s one, two, three, four � four receivers on the field!�) but amazingly timely. The explosion sound effects in the beta version of Unreal Championship exhibited little or no lag even during the mostly dizzying death matches.
| So far, Socom (with its prepackaged headset) is the only voice-activated offering for PSO. Having to push a button to speak up cuts down on needless banter, but that fraction of a second could give would-be snipers an edge. | Trash Talk | The rad headset/microphone wraps around the back of your neck so it doesn�t muss your �do. Plus, your trash talk can be anonymous. Voice masking enables you to sound like anything from a robot to a hulking linebacker.
| Sports freaks can only play EA games here. | Bonus | Send challenges to online buddies across different games.
| Dialup gamers (known as laggers) bog down the broadband-enabled Socom. Thankfully, they can be killed. | Glitch | Voice masking doesn�t automatically turn on each time you play, so don�t let your trash talk get too cocky.
| 3 | SCORES | 5
| PLAY
| �It�s The Abyss Meets Armageddon!�
| The Box Scores
| Some Healthy-Looking Numbers
| reviews
