Contrary to the sales numbers to date, The Seattle PI says that the ‘it’ game system this year is the Xbox. As someone who owns and quite frankly, loves this system, I must make my points clear here.

While the system is certainly superior as far as graphics and hardware in general, Sony is still the leader in games and units sold. Not my opinion, just a simple fact.

It has always been the most powerful console, meaning games generally look better on Xbox than its competition, Sony’s seemingly ubiquitous PlayStation 2 or Nintendo’s GameCube. Xbox also has the best online service, Xbox Live, which attracts plenty of opponents for you to challenge.

More importantly, with “Halo 2″ and “Chronicles of Riddick,” among others, Xbox has many of the best exclusive games.

If you’re thinking of buying a console, remember that all of the current game systems (except Nintendo’s new DS handheld) are reaching the ends of their life cycles. Microsoft may release its next-generation Xbox in late 2005. Sony and Nintendo seem more interested in 2006 launches. The point is that if you give your friends or kids a video-game console this year, don’t be surprised if you get asked for another one fairly soon.