Next Generation's Software Growing Pains

With three new game machines expected in the next year -- and two new handheld game devices already on the market -- this is a great time to be a gamer.

What remains to be seen is whether it will be a great time to be a game maker -- or an investor in such companies.

The launch of Microsoft's(MSFT Quote) Xbox 360 this week will inaugurate the latest console cycle, a ritual that begins every five years or so. Each successive cycle has eventually led to bigger sales, bigger profits, and surging share prices for the top players. ...