I remember back in highschool, nobody wanted to be the first one to make a presentation. Well, the reverse seems to be true in the console industry. Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony were all fighting to be shown as early as possible at E3 Expo (I didn't even know Nintendo was working on a console anymore). At first, it looked like Sony had won because its demo was schedule one day earlier than Microsoft's.

However Microsoft now plans to show off the Xbox2 on MTV, May 12, 5 days before E3 Expo even begins. The special is scheduled to air at 9:30 EDT in North America, and within the following 24 hours for the rest of the world. Hosted by Elijah Wood (I don't know why), and featuring perfomance from live bands, rap artists and athletes, the MTV special (unfortunately) looks like it's geared towards MTV demographics, so don't expect technical specifications to be released. Still, if you want to actually see the XBox2 in action before everyone else, tune in to MTV that day. Footage will be available on MTV's site after the half-hour special.

Microsoft plans to release the XBox 2 for winter 2005 (i.e. in time for Christmas), while the PS3 and Gamecube2(?) isn't due to sometime in 2006.