Gaming may have grown up, but it seems the console manufacturers have yet to do so. A recent article in the Japanese press quoted the heads of Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft as they discussed the next generation. And it wasn't pretty. "The other two companies' (Sony and Nintendo) presentations at E3 weren't surprising." said Microsoft's Robbie Bach. Sony's Ken Kutaragi was even bitchier. "Just like with their operating systems, they (Microsoft) might come out with something good around the third generation of their release." Opting out of the fistfight was Satoru Iwata of Nintendo. "We're not about selling new kinds of TVs or taking control of the living room", he said.

So why all this now then? Clearly the post-E3 fallout has started, with Sony and Microsoft already squaring up. I have a bit of sympathy for Microsoft. Xbox 360 was totally outshone at E3 by some stunning PS3 demos, despite being the only next-gen machine to show proper playable games. And the PS3 tech demos, of course, are likely to bear little resemblance to the finished product.

Meanwhile, the E3 360 titles like Call of Duty and Ghost Recon showed the undoubted graphical oomph of the new Xbox. But how Bach can say, "we will become the market leader with our next-generation console", and keep a straight face, is beyond me, even if the quote was lost in translation. I can see the gap narrowing, especially with the increasing take-up of online gaming, but PlayStation 3 is certain to retain leadership. Its brand and reach are simply to strong. The danger for Sony lies in overconfidence. "We will be advancing to the next level with revolutionary technology." said Kutargi. Those who were burned by the ridiculous "emotion engine" hype for PS2 will be warier this time round.

And what about Nintendo? The Revolution was briefly shown at E3, mainly to remind everyone they were still at the table. But Nintendo are now fighting a different battle. By letting Sony and Microsoft satisfy the techno-lust of 20 and 30-something males, Nintendo are pitching themselves even more at those who wouldn't know a joypad from a memory card. The success of Nintendogs in Japan may vindicate this approach. "We're aiming to increase the population of game players with these new kinds of games", says Iwata. My experience of DS - and its appeal to "non-gamers" - suggests that Nintendo are definitely onto something.

Whatever else happens, expect more top brass gaming spats over the next 12 months.