Sony

While movie pundits squabble over whether or not 3D does anything besides eke out a few extra bucks per ticket at the box office, gamers have been reaping stereoscopic rewards for the past couple of months.

A generation ago, Sony ruled the consumer electronics world, establishing new market segments with every innovation and instantly owning whatever existing ones it chose to enter. Today, although it’s still a consumer electronics force to be reckoned with, Sony has to step into the cage and compete like everybody else.

When it comes to gear, gamers and audiophiles couldn't be more different. Despite the sophisticated audio technology that goes into making major video games, most gamers simply plug their consoles directly into their TV and use its built-in speakers. Audiophiles, on the other hand, tend to ignore the sophisticated A/V capabilities of game consoles like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.