With the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) less than a week away, video gamers across the globe are getting excited for what should be one of the most revealing E3's ever. Both Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PS4 are set to make big debuts at the event, and techies should have a much better idea of what their future holds next week.

The Xbox One has jumped out to an early lead in what appears to be a two-dog race against Sony's PS4. The folks at Microsoft unveiled the new design for their next-generation console, creating quite a buzz in the community. What they have up their sleeve for E3, however, is anyone's guess.

"Xbox has always had something to say. It's always been bold with a strong personality," design leader Carl Ledbetter said in a statement. "Xbox One needs to serve our most loyal gaming fans and deliver unique entertainment experiences, so its design has to make an appropriate statement that reflects its capability as an all-in-one entertainment system."

Despite it's early debut, the press for the Xbox One has not been all positive. Many people were disconcerted by its design, which strayed drastically from the Xbox's previous incarnations by virtue of its sleek, simplistic form factor. 

There have also been complaints over Microsoft's perceived lack of dedication to its gamer base. Some in the community feel that Microsoft has shunned its most loyal customers by choosing to focus a large part of its Xbox One reveal on its ability to to provide exclusive sports, music, and television content.

In contrast, the PS4 is still a mystery as E3 approaches. Sony has revealed relatively little compared to Microsoft, and fans are on the edge of their seat for any news they can find. Though Sony has made no official announcement, it is believed that they will introduce the PS4 at E3, along with some pertinent details of what to expect.

One advantage that PS4 is holding over Xbox One at the moment is that it has not yet announced any plans for implementing DRM in the next-gen console. DRM, or Digital Rights Management, has been a highly controversial issue in the gaming world, as it's employment has led to the debacle that is SimCity's "always on" functionality as well as concerns over the ability of consumers to buy and play used games.

The folks at Sony have been adamant that the PS4 will allow players the ability to play used games, and they have also stated that they will not be implementing DRM like the Xbox One. So far Microsoft has caught a considerable amount of heat for the details of its DRM policy, including what appears to be a painful process for purchasing used games.

Though many details are still unknown, one thing is certain: millions of dollars are on the line at this year's E3, and both next-gen giants are jockeying for position. Until then, the video game community is collectively holding both its breath and a controller.