History of Gaming: Part 4.

The start of the 00's, Sega had stopped production of the Dreamcast, leaving the market open for another competitor. Sega had decided to produce games for other platforms otherwise they'd run the risk of going under, this shocked many of the fans as the console had so much potential. (Fahs, T 2010) Sony had released the Playstation 2 at the start of the decade and the console was selling very well, while Nintendo was about to release the Gamecube meaning the market was already shaping up for another fight.

At the end of 2001, Microsoft decided to step into the ring by releasing the Xbox. Microsoft had the money and the knowledge to step into the market and while the console didn't sell as much as the Playstation it certainly showed that Sony didn't have a firm grip on the lead position. The Xbox released with Halo: Combat Evolved and year later Xbox Live was released, so the console certainly had a few tricks, but it also had a few missteps, like the original "Duke" controller which was the size of a small car (Certainly felt that way). (Goss, P 2011)

[1]

During this decade many of the big game franchises started to pick up, such as Grand Theft Auto. GTA III was released in 2001 and this was the games first 3D outing, and since then had been one of the top selling franchises in the gaming industry. Call of Duty was released in 2003 and while it wasn't the mega-blockbuster it is now, it certainly shows what games can become with a decent developer, time and an eventual endless money pit. Nintendo were also releasing their usual games for the Gamecube, such as Smash Bros, Zelda and the multiple Mario games, all of which sold well.

The Playstation 2 has now become the best selling console in history, selling over 150 million units, yet the next generation wasn't going to be as easy for Sony. In 2005 Microsoft had rushed into the next generation of consoles with the Xbox 360, they had learned from their past mistakes and also built upon their old successes with Xbox Live. The end of 2006 saw Sony and Nintendo enter the next-gen with the Playstation 3 and the Wii. The Xbox 360 had hardware problems with the dreaded Red Ring of Death, while the Playstation 3 had a very high price point and shaky online features. The Wii on the other hand found success in the innovative motion-controls and the usual high quality Nintendo games.

These sort of families appeared on our TV's  [2]

The difference between the PS3 and the 360 eventually came down to the exclusive games. The 360 had the Halo franchise, Gears of War, Forza and a few other one offs, such as Mass Effect or Lost Odyessy. The PS3 on the other hand had Kill Zone, Gran Turismo, Uncharted and others. The cross-platform games are almost identical in every way and this seems to be continuing across to the new generation that has just been released.

It is hard to tell who will win the new generation. Microsoft will have to work hard to regain some lost sales due to a terrible E3, while Sony and the PS4 at the moment appear to be the golden company. Nintendo are doing what they do best with the WiiU, yet the WiiU hasn't picked up like the original Wii did. I imagine as more must-have Nintendo titles come out the console will sell. I've personally gone with the Xbox One for now, I was torn at first but I feel the starting line-up on the One is slightly stronger and I enjoy both the Forza and Dead Rising franchises.


References & Notes
Fahs, T. (2010). IGN Presents the History of Dreamcast. Available: http://uk.ign.com/articles/2010/09/10/ign-presents-the-history-of-dreamcast?page=10. Last accessed 15th Nov 2013.

Goss, P. (2011). Ten years of Xbox: a brief history. Available: http://www.techradar.com/news/gaming/consoles/ten-years-of-xbox-a-brief-history-1040866. Last accessed 17th Dec 2013.

http://us.playstation.com/corporate/about/theplaystationstory/

[1]http://images.thecarconnection.com/lrg/2013-volkswagen-golf-r-2-door-hb-side-exterior-view_100414823_l.jpg http://gearmedia.ign.com/gear/image/article/117/1176925/dukecontroller_1308247746.jpg

[2]http://lazytechguys.com/featured/top-20-family-friendly-video-games-of-2012/#.UrCXsfRdXuM