Xbox 360
If there was one thing that was remarkable about the ‘6th generation' of gaming, which ran approximately from 1998 to 2005, it was the ascension of the medium from something ‘popular with the kids' to a fully fledged part of modern entertainment culture. As consoles were released with multi-media functions such as DVD players and began to display visuals realistic enough to gain credibility from the general public, gaming transcended major age and gender barriers for the first time and truly became an essential part of household kit. Internally it also saw Sony's golden age, the death of the Sega console, put Nintendo well and truly in the corner and also saw the arrival of a new usurper to the gaming throne.
The Dream is Dead. Released as far back as 1998, the Dreamcast was Sega's attempt to nail the 128 bit market before its competitors were even in the starting gate. Things began well with top titles such as Shenmue (the series that introduced us to fork-lift truck racing), Soul Caliber and Bust-a-Move 4 helped boost initial sales. Indeed in the UK the Dreamcast was marketed as having up to ‘6 billion players' to emphasise the fact that this was the first console to offer internet gaming. The resulting effort by a number of major charities to ensure that all 6 billion people on the planet received and internet ready Dreamcast was seen as one the major nails in Sega's coffin. More important though was the announcement of the PS2 making a massive dent in Sega's sales. Moreover the failure of Sega to gain lucrative licenses such as the EA sports series saw a number of gamers begin to look elsewhere. Despite the power of console and the high critical praise for its abilities, he Dreamcast was an early casualty with production being stopped in 2001, just as the other big three were getting into their stride. This remains the last console released by Sega.
I Drink your Milkshake If one console dominated the start of the new millennium and in many ways this entire decade, it was the Playstation 2. Following on from the solid sales and image of the Playstation, the PS2 remains the highest selling console in history having sold over 136 million units by the end of last year. Marketing itself as a multimedia tool for the household, with in-built DVD player, and with sleek black design, it came across as a legitimate piece of domestic furniture. It's backwards compatibility with the PS1 was also a new innovation and pretty much ensured the continuation of its previous fan base. Moreover the system benefited highly from exceptional third party support, and era defining series' such as GTA and Metal Gear Solid. The PS2 dominated the market during the 6th gen, and just as the word ‘Nintendo' had become popular parental vernacular for consoles during the 90's, so the term Playstation became widely used by the uneducated to demark all games machines. Even today the PS2 continues to sell, and sell well, with more PS2s than PS3s sold last year.
Boxed In. Enter Microsoft, PC software giants and evil empire to anyone bothered enough to care about web browsers. Released in 2001 it was the last major console to enter the ring and had a lot to prove. It was rather ugly, resembling the black totem from 2001: A Space Odyssey, only bigger and with a giant green lump of plastic in the middle. Moreover its launch controllers were large, unwieldy and downright offensive. So why was the Xbox outselling Nintendo in America by mid 2002? Other than superior online support and top of the line technology, it drums down to one (three) words: Halo (Combat Evolved). Doing for console First Person Shooters what Goldeneye had done in the 5th gen; Halo is responsible for the second renaissance in console shooters, made a star out of its lead character the Master Chief, and had a massive effect on future games. Yes the next time you have an inexplicable recharging health bar in a game where you don't play as a shielded future warrior man thing, you can blame Halo. The Xbox also combated the PC market, releasing sequels to home computer franchises such as Deus Ex and Thief. It also had a number of other important titles such as Knights of the Old Republic and, of course, Dead or Alive: Beach Volleyball. Despite having bombed on the Japanese market, the Xbox was moderately successful in Europe and the States, selling 24 million units before bowing out in 2006.
The Last Stand (or 'fuck you we've got Resident Evil 4 and the GBA') Nintendo hadn't quite fallen as far as old rival Sega but things were getting tough. The N64 had powered through thanks to some nice innovations and key titles such as Super Mario 64, Zelda and Goldeneye. The Gamecube (released in September 2001) however, had image problems - namely it's family friendly brand which was coming into conflict with a maturing game market. Perhaps the best example of this pressure was felt during the announcement of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, which eschewed the darker tones of its N64 predecessors in favour of a cutesy, cartoon styled graphics. Despite the quality of the product, its childish image highlighted a direction for Nintendo that many long term fans were unhappy about. The Gamecube also lacked any important multi-media applications such as a DVD player, and had limited online support. Its strength however lay in its limited but highly regarded catalogue of games. As with the N64 these mainly came from 1st and 2nd Party developers and included classics such as Metroid Prime, Super Smash Bros. Melee and Rogue Squadron II. Most importantly it was the initially the exclusive platform for Resident Evil 4, one of the best titles of the generation, and a fierce retort to anyone who suggested the Gamecube was, y'know, for kids. Nevertheless Nintendo came in third, just behind the Xbox with 22 million units sold.
There was however no threat of Nintendo going the way of Sega, and was thanks to their little box of wonders, the Gameboy Advance. The GBA managed to fight of competitors such as the Neo-Geo and Ngage, to sell a massive 81.36 Million Units. As always, Nintendo's dominance of the handheld market provided the financial backbone for their more experimental products, something which was about to pay off for the company in a big way...