Xbox 360
The seventh generation of gaming kicked off with the release of the Xbox 360. Few thought that even Microsoft could do it, the console had been announced less than a year beforehand but there it was, high definition gaming under the Christmas tree in 2006. Some people complained; it was too soon, no-one wanted to upgrade yet, the developers weren't ready for this level of detail yet!
The 360 did take a little while to get going but that was more because of stock shortages and some less than functional units. As soon as Gears of War hit the shops there was no doubting it, Microsoft had pulled it off, the next gen was here!
Gamers who had invested in an HD TV could enjoy HD gaming for the first time. For a little while they could buy an add-on HDDVD drive to watch films in HD, although that died pretty soon. Stock shortages and failed format wars were far from the only problems Microsoft have had to face this generation though, soon enough we found the true cost of rushing the release of such an advanced piece of kit; three little flashing red lights.
Known within Microsoft as a 'general hardware failure' is was soon known to everyone else as the Red Ring Of Death. It meant that the 360 would not work any more, not even loading up the menu, let alone play any games. It could happen to any 360 and although initially the official word was that it would only affect certain units or poorly ventilated 360 is soon became clear that any 360 that made it to a year old was living on borrowed time. It could have been a disaster but this near-fatal flaw was corrected as only Microsoft can: by throwing money at it! $1Billion was set aside to extend the warranty on each and every 360 to three years! Amazingly, it worked. 360s are still flying off the shelves despite the fact that each and every owner knows that every year or so their console will take a two week, all expenses paid trip to the repair shop.
It's not hard to see why it is still a success though. The 360 has a variety of games that far surpasses its predecessor, classic exclusives like Halo 3 or Forza 2 sit next to games which would usually be PC exclusives like Mass Effect or Left4Dead while the console also makes a perfect home for Japanese titles like EDF2017 and Blue Dragon. Xbox LIVE has grown up on the 360 with its avatars, LIVE Arcade, downloadable movies and more rounding out the experience. After three years the 360 is still going strong. Frankly, it's doing better than a lot of people expected.
A year later came the second controversial console release of the generation, the Playstation 3. The release night was marred by brawls, muggings and even a shooting as desperate shoppers tried to secure the newest piece of gaming tech. Stock shortages were again a problem even with a price point almost half again as high as the usual release day price tag. It was the most powerful console ever released though: Higher definition HD, a Blu-ray drive and the ground breaking Cell chip with its eight processors driving it all you do get a lot for your money.
Again it took a little while to get into gear but exclusives like Metal Gear Solid 4 and Killzone 2 show what this shiny black monolith is capable of. Little Big Planet proved that it can innovate too with its cardboard cut-out charm and accessible building tools. Playstation Home is the worlds first console based 3D social environment and while far from essential it is still growing and hints at things to come.
Sony claimed "The next generation doesn't start until we say it does," certainly a brave statement but really the PS3 and the 360 are very similar consoles. Many of the biggest games of the generation, GTA IV or Call of Duty 4 for example, are available on both machines and there is usually very little difference between the two versions. This was reflected in the worldwide sales of both consoles with the PS3 sales tracking remarkably close to those of the 360. It soon became clear that Sony wouldn't be dominating videogaming for a third generation. No, this generation would ruled over by a much smaller machine with its aim set much higher.
Just eight days after the release of the Playstation 3 came Nintendo's Wii. By the time everyone had stopped laughing at the name this unassuming little cheap retrograde console had already begun to take over the world! While it's competitors had decided to wow gamers with prettier graphics and bigger explosions Nintendo's Wii had decided to wow everyone else with a videogame console that they could understand. Because they didn't need flash graphic Nintendo could make the Wii small and cheap, it's biggest innovation though was in the controls.
The Wii remote with it's pointer functionality and it's motion controls allowed it to be used in a variety of simple unassuming and above all fun ways. Add in well loved Nintendo mascot Mario and all his friends and the Wii was [is] a huge hit. Wii Fit, a combined exercise routine, yoga course and game, broadened the console's appeal even further. Not to mention forcing us all to reconsider the definition of what constitutes a videogame!
Five years ago no-one expected this generation to be much different to the last. Nintendo have tapped a whole new audience and are reaping the rewards. Microsoft have done far better with the 360 than they did with the Xbox, perhaps because they got in first or maybe being the less expensive of two very similar consoles was enough. Sony haven't taken off like they did with PSone and PS2 but they say that the PS3 is a slow burner and will be around for years yet. Will they be given the time to unlock the full power their console though? Perhaps Microsoft are thinking it's almost time to kickstart the next generation!