2000s in video games

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The 2000s was the fourth decade of the video game industry. It was a decade that was primarily dominated by Sony, Nintendo, newcomer Microsoft, and their respective systems. Sega, being Nintendo's main rival in the 1980s and 1990s, left the console market in 2002 in favor of returning to third-party development, as they once were. Overall the decade saw the last of the low resolution three-dimensional polygons of the 1990s with the emergence of high definition games, and often focused on developing immersive and interactive environments, implementing realistic physics, and improving artificial intelligence. [1] [2] The sixth and seventh generation of video game consoles went on sale, including the Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. Notable games released in the 2000s included Half-Life 2 , Wii Sports , Grand Theft Auto III , BioShock , The Sims , Metroid Prime , Burnout 3: Takedown, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 , Resident Evil 4 , The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Shadow of the Colossus, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City , Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic , LittleBigPlanet , The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, World of Warcraft , Final Fantasy X , Perfect Dark , God of War, Left 4 Dead , Batman: Arkham Asylum , Counter-Strike, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Diablo II , Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Super Smash Bros. Melee , Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas , Gears of War, Max Payne, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl , Super Mario Galaxy , Halo: Combat Evolved , Tony Hawk´s Pro Skater 3 , Guitar Hero , Devil May Cry, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy , Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus, Hitman: Blood Money , Grand Theft Auto IV , Halo 2 , The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess , Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty , Fallout 3 , Super Mario Sunshine , Rock Band, Beyond Good & Evil, Portal , Ico , Jet Set Radio , Silent Hill 2 , Psychonauts , Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Halo 3 , and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare .

Contents

Consoles of the 2000s

Sixth generation (1998–2006)

PlayStation 2 (2000) Sony-PlayStation-2-30001-wController-L.jpg
PlayStation 2 (2000)

The sixth generation of video games officially began in 1998 with the introduction of the short-lived Dreamcast, which was discontinued in 2001. Sega announced that they would no longer produce video game consoles after two straight underperforming consoles and became a third-party developer. The PlayStation 2 was released in 2000 and became the best-selling video game console of all time. Microsoft entered the home console market with the Xbox. Although initially expected to struggle, it managed to reach second place in sales behind the PS2 on the strength of the launch title Halo: Combat Evolved . The GameCube, launched in 2001 alongside the Xbox, fell into third place, a first for Nintendo.

The sixth generation improved on the 3D graphics of the fifth generation consoles. Some of the new features in the consoles included built-in DVD players and hard drives. [3] [4] Internet play on consoles, pioneered by the Dreamcast, became commercially viable with the Xbox Live system, which was launched in November 2002, one year after the console's release. It featured a broadband connection and downloadable content and was a success.

Seventh generation (2005–2012)

Nintendo Wii (2006). Wii-console.jpg
Nintendo Wii (2006).

The seventh generation of consoles began with the release of the Xbox 360 in 2005. This was followed by the Wii and the PlayStation 3 in 2006. The seventh-generation featured widespread implementation of HD-ready graphics, media centers, and wireless game controllers, as well as online services for all consoles. The PS3 also has Blu-ray Disc compatibility. The Wii implemented an innovative game controller that features full motion sensitivity and is wielded like a remote, with limited button interaction. In response, the PS3 introduced tilt-sensitive functionality with its controllers. The Wii's motion sensitive controls and focus on family-friendly games, while alienating some hardcore gamers, helped the Wii to become the best-selling console of the seventh-generation. The high price of the PS3 had initially caused slow sales, but numerous price cuts and efforts to bring feature-parity between it and Xbox 360 were made in the years following. It was generally successful as the PlayStation 3 steadily increased in popularity, resulting in lifetime sales to be nearly equal to that of the Xbox 360.

Nintendo continued to dominate the handheld console market with the release of the dual-screen Nintendo DS in 2004. One of the screens is a touchscreen. The PlayStation Portable, released in 2005 by Sony, was the first serious competitor to Nintendo's handheld video game consoles and is by far the best-selling non-Nintendo handheld.

History

An evolving industry

Early on in the decade, the video games world was shaken up over two major stories that dominated the headlines: Sega was pulling out of the console war and that Microsoft was entering the market. Sega stated that the poor performance of the Sega Dreamcast and Sega Saturn lines contributed to their decision. [5] The company returned to third party publishing for the remaining consoles. [6] Microsoft officially debuted their Xbox console at the Game Developers Conference in 2000 after much speculation. [7]

After the release of the Xbox and PlayStation 2, a noticeable trend was to push video game consoles into media centers and offer more features than just playing games. Nintendo was slow to react and released the Gamecube in 2001 without many of the exotic features seen in other consoles. [8] Instead, Nintendo was focusing on improving the gameplay experience, as well as preparing its new innovative controller to be released in 2006. [9] Backward compatibility also became a staple feature to gaming in this decade. The PlayStation 2 was the first major system to allow for backward compatibility to a preceding console. [10] [11]

Copyright infringement became a big concern to game developers and many companies tried experimenting with ways to combat the growing problem, especially among PC games. Some companies required registration through the use of a product key. [12] In one of the more notable events of the decade, Valve was hit particularly hard by a hacker and subsequently had much of their work on Half-Life 2 leaked onto the internet. [13]

Sony and Microsoft released their PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles in the mid-decade. As the decade progressed, more and more features were added to consoles. Internet connectivity became ubiquitous and some games integrated the use of webcam accessories. In the mid-decade, the industry was caught in the crossfire of the HD DVD and Blu-ray format war. Ultimately, the Blu-ray format won out, but that didn't help Microsoft after they have already made HD DVD compatibility a feature. [14] Nintendo had still yet to release a system compatible for viewing films. Instead, Nintendo unveiled the Wii and revolutionized the industry with the interactive gameplay that its brand new controller provided. [15] It would not be until the next decade that Sony or Microsoft would release a similar motion controller to the Wii as an accessory (See: Kinect and PlayStation Move ).

Graphic innovation

The 1990s decade oversaw the transition from 2D-based video games to fully immersive three-dimensional environments and gameplay. The 2000s continued on this trend by polishing many of the flaws of creating a new dimension for games such as rigid polygon characters and animations. By the decades end, Microsoft and Sony had already been releasing games in high definition. [16] [17]

Status of PC video games

PC video games remained popular throughout the decade, but was in an overall decline as consoles became more and more popular. Publishers also liked the standardization that consoles provided, whereas PC game performance was dependent on the graphic capabilities of a player's hardware. Nevertheless, the PC remained the device of choice for many popular strategy, simulation, and online games.

Blizzard was a company in the spotlight on numerous occasions throughout the 2000s and loyal to the PC. In 2000, it released the hack and slash game Diablo II which is frequently listed as one of the best games ever made. [18] The game continues to have a wide following many years after its release and was listed on NPD Group's top ten PC games sales list as recently as 2010. [19] Then in 2004, Blizzard wowed gamers with the release of World of Warcraft , which was the world's most-subscribed MMORPG at the time with over 10 million subscribers.

The Sims , a spin-off project of the popular Sim City franchise, also became a popular game of the era. Combining all of its sequels and expansions, The Sims easily becomes one of the best-selling PC game in history. [20] The Sims also had an important role in bringing female and casual gamers into the often male-dominated and hardcore video game market. [21] [22] [23]

Rhythm game fad

Aria Wallace and Victoria Justice playing Guitar Hero. Victoria Justice and Aria Wallace smilingpose.jpg
Aria Wallace and Victoria Justice playing Guitar Hero.

Rhythm games were primarily centered in the arcade with popular games such as Dance Dance Revolution and Beatmania . Many of these franchises had been popular since the late-nineties, but it wasn't until Guitar Hero 's release in 2005 that the genre really impacted on popular culture. [24] Most games in this category will feature a set list of songs that a player can choose to perform. They also generally come with a unique controller, usually shaped like a musical instrument. [25] The success of Guitar Hero lead to the creation of other similar game franchises such as Rock Band and DJ Hero . These games have also been cited as inspiration for people seeking to actually play instruments, and leading to a revival of interest in classic rock nostalgia. [26] [27] [28]

In retrospect, rhythm games appear to have been a fad. [29] [30] [31] In late 2011, due to low sale figures, Activision closed its Guitar Hero division. [32] [33]

Video games in Africa

Since 2007, the fast growing mobile market in African countries such as Nigeria and Kenya has resulted in a growth in mobile game development. Local developers have taken advantage of the recent increase in mobile internet connection in countries where broadband is rarely available and console games are expensive, though locally developed applications have difficulty competing against millions of western applications available on the Google Play Store. This growth has continued through the 2010s as video games are becoming a more viable business on the continent. [34] [35] [36]

A decade of controversy

As video games approached greater realism in their graphic capabilities, it was inevitable that controversy would result. The evidence was inconclusive, but debates continued throughout the decade about the level of profanity, violence, pornography, and whether or not video games had an addictive effect. [37] [38] [39] [40] One game series in particular that was no stranger to controversy in the 2000s was Grand Theft Auto . [41] [42] In the 2004 San Andreas installment of the series, the game received widespread criticism revolving around the Hot Coffee mod, a normally disabled mini-game that could be enabled. [43] [44] The drama and pressure forced the ESRB to re-rate the game as an AO (Adults Only) and to have it pulled from store shelves. [45] The game was also criticized for being excessively violent. [46] Another game that struck a nerve with many analysts and the general public was a game released in 2005 entitled Super Columbine Massacre RPG! in which a player actually carries out the events of the 1999 Columbine high school shooting. [47] [48] The game and its creator, Danny Ledonne, was both praised for the bold statement on free speech and criticized for being distasteful. [49] [50] It became the first finalist to ever be rejected at the 2007 Slamdance Film Festival's Guerrilla Games Competition. In protest of the rejection, many of the finalists withdrew from the competition and in the end no awards were handed out that year. [51] [52] The competition has not been held since the 2007 incident.

Expanded influence

An orchestra performing a Video Games Live event. Vgltoronto.jpg
An orchestra performing a Video Games Live event.

As video games diversified and became an ever-present part of pop culture, its influence began integrating with other media. The film industry in particular took notice and capitalized on how they could integrate video games into their storytelling. The Wachowskis, known for their Matrix series of films, developed Enter the Matrix to tie together the events of The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions motion pictures. [53] Making films from video games is nothing new to Hollywood, but the transition from video game to film doesn't always succeed. [54] The 2000s however began to show promise in the profitability and success of making video game-based films. Opening in 2001, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider became the highest-grossing video game adaptation with over a US$274 million box office performance. [55] [56] Tomb Raider held that title for nearly a decade. [54] [57] Other adaptations in the 2000s included the popular Resident Evil saga, Silent Hill , Max Payne , Hitman , Alone in the Dark , DOOM , House of the Dead , and Dungeon Siege .

The 2000s was also the first decade that the medium has significantly affected classical music. Tommy Tallarico and Jack Wall had a vision that a concert would be a way to show "how culturally significant video games and video game music is in the world today." [58] The first Video Games Live concert was held at the Hollywood Bowl on July 6, 2005, to an audience of 11,000 people. [59] Many of the events feature a live orchestra, synchronized lighting and effects, and gameplay projected onto a screen. [60]

Notable video-game franchises established in the 2000s

Notes:

Best-selling video games of the decade

The following table lists video games of the 2000s that have sold at least 10 million copies. Downloaded content may not be included into figures.

Best-selling video games of the 2000s (as of January 2020)
No.TitleUnits soldInitial release datePlatform(s)Genre(s)Developer(s)Publisher(s)Ref
1 Wii Sports 82.88 millionNovember 19, 2006 Wii Sports Nintendo EAD (Group 2) Nintendo [61]
2 Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus 43.80 millionDecember 1, 2007 Exergaming Nintendo EAD (Group 5) Nintendo [61]
3 Mario Kart Wii 37.24 millionApril 10, 2008 Kart racing Nintendo EAD (Group 1) Nintendo [61]
4 Wii Sports Resort 33.11 millionJune 25, 2009 Sports Nintendo EAD (Group 2) Nintendo [61]
5 New Super Mario Bros. 30.80 millionMay 15, 2006 Nintendo DS Platformer Nintendo EAD (Group 4) Nintendo [62]
6 New Super Mario Bros. Wii 30.28 millionNovember 11, 2009 Wii Platformer Nintendo EAD (Group 4) Nintendo [61]
7 Wii Play 28.02 millionDecember 2, 2006 Party Nintendo EAD (Group 2) Nintendo [61]
8 Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas 27.5 millionOctober 26, 2004Multi-platform Action-adventure Rockstar North Rockstar Games [63]
9 Grand Theft Auto IV 25.00 millionApril 29, 2008 Action-adventure Rockstar North Rockstar Games [64]
10 Nintendogs 23.96 millionApril 21, 2005 Nintendo DS Pet-raising simulation Nintendo EAD (Group 1) Nintendo [62]
11 Mario Kart DS 23.60 millionNovember 14, 2005 Kart racing Nintendo EAD (Group 1) Nintendo [62]
12 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 22.70 millionNovember 10, 2009Multi-platform First-person shooter Infinity Ward Activision [65]
13 Grand Theft Auto: Vice City 20.00 millionOctober 29, 2002 Action-adventure Rockstar North Rockstar Games [66]
14 Brain Age 19.01 millionMay 19, 2005 Nintendo DS Puzzle, educational Nintendo SPD Nintendo [62]
15 Pokémon Diamond and Pearl 17.67 millionSeptember 28, 2006 Role-playing Game Freak The Pokémon Company, Nintendo [62]
16 Grand Theft Auto III 17.50 millionOctober 22, 2001Multi-platform Action-adventure DMA Design Rockstar Games [66]
17 Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire 16.22 millionNovember 21, 2002 Game Boy Advance Role-playing Game Freak The Pokémon Company, Nintendo [67]
18 The Sims 16.00 millionJanuary 31, 2000Multi-platform Life simulation Maxis Electronic Arts [68]
19 Need for Speed: Most Wanted 16.00 millionNovember 11, 2005 Racing EA Canada, EA Black Box Electronic Arts [69]
20 Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec 14.89 millionApril 28, 2001 PlayStation 2 Sim racing Polyphony Digital Sony Computer Entertainment [70]
21 Brain Age 2 14.88 millionDecember 29, 2005 Nintendo DS Puzzle, educational Nintendo SDD Nintendo [62]
22 Halo 3 14.50 millionSeptember 25, 2007 Xbox 360 First-person shooter Bungie Microsoft Game Studios [71]
23 Super Smash Bros. Brawl 13.30 millionJanuary 31, 2008 Wii Fighting Game Arts, HAL Laboratory, Sora Ltd. Nintendo [61]
24 Super Mario Galaxy 12.79 millionNovember 1, 2007 Platformer Nintendo EAD (Group 1) Nintendo [61]
25 Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver 12.72 millionSeptember 12, 2009 Nintendo DS Role-playing Game Freak The Pokémon Company, Nintendo [62]
26 Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen 12.00 millionJanuary 29, 2004 Game Boy Advance Role-playing Game Freak The Pokémon Company, Nintendo [67]
27 Gran Turismo 4 11.76 millionDecember 28, 2004 PlayStation 2 Sim racing Polyphony Digital Sony Computer Entertainment [70]
28 Animal Crossing: Wild World 11.75 millionNovember 23, 2005 Nintendo DS Social simulation Nintendo EAD (Group 2) Nintendo [62]
29 Super Mario 64 DS 11.06 millionNovember 21, 2004 Platformer Nintendo EAD Comprehensive Group Nintendo [62]

Hardware timeline

The following gallery highlights hardware used to predominantly play games throughout the 2000s.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of video games</span>

The history of video games began in the 1950s and 1960s as computer scientists began designing simple games and simulations on minicomputers and mainframes. Spacewar! was developed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) student hobbyists in 1962 as one of the first such games on a video display. The first consumer video game hardware was released in the early 1970s. The first home video game console was the Magnavox Odyssey, and the first arcade video games were Computer Space and Pong. After its home console conversions, numerous companies sprang up to capture Pong's success in both the arcade and the home by cloning the game, causing a series of boom and bust cycles due to oversaturation and lack of innovation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">GameCube</span> Home video game console

The GameCube is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on 14 September 2001, in North America on 18 November 2001, in Europe on 3 May 2002, and in Australia on 17 May 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (N64). As a sixth-generation console, the GameCube primarily competed with the PlayStation 2 and Xbox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Game controller</span> Device used with games or entertainment systems

A game controller, gaming controller, or simply controller, is an input device or input/output device used with video games or entertainment systems to provide input to a video game. Input devices that have been classified as game controllers include keyboards, mice, gamepads, and joysticks, as well as special purpose devices, such as steering wheels for driving games and light guns for shooting games. Controllers designs have evolved to include directional pads, multiple buttons, analog sticks, joysticks, motion detection, touch screens and a plethora of other features.

The Game Critics Awards were a set of annual awards held after the E3 video game conference since 1998. The awards were given to products displayed at E3 with the title Best of E3 of their category. The 21st Annual Game Critics Awards was showcased for the final time in 2019, four years before E3 was permanently shut down.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wii</span> Home video game console by Nintendo

The Wii is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, following the GameCube and is a seventh-generation console alongside Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.

In the history of video games, the sixth generation era is the era of computer and video games, video game consoles, and handheld gaming devices available at the turn of the 21st century, starting on November 27, 1998. Platforms in the sixth generation include consoles from four companies: the Sega Dreamcast (DC), Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2), Nintendo GameCube (GC), and Microsoft Xbox. This era began on November 27, 1998, with the Japanese release of the Dreamcast, which was joined by the PlayStation 2 on March 4, 2000, the GameCube on September 14, 2001 and the Xbox on November 15, 2001, respectively. On March 31, 2001, the Dreamcast was among the first to be discontinued. Xbox in 2006, GameCube in 2007 and PlayStation 2 was the last, in January 2013. Meanwhile, the seventh generation of consoles started on November 22, 2005, with the launch of the Xbox 360.

The history of video game consoles, both home and handheld, began in the 1970s. The first console that played games on a television set was the 1972 Magnavox Odyssey, first conceived by Ralph H. Baer in 1966. Handheld consoles originated from electro-mechanical games that used mechanical controls and light-emitting diodes (LED) as visual indicators. Handheld electronic games had replaced the mechanical controls with electronic and digital components, and with the introduction of Liquid-crystal display (LCD) to create video-like screens with programmable pixels, systems like the Microvision and the Game & Watch became the first handheld video game consoles.

2001 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Madden NFL 2002, NBA Live 2002, NBA 2K2, WWF Smackdown! Just Bring It, Capcom vs. SNK 2,Dead or Alive 3, Final Fantasy X, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, Grand Theft Auto III, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Myst III: Exile, Crazy Taxi 2, SSX Tricky, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Sonic Adventure 2, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, and Virtua Fighter 4. New intellectual properties include Ace Attorney, Advance Wars,Animal Crossing, Burnout, Gothic, Black & White, Devil May Cry, Fatal Frame, Ghost Recon,Halo, Jak and Daxter, Max Payne, Oni, Onimusha: Warlords, Operation Flashpoint, Pikmin, Pro Evolution Soccer, Red Faction, Serious Sam, and Tropico.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Analog stick</span> Input device for a video game controller

An analog stick, also known as control stick, joystick or thumbstick, is an input device for a controller that is used for two-dimensional input. An analog stick is a variation of a joystick, consisting of a protrusion from the controller; input is based on the position of this protrusion in relation to the default "center" position. While digital sticks rely on single electrical connections for movement, analog sticks use continuous electrical activity running through potentiometers to measure the exact position of the stick within its full range of motion. The analog stick has greatly overtaken the D-pad in both prominence and usage in console video games.

A video game accessory is a distinct piece of hardware that is required to use a video game console, or one that enriches the video game's play experience. Essentially, video game accessories are everything except the console itself, such as controllers, memory, power adapters (AC), and audio/visual cables. Most video game consoles come with the accessories required to play games out of the box : one A/V cable, one AC cable, and a controller. Memory is usually the most required accessory outside of these, as game data cannot be saved to compact discs. The companies that manufacture video game consoles also make these accessories for replacement purposes as well as improving the overall experience. There is an entire industry of companies that create accessories for consoles as well, called third-party companies. The prices are often lower than those made by the maker of the console (first-party). This is usually achieved by avoiding licensing or using cheaper materials. For the mobile systems like the PlayStation Portable and Game Boy iterations, there are many accessories to make them more usable in mobile environments, such as mobile chargers, lighting to improve visibility, and cases to both protect and help organize the collection of system peripherals to. Newer accessories include many home-made things like mod chips to bypass manufacturing protection or homemade software.

The seventh generation of home video game consoles began on November 22, 2005, with the release of Microsoft's Xbox 360 home console. This was followed by the release of Sony's PlayStation 3 on November 17, 2006, and Nintendo's Wii on November 19, 2006. Each new console introduced new technologies. The Xbox 360 offered games rendered natively at high-definition video (HD) resolutions, the PlayStation 3 offered HD movie playback via a built-in 3D Blu-ray Disc player, and the Wii focused on integrating controllers with movement sensors as well as joysticks. Some Wii controllers could be moved about to control in-game actions, which enabled players to simulate real-world actions through movement during gameplay. By this generation, video game consoles had become an important part of the global IT infrastructure; it is estimated that video game consoles represented 25% of the world's general-purpose computational power in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motion controller</span> Video game controller that tracks motions

In computing, a motion controller is a type of input device that uses accelerometers, gyroscopes, cameras, or other sensors to track motion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PlayStation 2</span> Home video game console by Sony

The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 30 November 2000. It is the successor to the original PlayStation, as well as the second installment in the PlayStation brand of consoles. As a sixth-generation console, it competed with Nintendo's GameCube, Sega's Dreamcast, and Microsoft's Xbox. It is the best-selling video game console of all time, having sold over 155 million units worldwide, nearly triple the combined sales of the Dreamcast, GameCube, and Xbox.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nintendo video game consoles</span> Overview of the various video game consoles released by Nintendo

The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Nintendo has developed seven home video game consoles and multiple portable consoles for use with external media, as well as dedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. As of September 30, 2021, in addition to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has sold over 863.07 million hardware units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xbox (console)</span> Video game console by Microsoft

The Xbox is a home video game console manufactured by Microsoft that is the first installment in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was released as Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market on November 15, 2001, in North America, followed by Australia, Europe and Japan in 2002. It is classified as a sixth-generation console, competing with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube. It was also the first major console produced by an American company since the release of the Atari Jaguar in 1993.

Online console gaming involves connecting a console to a network over the Internet for services. Through this connection, it provides users the ability to play games with other users online, in addition to other online services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Home video game console generations</span> Video game consoles released during the same period

In the video game industry, the market for home video game consoles has frequently been segmented into generations, grouping consoles that are considered to have shared in a competitive marketspace. Since the first home consoles in 1972, there have been nine defined home console generations.

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