History of…
Video games
Video game consoles
First generation (1972–1977) Second generation (1976–1984) Video game crash of 1983 Third generation (1983–1992) Fourth generation (1987–1996) Fifth generation (1993–2002) Sixth generation (1998–2006) Seventh generation (2004–)
Arcade games
Golden Age of Arcade Games

In the history of video games, the seventh generation, which is also the current generation, primarily focuses on the consoles released since 2004 by Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony. Video games were introduced as a commercial entertainment medium in 1971, becoming the basis for an important entertainment industry in the late 1970s/early 1980s in the United The first generation of Video game consoles lasted from 1972 until 1977 In the history of computer and video games the second generation (sometimes referred to as the early 8 bit era) began in 1976 with the release of the Fairchild The North American video game crash of 1983 (sometimes known as the video game crash of 1984 because it was in that year that the full effects of the crash became apparent In the History of computer and video games, the third generation (the latter half of which is sometimes known as the 8 bit era) began in 1983 with the Japanese In the History of computer and video games, the fourth generation (more commonly referred to as the 16 bit era) began on October 30, 1987 The fifth-generation era (more commonly known as the 32 bit era and occasionally after the release of the Nintendo 64, the 64 bit era and more rarely The sixth-generation era (sometimes referred to as the 128-bit era; see "Number of bits" below refers to the computer and Video games This article contains a timeline of notable events in the history of video arcade gaming 1971 - 1979;1971 The Galaxy Game, the earliest known coin-operated The Golden Age of Video Arcade Games was a peak era of video arcade game popularity innovation and earnings Video games were introduced as a commercial entertainment medium in 1971, becoming the basis for an important entertainment industry in the late 1970s/early 1980s in the United Events January 20 — Wired s Vaporware Awards gives its first "Lifetime Achievement Award" to recurring winner is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Kyoto Japan founded on Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with ^[1]

For home consoles, the seventh generation began on November 22, 2005 with the release of Microsoft's Xbox 360 and continued with the release of Sony's PlayStation 3 on November 11, 2006 and Nintendo's Wii on November 19, 2006. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Xbox 360 is the second Video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Each new console introduced a new type of breakthrough technology. For example, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 offered high-definition graphics, while the Wii focused on integrating controllers with movement sensors instead of joysticks^[2] (The Playstation 3 also employs motion sensitivity, but not to as great a degree). High-definition (HD video generally refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition (SD video most commonly at display resolutions of 1280×720 The Wii Remote, sometimes Nicknamed " Wiimote " is the primary controller for Nintendo 's The Wii Remote, sometimes Nicknamed " Wiimote " is the primary controller for Nintendo 's A joystick is an input device consisting of a stick that pivots on a base and reports its angle or direction to the device it is controlling All three consoles have wireless controllers.

For handheld consoles, the seventh generation began on November 21, 2004 with the North American introduction of the Nintendo DS as a "third pillar", alongside Nintendo's existing Game Boy Advance and GameCube consoles. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The is a dual-screen Handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. The Game Boy Advance (often shortened to GBA) is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed manufactured and marketed by Nintendo. The, often abbreviated as GCN, is Nintendo 's fourth home Video game console and is part of the sixth generation console era. ^[3] The Nintendo DS features a built-in microphone and supports wireless IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi) standards. IEEE 80211 is a set of standards for wireless local area network (WLAN computer communication developed by the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee ( IEEE 802 Wi-Fi (ˈwaɪfaɪ is the trade name for the popular wireless technology used ^[4] The PlayStation Portable, released later the same year on December 12, 2004, followed a different pattern. The PlayStation Portable (officially abbreviated PSP) is a Handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " It became the first handheld video game console to use an optical disc format, Universal Media Disc (UMD), as its primary storage media. The Universal Media Disc ( UMD) is an Optical disc medium developed by Sony for use on the PlayStation Portable. ^[5][6] Sony also gave the PlayStation Portable handle a robust multi-media capability,^[7] connectivity with the PlayStation 3 and other PSPs and have Internet connectivity. The Internet is a global system of interconnected Computer networks ^[8][9] Despite the fact that the Nintendo DS lacks these additions, PlayStation Portable sales have consistently lagged behind the Nintendo DS. ^[10]

Home consoles

Xbox 360

Main article: Xbox 360

Microsoft's Xbox 360 gained an early lead in terms of market share largely due to its early launch date which was one year before its rivals. The Xbox 360 is the second Video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational Computer technology Corporation, which rose to dominate the Home computer Sales in North America and Europe have continued to be strong, even after the release of the Wii and PlayStation 3. Like its predecessor, the Xbox 360 received a muted reception in Japan,^[11] attributed to the lack of content aimed at Japanese gamers. ^[12]

This early launch did come with some trouble, as technical problems appeared in a portion of Xbox 360 units sold. The Xbox 360 Video game console is subject to a number of technical problems that can render it unusable The most well known problem is the "red ring of death", which received a great deal of attention due to some users' claims of having to replace their consoles multiple times. The Xbox 360 Video game console is subject to a number of technical problems that can render it unusable Microsoft addressed this by offering a three year warranty on all affected consoles and repairing them free of charge. ^[13] It also retroactively reimbursed owners of affected systems who paid for repairs. ^[13] According to The Mercury News, new models of the console featuring 65-nanometer technology will address this and other issues; the new technology is expected to reduce heat production, which will lower the risk of overheating and system failures; although, this has not been officially confirmed by Microsoft. The San Jose Mercury News is the major daily Newspaper in San Jose California and Silicon Valley. ^[14]

As they share many cross-platform games and compete for the same audience as their predecessors, frequent comparisons are made between the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. ^[15] The PS3 uses the Blu-ray format, while the Xbox 360 uses a standard DVD. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is The Xbox 360 is less expensive to produce, and analysts expect that a mid-revision will allow Microsoft to break-even on manufacturing costs,^[16][17] while industry consensus is that the Xbox 360's conventional architecture is easier to develop for. ^[18][19]

At the end of first half of 2007, the console stabilized at 11. 6 million units shipped as sales dropped 60% while its rival, Wii, gained momentum and Sony announced a competitive price drop on the PlayStation 3. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with ^[20][21] Microsoft's strategy to boost sales with the release of the highly anticipated Halo 3 in September 2007 paid off, outselling the Wii that month in North America. Halo 3 is a First-person shooter Video game developed by Bungie exclusively for the Xbox 360. ^[22] Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division experienced a huge increase in revenue, largely driven by the release of Halo 3, and posted a quarterly profit for the first time in two years. ^[23]

In August 2007, the first price drop was announced for all Stock Keeping Units (SKU's) of the Xbox 360. A Stock Keeping Unit, or SKU (pronounced either as an Acronym (ˈskjuː or as an Initialism (/ˌɛsˌkeɪˈjuː/ “S–K–U” is a ^[24] The Core system's price was reduced in the United States by $20, the Premium by $50, and the Elite model by $30. ^[24] Also, the HDMI out port, previously exclusive to the Elite system, was added to new models of the Premium and Core systems (and the new Arcade system). The High-Definition Multimedia Interface ( HDMI) is a compact audio/video connector interface for transmitting uncompressed digital streams ^[25]

PlayStation 3

Main article: PlayStation 3

Sony's PlayStation 3 was released roughly a year later on November 11, 2006, with a higher price than its direct competitor, the Xbox 360. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with Events 308 - The Congress of Carnuntum: Attempting to keep peace within the Roman Empire, the leaders of the Tetrarchy declare Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The system's reliance on new technology such as the Cell microprocessor and Blu-ray format has caused difficulties in manufacturing, especially the Blu-ray diode, leading to shortages at launch and the delay of the PAL region launches; however, by early December 2006, Sony announced that all production issues had been resolved. Cell is a Microprocessor architecture jointly developed by Sony Computer Entertainment, Toshiba, and IBM, an The PAL region is a Video game publication territory which covers Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and varying European countries ^[26]

Market analysts^[27] and Sony executives have stated that the success of the PlayStation 3 and the Blu-ray format are dependent on one another; Rich Marty, VP of New Business Development at Sony Pictures Home Entertainment stated that the “PS3 is critical to the success of Blu-ray,"^[28] while Phil Harrison stated that the PlayStation 3's success will be ensured because "the growth of the Blu-ray disc movie market . Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is the Home video distribution arm of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation. Phil Harrison is the former British corporate executive and a representative director of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc . . is a positive factor which will play more into the consumer psyche . . . as more consumer electronics firms launch standalone disc players, as more Blu-ray disc movies become available, and as more shelf space is dedicated to the category at retail. "^[29]

Sony will provide support for its console with new titles from acclaimed first-party franchises such as Gran Turismo and God of War, and has secured a number of highly anticipated third-party exclusive titles, like Metal Gear Solid 4, Final Fantasy XIII, and Tekken 6. Gran Turismo ( GT) is a hugely successful and critically acclaimed series of racing Video games produced for the Sony PlayStation, God of War is a Video game for the PlayStation 2 console released on March 22, 2005. (commonly abbreviated to MGS4) is a stealth action Video game. is an upcoming Console role-playing game being developed by Square Enix who will publish it for PlayStation 3 worldwide and Xbox 360 in Europe and North is the latest installment of Namco 's Tekken series which was released to Japanese arcades on November 26, 2007. The loss of exclusivity of the Devil May Cry,^[30] Ace Combat,^[31] Virtua Fighter,^[32] Monster Hunter,^[33] Dragon Quest,^[34] the timed-exclusivity of Grand Theft Auto series,^[35] and announced exclusives titles like Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War Fatal Inertia,^[36] and Assassin's Creed;^[37] and a PlayStation 3 version of Beautiful Katamari^[38] fueled rumors and fear that Metal Gear Solid 4, Final Fantasy XIII, and Tekken 6 would also be available for Xbox 360;^{[39][40][41][42][43]} however, these three games are currently still PlayStation 3 exclusives. Exclusive dealing refers to when a retailer or wholesaler is ‘tied’ to purchase from a supplier on the understanding that no other distributor will be appointed or receive supplies Devil May Cry is a series of Hack and slash Video games set in the modern day developed by Capcom and created by Shinji Mikami Ace Combat is an arcade style Flight Action Video game series published by the Japanese company Bandai Namco Games. Virtua Fighter ( VF) is a series of 3D Fighting games created by Sega Monster Hunter / モンスターハンター is an Action role-playing game for the PlayStation 2. published as Dragon Warrior in North America until the 2005 release of Dragon Quest VIII Journey of the Cursed King, is a series of role-playing Bladestorm The Hundred Years' War is a Video game for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms Fatal Inertia is a futuristic hovercar racing game from Koei. Assassin's Creed is a Video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. Beautiful Katamari, released in Japan as, is a video game by Namco Bandai for the Xbox 360. ^[44][45][46] Sony has blamed lower-than-expected sales on the lack of titles in the PlayStation's slim software library, its higher price, and stock shortages. ^[47][48][49]

In July 2007, Sony announced a drop in the price of the console by $100. July 2007 is the seventh month of that year It began on a Sunday and 31 days later ended on a Tuesday. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with ^[50] This measure only applied to the 60 GB models and was exclusive to the United States and Canada, where those models are no longer in production. ^[51] When stock of this model runs out, only a new model with an 80 GB hard disk will be available, and for the same as the launch price of the 60 GB version.

On October 18, 2007, Sony announced a $100 price drop for the 80 GB model and a new $399 40 GB model to launch on November 2, 2007^[52] with reduced features such as the removal of backward compatibility with PS2 games. Events 1009 - The Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a Christian church in Jerusalem, is completely destroyed by the Fatimid Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1570 - A Tidal wave in the North Sea devastates the coast from Holland to Jutland, killing more than 1000 Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Within weeks, Sony announced that sales of the 40 GB and 80 GB models by major retailers had increased 192%. ^[53]

Wii

Main article: Wii

Nintendo entered this generation with a new approach embodied by its Wii console. is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Kyoto Japan founded on The company planned to attract current hard-core and casual gamers,^[54] non-gamers,^[55] and lapsed gamers by focusing on new gameplay experiences and new forms of interaction with games rather than cutting edge graphics and expensive technology. ^[56] This approach was previously implemented in the portable market with the Nintendo DS. A handheld game console is a lightweight portable electronic machine for playing Video games Unlike Video game consoles the controls screen and speakers The is a dual-screen Handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. ^[57] Nintendo expressed hope that the new control schemes it has implemented will render current conventionally controlled consoles obsolete, leading to Nintendo capturing a large portion of the existing market as well. ^[58]

So far this strategy has paid off, with demand for the Wii outstripping supply throughout 2007. ^[59] Since Nintendo profited on each console right from the start unlike its competitors,^[60] it has already achieved very positive returns. ^[61] With only a few exceptions, monthly worldwide Wii sales have been higher than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3,^[22][62][63] eroding Microsoft's early lead and widening the gap between its market share and Sony's. Market share, in Strategic management and Marketing, is the percentage or proportion of the total available Market or Market segment that is ^[57] On September 12, 2007, it was reported by the British newspaper Financial Times that the Wii's sales had surpassed the Xbox 360, which was released one year previously, and became the market leader in worldwide home console sales for the current generation. Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. The Financial Times ( FT) is a British international business Newspaper. ^[64]

As in previous generations, Nintendo has provided strong support for its new console with popular first-party franchises like Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Pokémon, among others. is a Fictional character created by game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. is a High fantasy action-adventure Video game series created by Game designer Shigeru Miyamoto and developed and published is a series of Science fiction adventure Video games conceived by designer Gunpei Yokoi and produced by Nintendo. To appeal to casual and non-gamers, Nintendo has also created the Wii Series of games, where players make use of the motion-sensing abilities of the console and its peripherals to simulate real world activities, such as sports, table games, music, or doing exercises. Wii Series is a term used to refer to a series of games released for Nintendo 's Wii console designed to appeal ^[65][66]

Nintendo hopes to continue its momentum with the releases of key, highly anticipated, major exclusives like Wii Fit. Wii Fit is a Video game developed by Nintendo for the Wii console Also, publishers such as Ubisoft, EA, Capcom, and Majesco continue to release exclusive titles for the console, but the Wii's strongest titles still remain within its first-party line-up. Ubisoft Entertainment (formerly Ubi Soft) ( is a French computer and Video game publisher and developer with headquarters in For the original NASA meaning see capsule communicator. is a leading Japanese International developer Majesco Entertainment is a Japanese / American Video game publisher founded in 1986. Analysts speculated that this will change in time as Wii's growing popularity persuades third-party publishers to focus on it;^[62][67] however, some third party developers are beginning to express frustration at low software sales. Goichi Suda, developer of No More Heroes for Wii, noted that "only Nintendo titles are doing well. is the CEO of Grasshopper Manufacture. The "51" in his nickname Suda51 is a pun on his given name is an action Video game for the Wii video game system It was directed by Goichi Suda (known in Japan by the nickname Suda51 developed by Grasshopper This isn't just because of the current situation in Japan, as this is happening outside Japan. I am very surprised about the reality about Wii, because before I was making this game, I wasn't expecting that Wii would be a console targeted only for non-gamers. I expected more games for hardcore gamers. The reality is different to what I expected. "^[68] Jon Hare, a British computer game designer, remarked that "it is just a shame that this time [Nintendo] had to put so many other publishers and developers noses out of joint in order to ensure that their titles received such high priority on their hardware formats," blaming the format-holder approval process for delaying production of third party games and for lowering their quality, concluding that "Companies such as Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft should feel lucky that at present no international law forces them to open up their platforms as free technical platforms. Jon "Jops" Hare (born 20 January 1966 in Ilford, Essex, UK) is a British Computer game designer See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands A personal computer Game (also known as a computer game or simply PC game) is a Video game played on a Personal computer, rather A "game designer" is a person who designs Video games or one who designs traditional games such as Board games Video Games Designer A video game designer . . "^[69]

Yet NPD Group revealed sales data showing that, while Wii's life-to-date attach rate is low, in December 2007, it reached 8. The NPD Group Inc (formerly National Purchase Diary) is a leading global market research company founded in 1967 and provides consumer and retail information to manufacturers The attach rate of a product represents how many Complementary products are sold for each Primary product. Events March 14: Microsoft announces Games for Windows - Live, a version of Xbox Live for the Windows platform 11—higher than the attach rates for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in that month. ^[70] Wii's low overall attach rate could be explained by reference to its rapidly increasing installed base, as financial analysts have pointed to the Xbox 360's high attach rates as indicative of an unhealthy lack of installed base growth, and warned that what actually benefits third-party developers is “quicker adoption of hardware and a rapidly growing installed base on which to sell progressively more game units,” which tends to lower the attach rate of a product. Installed base is a measure of the number of units of a particular type of system (usually a computing platform actually in use as opposed to Market share, which only reflects ^[71]

Comparison

Discontinuations and revisions

• The PlayStation 3 20 GB has been discontinued in North America^[97] and Japan. Memory Stick is a removable flash Memory card format launched by Sony in October 1998, and is also used in general to describe the whole family Secure Digital ( SD) is a non-volatile Memory card format developed by Matsushita, SanDisk, and Toshiba for use in CompactFlash ( CF) is a Mass storage device format used in portable electronic devices The Microdrive is a Brand name for a miniature 1-inch Hard disk designed to fit in a CompactFlash (CF Type II slot The USB mass storage device class or USB MSC or UMS is a set of computing communications protocols defined by the USB Implementers Forum that Secure Digital ( SD) is a non-volatile Memory card format developed by Matsushita, SanDisk, and Toshiba for use in The, often abbreviated as GCN, is Nintendo 's fourth home Video game console and is part of the sixth generation console era. ^[98]
• The PlayStation 3 60 GB has been discontinued for NTSC territories. NTSC ( National Television System Committee) is the Analog television system used in the United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico When the remaining stock in stores is sold, the 80 GB version will serve as its replacement. ^[99]
• The PlayStation 3 60 GB has been effectively discontinued for PAL territories. PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is a colour -encoding system used in Broadcast television systems in large parts of the world When the remaining stock in stores is sold, the 40 GB version will serve as its replacement.
• Sony announced before the PS3 launch in Europe that the Emotion Engine would be removed from it for cost savings, and all backwards compatibility would be software-based. The Emotion Engine is a CPU developed and manufactured by Sony and Toshiba for use in the Sony PlayStation 2 Video game console ^[100] It is also the same for the 80 GB launching in the North American market. ^[101]
• An HDMI out port was added to the Premium Xbox 360 in August 2007. ^[102]
• The Xbox 360 Core system has been discontinued and replaced with the "Arcade" version at a price of US$279. 99. ^[103]

Backwards compatibility

As of November 19, 2006, the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii have all been released. Events 1095 - The Council of Clermont, called by Pope Urban II to discuss sending the First Crusade to the Holy Land Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. This new generation for the first time has all of the major consoles focusing on online integration and wireless controllers. A game controller is an Input device used to control a Video game. Initially only the Wii was fully backwards compatible with its previous counterpart with the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 only offering partial support, until online updates gave them full support too. In Technology, especially Computing (irrespective of platform a product is said to be backward compatible when it is able to take the place of an older product The European PlayStation 3's firmware is constantly being updated to give better backwards compatibility with both PlayStation and PlayStation 2 titles, but is available for download over the internet (via broadband connection) and may possibly be added onto a disk in the future. The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or informally as PSX) is a 32-bit fifth generation Video game console The Xbox 360 uses software emulation for backwards compatibility via game-specific patches automatically downloaded via Xbox Live or downloaded and burned to a CD or DVD from the Xbox website. An emulator duplicates (provides an emulation of the functions of one System using a different system so that the second system behaves like (and appears to ^[104] Some titles are now available for download via Xbox live, eliminating the need for the original Xbox disc. The Wii is fully backwards-compatible with the GameCube and has backwards-compatibility via the Virtual Console, which provides the ability to emulate various older gaming platforms, though each game has to be repurchased and saved to the console's internal memory. The, often abbreviated as GCN, is Nintendo 's fourth home Video game console and is part of the sixth generation console era. Virtual Console, sometimes abbreviated as VC, is a specialized section of the Wii Shop Channel, an online service that allows players to purchase and download

High definition video

Both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 support 1080p full high definition video (Full HD) output;^[105] however, the output signal may be protected by digital rights management and may require an HDCP-compliant display if HDMI is used. The Xbox 360 is the second Video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. High-definition (HD video generally refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard-definition (SD video most commonly at display resolutions of 1280×720 Digital rights management ( DRM) is a generic term that refers to Access control technologies used by hardware manufacturers publishers and Copyright holders High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection ( HDCP) is a form of digital Copy protection developed by Intel Corporation to prevent copying of digital audio The Xbox Live Marketplace service offers HD movies, TV shows, movie trailers and clips for download to the Xbox 360 hard drive. The Xbox Live Marketplace ( XBLM) is a virtual market designed for Microsoft 's Xbox 360 console that allows Xbox Live members to download ^[106] Sony does not offer HD movies or TV shows on its service.

While there is only a limited number of games available which render the picture in 1080p, all games can be automatically scaled to this resolution. Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model, by means of computer programs

Sales standings

See also: List of best-selling game consoles

Retailer figures are based on data from the manufacturers. This is a list of Video game consoles and Handheld game consoles that have sold or shipped at least one million units The Canada and the United States figures are based on data from the NPD Group, and the Japan figures are based on data from Famitsu/Enterbrain. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The NPD Group Inc (formerly National Purchase Diary) is a leading global market research company founded in 1967 and provides consumer and retail information to manufacturers For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. (formerly Famicom Tsushin) is a Japanese Video game magazine published by Enterbrain Inc is a Japanese magazine Publisher established on April 1 2000.

Console	Units shipped to retailers (worldwide)	Units sold to consumers in Canada[107]	Units sold to consumers in Japan[108][109]	Units sold to consumers in the US[110]
PlayStation 3	13 million (as of April 21, 2008)[111]	342,400 (as of February 1, 2008)	2,009,492 2,009,492 (as of March 30, 2008)	04. Events 753 BC - Romulus and Remus found Rome ( traditional date) 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 29 4. 29 million (as of May 1, 2008)
Wii	24. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 45 million (as of March 31, 2008)[112]	689,500 (as of February 1, 2008)	5,695,579 5,695,579 (as of March 30, 2008)	09. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 51 9. 51 million (as of May 1, 2008)
Xbox 360	19 million (as of April 25, 2008)[113]	736,400 (as of February 1, 2008)	0,602,558 602,558 (as of March 30, 2008)	10. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common The Xbox 360 is the second Video game console produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. Events 1607 - Eighty Years' War: The Dutch fleet destroys the anchored Spanish fleet at Gibraltar. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 08 million (as of May 1, 2008)

Handheld systems

See also: Comparison of handheld game consoles

For video game handhelds, the seventh generation began with the release of the Nintendo DS on November 21, 2004. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common This is a comparison of the features of various Handheld game consoles General information Specifications Specifications (continued A handheld game console is a lightweight portable electronic machine for playing Video games Unlike Video game consoles the controls screen and speakers The is a dual-screen Handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " This handheld was based on a design fundamentally different from the Game Boy and other handheld video game systems. The is a handheld video game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. The Nintendo DS offered new modes of input over previous generations such as a touch screen, the ability to connect wirelessly using IEE 802. 11b, as well as a microphone to speak to in-game NPCs. ^[114] On December 12, 2004, Sony released its first handheld, PlayStation Portable. Events 627 - Battle of Nineveh: A Byzantine army under Emperor Heraclius defeats Emperor Khosrau II 's Persian "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The PlayStation Portable (officially abbreviated PSP) is a Handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. The PlayStation Portable was marketed at launch to an above 25 year old^[115] or "core gamer" market,^[116] while the Nintendo DS proved to be popular with both core gamers and new consumers. ^[117]

Nokia Corporation plans to revive its N-Gage platform in the form of a service for selected S60 devices. Nokia Corporation (pronunciation /'nɔkiɑ/),,) is a Finnish multinational Communications Corporation, headquartered The N-Gage is a Mobile telephone and Handheld game system based on the Nokia Series 60 platform The S60 Platform (formerly Series 60 User Interface is a software platform for Mobile phones that runs on Symbian OS. This new service launched on April 3, 2008. The N-Gage service is Nokia 's mobile gaming platform that is available for several Nokia S60 3rd Edition Smartphones It is a follow-up Events 1043 - Edward the Confessor is crowned King of England. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ^[118]

Comparison

Note: First year of release is the first year of the system's worldwide availability. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 240 BC - 1st recorded Perihelion passage of Halley's Comet. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common

Milestone titles

See also: List of console game franchises

• BioShock (Xbox 360, PC) is considered a major influential and artistic game of this generation^[133][134] with a plot that quickly created controversy with the decisions the player makes during the game. This is a list of console video game franchises organized by the generations in which they first appeared BioShock is a video game by 2K Boston/2K Australia —previously known as Irrational Games ^[135]

• Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (Xbox 360, PC, PS3), At Game Rankings, Oblivion holds an average review score of 94% for the Xbox 360,^[136] 93% for the PC, and 93% for the PlayStation 3 version. The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion is a Single player Fantasy -themed action-oriented Computer role-playing game developed by Bethesda Game Studios Game Rankings is a Website which keeps track of Video game reviews from other sites and combines them to present an average rating for each game In general, most reviewers praised the game for its immersiveness and scope, winning the game awards from various outlets. ^[137] The television program X-Play, citing similar reasons, awarded the game a 5/5, with Eurogamer stating that the game "successfully unites some of the best elements of RPG, adventure and action games and fuses them into a relentlessly immersive and intoxicating whole". X-Play (previously GameSpot TV and Extended Play) is a TV program about Video games known for its reviews and In Japan, game magazine Famitsu awarding it a 38/40, giving it their "Platinum award". For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. (formerly Famicom Tsushin) is a Japanese Video game magazine published by Enterbrain Inc GameSpot called the game "simply one of the best role-playing games ever,"^[138].

• Gears of War (Xbox 360, PC) had preorder sales were second only to Halo 2 in the studio's history. Gears of War is a tactical Third-person shooter Video game developed by Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios. Halo 2 is a Science fiction First-person shooter Video game developed by Bungie Studios. ^[139] Gears of War was also the first Xbox or Xbox 360 game to sell out and reach the top ten charts in Japan. ^[140] On November 7, 2006—the day that it was released—it became the most popular game on the Xbox Live service, overtaking Halo 2, which had held the spot since its launch in November 2004. Events 1492 - The Ensisheim Meteorite the oldest Meteorite with a known date of impact strikes the Earth around noon in a Wheat Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Xbox Live (trademarked as Xbox LIVE) is an online multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft Corporation ^[141] By January 19, 2007, just ten weeks after its debut, over three million units of the game had been sold. Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[142]

• Grand Theft Auto IV (PS3, Xbox 360) is a sandbox-style action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar North. A video game is a Game that involves interaction with a User interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. Rockstar North Ltd (formerly DMA Design Ltd) are developers of computer and video games based in Edinburgh, Scotland. A few Hollywood producers have set precedent by beginning to browse video-game release dates to check for conflicts due to Grand Theft Auto IV's potential harm to the May 2, 2008 release of Iron Man. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Iron Man is a 2008 Superhero film ^[143] The PS3 and Xbox 360 version has taken the second and fourth positions of Game Rankings' best-rated games of all time, respectively;^[144] as well as being the first console game since 1999 to receive a perfect rating from IGN,^[145] and the first title to receive a perfect rating from GameSpot since 2001. Game Rankings is a Website which keeps track of Video game reviews from other sites and combines them to present an average rating for each game Events BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 2nd annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards March – IGN (abbreviated and formerly known as I magine G ames N etwork is a multimedia news and reviews Website that focuses heavily on Video GameSpot is a video gaming Website that provides News, Reviews Previews Downloads and other information Events Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts John Carmack of Id Software ^[146]

• Halo 3 (Xbox 360) broke many first day records, including preorders (1. Halo 3 is a First-person shooter Video game developed by Bungie exclusively for the Xbox 360. 7 million+), and first day sales (US$170 million+), surpassing its predecessor, Halo 2, in both of these fields. Halo 2 is a Science fiction First-person shooter Video game developed by Bungie Studios. ^[147][148] It created a breakthrough in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, making the enemy AI a formidable figure; however, the player's allies could easily be considered to be far poorer in intelligence quality. ^[149][150]

• Mass Effect (Xbox 360, PC) has advanced the single player narrative in games with an evolving storytelling system. Mass Effect is an Action role-playing game developed by BioWare for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows. Sold over a million copies a month after the release. ^[151] Further sales were spurred by controversy when FOX news mistakenly reported the game contained explicit sex scenes between the characters. ^[152]

• Super Mario Galaxy (Wii), currently one of the most critically acclaimed titles of the seventh generation, sold more copies in its first week, including over 500,000 in the US, than any other game for the Mario title in the history of the franchise. ^[153] It is third only to the Xbox 360 version of Grand Theft Auto IV and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time as the overall best-reviewed game of all-time, as listed on Game Rankings, along with being the recipient of many game of the year awards. is an action-adventure Video game developed by Nintendo 's Entertainment Analysis and Development division for the Nintendo 64 Video game Game Rankings is a Website which keeps track of Video game reviews from other sites and combines them to present an average rating for each game ^[144]

• Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) is a product of a landmark joint cooperation between former rival companies, Nintendo and Sega, along with the help of Konami. often abbreviated SSBB or Brawl, is the third installment in the Super Smash Bros is a Multinational corporation headquartered in Kyoto Japan founded on is a multinational Video game Software and Hardware development company and a former Home computer () is a leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys Trading cards, Anime, Tokusatsu, Slot machines ^[154][155] It is the third in a series of cross-over fighting game and is the first Wii game to strongly support online play. Online games are games played over some form of computer network. ^[156] It dominated sales during both Japan and the United States release dates, selling 820,000 in its first week in Japan and 1. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the 4 million in the US. ^{[157][158][159]}

• Wii Sports (Wii) has been attributed as a major factor in the Wii's worldwide success. Wii Sports is a Sports game developed and produced by Nintendo as a Launch title for the Wii Video game console. ^[160] The game, along with Wii Fit, has been cited as attracting more casual, female, and elderly gamers. Wii Fit is a Video game developed by Nintendo for the Wii console ^[161] This is a rarity among seventh generation games, as developers tend to try and attract young males. ^[162] It has also been cited as one game that can provide a bonding experience among family members,^[163] and as a means of exercising and losing weight when played regularly. ^[164] As of March 31, 2008, the game has sold 21. Events 307 - After divorcing his wife Minervina, Constantine marries Fausta, the daughter of the retired Roman Emperor 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 56 million copies worldwide—including bundled copies, making it the best-selling Wii game published by Nintendo. This is a list of Video games that have sold or shipped at least one million copies including the top ten best-selling franchises. ^[79]

Other systems

Gizmondo (Tiger Telematics), March 2005–February 2006	GP2X (GamePark Holdings), November 2005–present	HyperScan (Mattel), 2006–2008	Evo: Phase One (Envizions Computer Entertainment), October 2006–present
Game Wave Family Entertainment System (ZAPiT Games), October 2005[165]–present	The Phantom (Phantom Entertainment), never released

Remakes

Atari Flashback 2 (Atari) August 2005

FC Twin Video Game System (Yobo) November 20, 2006–Present[166]

References

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