The Evolution of Video Game Consoles #7 What Set The Standard Of Today's Gaming

We've gone from 3 different decades of the 20th century, and now we go down today into the entry of the 21st century, and what would become today's way we know gaming now.

Sega Dreamcast
Released: 1998
Discontinued: 2001
Generation: 6th
Units Sold: 9.13 Million (27th)
Initial Price: $200.00
IGN Rank: 8th

After the debacle of the Sega Saturn becoming a rapid failure in sales, and hard programming hardware to process. The next attempt for Sega ended up being their bold move yet. Falling 3rd place to Sony, and Nintendo... Sega really tried to put the amount of care into the Sega Dreamcast with the general wide audience. It was looking quite strong of a launching debut with a great collection of titles to own like Soul Calibur, Sonic Adventure, Power Stone, NFL Blitz 2000, & Ready 2 Rumble Boxing. A very strong lineup of games already on the horizon things were looking pretty prominent for Sega's big turnaround from halfway, to maybe first place? Well things started to get real grey for Sega when they heard that casting death shadow coming for them in the 21st century that would debut, and absolutely obliterate anything they would do right goes way down south from here. Now look its not a bad console at all its just in terms of marketing and financial issues they were basically screwed ultimately. Yet even with some overshadowed history over a giant casting that haunts them forever it was the first console to introduce a back end modem where you compete against other players online which was way ahead of its time obviously a great novelty that died way too soon in a very great time to be a gamer. 9/10

PlayStation 2
Released: 2000
Discontinued: 2013
Generation: 6th
Units Sold: $155 Million (1st)
Initial Price: $300.00
IGN Rank: 3rd

The 21st century had finally been laid, and there was a console that broke ground like no other successor console has ever done in any time of capacity to be both intimidating against other competition, but also show Nintendo that we (Sony) can show you our power of systems we have. Since arriving on the seen they have given Nintendo reasons to panic dearly. The Dreamcast's ultimate fatality if you will came in the form of the PlayStation 2 at the time shows off that it comes with a readable DVD Rom which at the time it was more the reasonable price that it was to get a more cheap cost instead of buying one that cost much more in a way they were very smart in doing this. The system would go on to become the greatest selling console in history as well as have the biggest amount of games on a system. You could if you were a hardcore fan like me afford 10 PS2 systems, and buy a crap load of memory cards and go to town your in this for life no need to move forward or backwards with a system as revolutionary as this one. While the one thing they never seem to have was no real online storage found anywhere unless you used a lan type of connection nearby state or something that is all you had to go by which yes was very disappointing, but hey for what it was the PlayStation 2 remains as an all time classic that dominated right outta the gate of being released. 10/10

Nintendo Gamecube
Released: 2001
Discontinued: 2007
Generation: 6th
Units Sold: 21.74 Million (19th)
Initial Price: $200.00
IGN Rank: 16th

Next up to bat Nintendo's turn to answer in which they went in another different direction going in a more cute appeal Lunchbox style looking system known as the Gamecube. Also codenamed Dolphin is a very interesting one to look back on as something that was its hardware was difficult to do in this type of blocky process style. Like the PlayStation 2 Gamecube also has a memory card feature for the first time. While that sounds disappointing to see that change was not a reason to give up on Nintendo. To rival Sony big announcement Gamecube had this DVD launch set titled Panasonic Q which failed epicly, and is frankly forgotten because it was a terrible suggestion to have bring this down would not help case of the real identity this system had done right. Some have considered its controller to be the best comfortable fast, and furious clock work style have been their hailing achievement even if it had failed to bring in a massive revenue in a tough gen to stay alive with the like of Sony, and new rival at the time Microsoft. Who doesn't love those quick second bit intro quite a sympathy of peaceful sounds... okay not exactly all, but still even though it could not regained its once top of the world stature in the 90's, and 80's there next console kept them going from possible defeat for good. Another strange thing with the emulator is it works for that, but not the other more new gen console which this has strange hardware malfunctions to cooperate. 8.5/10

(Original) XBOX
Released: 2001
Discontinued: 2009
Generation: 6th
Units Sold: 24 Million (18th)
Initial Price: $300.00
IGN Rank: 11th

We have finally gotten to our newest competitor in the gaming market Microsoft throws in a risky monkey wrench with the Original Xbox and its nothing, yet very cool design of green, and black dark tone shades. Tons of hype for this console that it was hard to say if this was going to rock, or bomb depending on how you view it with a mostly dud set of games like Transworld Surf, Shrek, and Kabuki Warriors it was a very unimpressive set of games that were very big misses, but luckily they did established some bright spots of Halo: Combat Evolved, and Dead or Alive 3 managing to be great classics early in the system existence. Boy for something that has a lot cool vibe to it it sure had a lotta kid related games to it. Oh right let's get to the biggest game changer shall we. In 2002 Microsoft had proudly announced that gamers could now start to get the feel that you can now play online with Xbox Live. With such a massive hard drive where there's no memory cards required, a good reason for its price to match the PS2's in that formality, but not however when it comes to having a TV remote that went and faded like noting. Oh before forgetting about this Xbox's original controller was way too big even for casuals this was obvious due to over criticizing this was always a big issue though Microsoft has always had, and always seem to screw up is something bad happenings at first, but find ways to fix those solutions while that's a great way you care about customers its another when it comes to begin double charged that is completely unnecessarily. Sad to see this one end its lifespan die quick, but its next system made a great step up to Sony. 8.5/10

Next Time we take a look at how could Nintendo find a way to one up Sony in terms of sales, how does Microsoft do the second go around, and Is Sony just doing what they always do, and come out onto tune in next time on The Evolution of Video Game Consoles.

Comments

I completely agree that the PS2 was the best of the three main consoles, having so many amazing exclusives such as Kingdom Hearts, Ratchet and Clank, on top of this, some Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games, as well as Jak and Daxter, just to name a few. - visitor

Are Dreamcasts even relevant nowdays - TwilightKitsune

I've heard of people going out and buying dreamcasts and their games. But that's in the comment section of a youtube channel called Dreamcastguy. - Skullkid755

Some of my favorite games are from this generation. Gaming really was at its peak hear. - cjWriter1997