Straight off I have to state that the most amazing game released in the 2000’s was ‘HALO’. Again this is my opinion so you don’t have to agree with me, and I will be coming back to the biggest and best franchise in my eyes later in this blog.
In 2000 we saw the release of the PlayStation 2 which has been the fore runner in the next generation of consoles. Its staggering graphics and the use of a DVD-ROM drive made it possible to watch DVDs without you having to buy any accessories. The PlayStation 2 sold a lot of units due to its backward compatibility meaning it could play PlayStation 1 games. The PlayStation tried to appeal to a wider audience than other consoles before it, it did this by introducing the ‘EyeToy’ and other peripherals to the market. The ‘EyeToy’ was designed for casual gamers, it allows players to interact with games by using motion, colour and sound detection.
Nintendo and Microsoft then released their own consoles in 2001, Nintendo debuted the ‘GameCube‘. The ‘GameCube’ played only mini DVD’s so it had a disadvantage because it could not play DVD’s however it could connect to the ’Gameboy Advance’ allowing it to play on a bigger screen and also get exclusive features and content for games. Microsoft’s ‘Xbox’was released in late 2001. The ‘Xbox’ had great launch titles with exclusives such as ‘Halo: Combat Evolved’ and ‘Project Gotham Racing’, that were welcomed and highly praised.
‘Halo: Combat Evolved’ is one of the most important games of all time and it’s not just me with that thinks this, magazines and gaming websites have also said that it is one of the most influential games of all time. ‘Halo’ introduced the concept each weapon having a unique purpose, thus making them useful in different scenarios. It also allowed you too throw you grenade without putting your gun in its holster and you could use your weapon to bludgeon your enemies.
PlayStation responded to its rivals by making highly anticipated games like ‘Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ and ‘Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty’ exclusive to its platform. ‘Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas’ was then later released on to the ‘Xbox’.
The seventh generation of consoles saw the reinvention of the handheld gaming device with the ‘Nintendo DS’ and the ‘PlayStation Portable’ (PSP). The Nintendo DS used dual screens one of which has an overlay touch screen which could be used with a stylus for a more interactive gaming experience, you could also play ‘Game Boy Advanced’ games on it. The PSP appealed to more of a experienced gamer whereas the Nintendo DS appealed to the younger generation with games such as ‘Mario Kart’.
Next time round it was Microsoft who released their next generation console first in 2005 with the ‘Xbox 360’, which was shortly followed by Sony with their ‘PlayStation 3’. The Xbox 360 included a new and improved ‘Xbox Live’, which meant it was a lot easier to chat, play games and compete against other players all around the world. The PlayStation 3 had a unique feature a Blu-Ray player which was built into the console. Both consoles fought to be the market leader. The ‘Xbox 360’ gained an advantage by being sold at a cheaper price, making it affordable to more people.
Nintendo then released the ‘Wii’. The ‘Wii’ used motion controllers and was a very controversial gaming console due to its less powerful processor and lower quality graphics. However it was very cleverly aiming for a different market than Sony and Microsoft who appealed to traditional gamers. The ‘Wii’ was aimed at young children who found using a traditional controller difficult and also to a more mature person who could not only play games on it but also use it as a fitness tool when they purchased the ‘Wii Fit’ balance board. This proved to be a very smart piece of marketing which Microsoft and Sony are only just responding to.
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