Seventh generation of video game consoles
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In the history of computer and video games, the seventh generation began on November 21, 2004 with the United States release of the Nintendo DS. The beginning of the seventh generation for home consoles came on November 22, 2005 with the release of Microsoft's Xbox 360, and continued a year later with the release of Sony's PlayStation 3 on November 17, 2006 and Nintendo's Wii on November 19, 2006. European and Australian sales of the PlayStation 3 commenced on March 23, 2007.
Home console systems
 | This article possibly contains original research. |
As all three major home consoles only started to compete at the end of 2006, it is not yet possible to determine which, if any of them, will take a dominating position in the seventh generation.
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 by Microsoft has gained an early lead in terms of market share, due in large part to its launch which came a year before its rivals. Sales figures in North America and Europe have continued to be strong, even after the Wii and PlayStation 3's launch, but, like its predecessor, the Xbox 360 has struggled to achieve the same acceptance in Japan. Part of it is attributed to its lack of RPGs, and the poor reception of some Japanese developed games, such as Ninety-Nine Nights and Every Party.
However, this head start did not come without some trouble, as technical problems appeared in a significant portion of their units sold. The most famous is the "ring of death" issue, becoming heavily portrayed in the press and having users claiming to have replaced consoles multiple times. In order to fix this, Microsoft has offered a three year warranty on all versions and will repair all broken Xbox 360 units free of charge, they will also reimburse anyone who had to pay to get their console repaired. These problems led to Microsoft losing over one billion dollars in its second quarter. According to Microsoft, new models of the console featuring 65 nm technology promise to solve this and other complications.
The console stablized at 11.6 million units shipped at the end of first half of 2007,[citation needed] and sales have slowed down since the start of the same year, while seeing its rivals gaining momentum. However, Microsoft hopes to surge sales with the release of upcoming exclusives such as Bioshock in August and Mass Effect in November, but are relying mostly on the highly anticipated Halo 3 in September. Microsoft is now making money on each console sold,[citation needed] but its overall gaming division is still in the red. The division was expected to start making a profit in 2008, although this was before the announcement of the costly extended warranty on the console. In August 2007, the first price drop was announced for all Stock Keeping Units of the Xbox 360.[citation needed] The Core configuration had its price reduced in the United States by $20, the Premium by $50 and the Elite model by $30. Also the HDMI port, previously exclusive to the Elite set became available to new models of the Premium set. The price drop is set to be in effect in varing amounts by August 12 2007 around the world.
PlayStation 3
It is more difficult to assess whether Sony's PlayStation 3 console will be as successful as its predecessors. It has a comparatively higher price, and the PlayStation 3 was released roughly a year later than its direct competitor, the Xbox 360. The system's reliance on 'cutting edge' technology such as the Cell microprocessor and Blu-ray format have caused difficulties in manufacturing, especially the Blu-ray diode, leading to shortages at launch and the delay of the PAL Region launches. However, shortly into the New Year, Sony announced that all production issues had been solved.
Nonetheless, despite many initial setbacks and delays, Sony demonstrated the capabilities of the PlayStation 3 at Tokyo Game Show 2006, with 27 playable demos and numerous titles ready for launch. Its success or failure may ultimately be decided by whether or not players feel that the technology and games are worth the higher price of the console. Sony hopes that even if the PS3 loses market share to its competitors, its Blu-ray player would conceivably make the PS3 a profitable product for Sony overall. This is, of course, contingent on whether the Blu-ray Disc format becomes the high-definition optical disc standard, which seems to be winning the format war over HD DVD. Sony has blamed the low sales on the high price of $500/$600 and the fact that most of the console's most important titles, such as Little Big Planet, have not been launched yet.
While Sony can count on some highly acclaimed first party franchises like Gran Turismo and God of War, there are high expectations from the market over important third party titles such as the highly anticipated Metal Gear Solid 4 and Final Fantasy XIII. Sony's success or failure could greatly depend on whether or not these titles stay exclusive. Despite many rumors that Metal Gear Solid 4 would be appearing on other platforms, at Sony's E3 2007 Press conference, it was announced that MGS4 would only be on the PlayStation 3. With MGS4's release early next year conciding with the releases of many big PlayStation 3 titles, Sony could recover. However Final Fantasy 13's fate is unknown. The President of Sony Computer Entertainment France cast doubt on it's exclusiveness, but Square-Enix announced that no kind of Final Fantasy would be appearing on the Xbox 360. In June, 2007 Sony announced a drop in the price of the PS3 by $100. However, Sony later announced that this measure only applied to the 60 GB models and was exclusive to the U.S., where they are no longer in production, and when its stocks run out, only a new model with an 80 GB hard disk, will be available for the same as the launch price of the 60 GB one. Price issues aside, the fact is that currently the PS3 has the smallest installed base from all of the three contending consoles, several millions of units behind the Wii and Xbox 360.
Wii
Nintendo entered this generation with a new business plan with its Wii console: to attract as many current gamers as possible, and to try to draw 'non-gamers' and lapsed gamers as well, by focusing on new gameplay experiences and new forms of interaction with games rather than cutting edge graphics and expensive technology, just like their current approach in the portable market with the Nintendo DS.[1] If the new market grows sufficiently large, Nintendo hopes that the new control aspect will render current conventionally controlled consoles obsolete, leading to Nintendo capturing a large portion of the existing market as well.[2]
So far this strategy has paid off, with Wii demand outstripping supply around the world. Since Nintendo profited on each console right from the start, unlike its competitors, it has already achieved very positive returns. Month after month, the worldwide Wii sales have been higher than the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 combined, eroding Microsoft's early lead, and building a large advantage over Sony.[1] By April 2007, the Wall Street Journal declared Nintendo had become "the company to beat in the games business", with the Wii outselling its home system rivals and overshadowing the Nintendo DS.[3]
As in previous generations, Nintendo's trump card is their handful of worldwide acclaimed first-party franchises, like Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid and Pokémon among others. For this generation, Nintendo 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, like sports, table games, music or doing exercises. Nintendo hopes to continue its momentum with releases of three key, highly anticipated, major exclusives until the end of 2007: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption in August, Super Mario Galaxy in November, and Super Smash Bros. Brawl in December.
Comparison
| Name | Xbox 360 | PlayStation 3 | Wii |
|---|---|---|---|
| Console | 
|
|
|
| Launch price United States | US$299.99 (Core) US$399.99 (Premium) US$479.99 (Elite) |
US$499.99 (20 GB) US$599.99 (60 GB) US$599.99 (80 GB)[4][5][6][7] |
US$249.99 (Wii Sports included) |
| Launch price Japan | ¥29,000 (Core) ¥39,795 (Premium) ¥47,800 (Elite) |
¥49,980 (20 GB) ¥59,980 (60 GB) |
¥25,000 (Wii Sports not included) |
| Launch price Europe | €299.99 / £209.99 (Core) €399.99 / £279.99 (Premium) £329.99 (Elite) |
€599.99 / £424.99 (60 GB) | €249.99 / £179.99 (Wii Sports included) |
| Top-selling games | Gears of War[8] | Resistance: Fall of Man[9] | Wii Sports (pack-in, except in Japan) Wii Play[10] |
| Release date |   November 22 2005 December 2 2005 December 10 2005 February 2 2006Template:Country data World More... |
November 11 2006   November 17 2006  March 23 2007Template:Country data World More... |
November 19 2006December 2 2006  December 7 2006  December 8 2006Template:Country data World More... |
| Included accessories and extras |
Core: Premium:
Elite:
|
20GB:
60GB:
80GB:
|
|
| Accessories (retail) |
|
|
|
| CPU | 3.2 GHz IBM PowerPC tri-core codenamed "Xenon" | Cell Broadband Engine (3.2 GHz POWER-based PPE with seven 3.2 GHz SPEs) | 729 MHz PowerPC based IBM "Broadway"[11] |
| Memory |
512 MB GDDR3 @ 700 MHz shared between CPU & GPU |
256 MB XDR @ 3,2 GHz |
24 MB "internal" 1T-SRAM integrated into graphics package |
| GPU | 500 MHz codenamed "Xenos" (ATI custom design) | 550 MHz RSX (based on NVIDIA G70 architecture) | 243 MHz ATI "Hollywood" |
| Controller |
Xbox 360 Controller (up to four controllers; any combination of a maximum of 3 wired (4 with the use of a USB hub) or 4 wireless) |
|
|
| Dimensions |
8.3 cm × 30.9 cm × 25.8 cm (6,616.9 cubic cm) |
9.8 cm × 32.5 cm × 27.4 cm (8,726.9 cubic cm)[12] |
4.4 cm × 16 cm × 21.5 cm (1,720 cubic cm) |
| Weight |
3.5 kg (7.7 lbs)[13] |
1.2 kg (2.7 lbs)[15] | |
| Online service | Xbox Live Xbox Live Arcade Xbox Live Marketplace (based on Microsoft points) Xbox Live Vision (Webcam), headset Xbox Live Video Marketplace Windows Live Messenger (Formerly MSN Messenger) |
PlayStation Network PlayStation Store (based on actual currency) Internet browser Webcam (including PlayStation 2 EyeToy), headset, PlayStation Home |
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection WiiConnect24 Virtual Console Internet Channel News Channel Forecast Channel Everybody Votes Channel Wii Message Board |
| Backward compatibility | 394 Selected Xbox games (as of April 2007), additions made with software updates, Hard Drive required. | Supports most PlayStation 2 titles; All original PlayStation titles either from the original disc or downloaded from the PlayStation Network; future firmware updates will provide more compatibility.[16]
European and Australian versions offers limited compatibility.[17] |
Supports all Nintendo GameCube software and most accessories. Some games from systems prior to Nintendo GameCube are available for download through Virtual Console. |
| User interface | Xbox 360 Dashboard | Cross Media Bar (XMB) | Wii Menu |
| System software features |
Audio file playback (non-DRM AAC, MP3, WMA) |
Audio file playback (ATRAC3, AAC, MP3, WAV, WMA) |
Audio file playback (MP3) |
| Consumer programmability | Development on PC with XNA Game Studio ($99/year subscription, binary distribution with XNA 1.0 Refresh).[21] | Development on console via free Linux platform or PC (but no access to RSX graphics acceleration) | WiiWare |
| Resolutions | HDTV-capable (480i, 576i, 480p, 720p, 1080i; 1080p added with fall 2006 firmware update) | HDTV-capable (480i, 576i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, 1080p) | EDTV-compatible (480i, 480p, 576i) |
| Video output | RGB, VGA,[22] Component, S-Video, Composite, SCART, (HDMI 1.2 available on Elite model, Halo 3 Special Edition and The Simpsons Movie Limited Edition (for competition prize winners only)) | RGB, Component, S-Video, Composite, HDMI 1.3a | RGB, Component, S-Video, Composite, SCART,[23] D-Terminal |
| Network | 100BASE-TX Ethernet Optional 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi Adapter |
1000BASE-T Ethernet Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g (built-in*, optional adapter**) |
Built-in Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g Optional Ethernet via USB 2.0 Adapter |
| Audio | Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital WMA Pro, DTS (DVD, HD DVD Movies only) | Dolby Digital, DTS*, Dolby TrueHD (Blu-ray movies only) | Dolby Pro Logic II surround, stereo sound and a Mono speaker is built into the controller. |
| I/O | 2.4 GHz radio Infrared for remote 2x Memory Card slots 3x USB 2.0 ports 1 Ethernet port |
Bluetooth 2.0 EDR 4x USB 2.0 ports 1 Ethernet port 1 Memory Stick slot Pro/Duo 1 SD/mini SD port |
Bluetooth 2x USB 2.0 ports Four controller and two memory card ports (GameCube) 1 SD Card slot[24] |
| Media | 12x DVD (65.6–132 Mbit/s), CD, HD DVD (Add-on, for movie use only, extra charges apply) | 2x BD-ROM (72 mbit/s), 8x DVD, 24x CD, 2x SACD | Wii Optical Disc, Nintendo GameCube Game Disc, DVD-Video playback announced for Japan 2007[25] |
| Storage | Included* / Optional** detachable SATA upgradeable 20 GB or 120 GB hard drive, with 14 GB or 114 GB available to user. Xbox 360 memory cards USB mass storage (AV content) |
2.5" upgradeable SATA 20** / 60 GB* hard drive with 14 and 54 GB available to user respectively Memory Stick, SD, & Type I/II CompactFlash (60GB model) USB mass storage |
512MB built-in flash memory SD card Nintendo GameCube Memory Cards |
Discontinuations and revisions
- The PlayStation 3 20GB has been discontinued in North America.[26]
- The PlayStation 3 60GB has been discontinued for NTSC territories. When the remaining stock in stores is sold, the 80GB version will serve as its replacement.[27]
- Sony announced before the PS3's launch in Europe that the Emotion Engine would be removed from it for cost savings, and all backwards compatibility would be software-based.[28] This is also true of the 80GB launching in the North American market.[29]
- An HDMI out port was added to the Premium Xbox 360 in August of 2007. Cite error: A
<ref>tag is missing the closing</ref>(see the help page).[30]
|6.0 million[30] |Unknown [31] |- !Units sold |11.8 million (as of July 18, 2007) [32] |4.48+ million (as of June 30, 2007) [33][34][35] |9.30+ million (as of June 30, 2007) [31][36][37][38][39] |}
Handheld systems
For video game handhelds, the seventh generation began roughly with the release of the Nintendo DS on November 21, 2004. This handheld was based on a design fundamentally different from the Game Boy and other handheld video game systems. The Nintendo DS offered new modes of input over previous generations: a touch screen and a microphone. Around the same time, Sony released its first handheld, the PlayStation Portable, in Japan. Although released around the same time, the PlayStation Portable was marketed to a different audience from the Nintendo DS. Also in 2005 was the release of the Gizmondo from Tiger Telematics; however, it sold poorly and Tiger Telematics was forced into bankruptcy by February 2006. Hence, the Gizmondo was discontinued.
Comparison
| Name | Nintendo DS / Nintendo DS Lite | PlayStation Portable |
|---|---|---|
| Console |  
|
File:Psp1.jpg |
| Launch price | DS: ¥15,000 / US$149.99 DS Lite: ¥16,800 / US$129.99 |
Value pack: ¥24,800 / US$249.99 Core pack: ¥19,800 / US$199.99 PSP Slim: US$169.99 |
| Release date | November 21 2004 December 2 2004 February 24 2005 March 11 2005 July 23 2005 January 18 2007
|
December 12 2004 March 24 2005 May 2 2005 September 1 2005
|
| Media | Nintendo DS Game Cards, GBA cartridges | Universal Media Discs, Memory Stick |
| Top-selling game | Nintendogs (across several SKUs) [40] | Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories[citation needed] |
| Included accessories and extras |
|
|
| Accessories (retail) |
| |
| CPU | 67 MHz ARM9 and 33 MHz ARM7 | MIPS R4000-based; clocked from 1 to 333 MHz |
| Memory | 4 MB SRAM | 32 MB EDRAM, 64 MB for PSP Slim (8 MB reserved for kernel) |
| Interface |
|
|
| Dimensions | 148.7 × 84.7 × 28.9 mm (5.85 × 3.33 × 1.13 inches) (DS) 133 × 73.9 × 21.5 mm (5.24 × 2.9 × 0.85 inches) (DS Lite) |
170 × 74 × 23 mm (6.7 × 2.9 × 0.9 inches) |
| Weight |
275g (9.7 oz) (DS) 218g (DS Lite) |
280g (0.62 lbs) (PSP) 189g (PSP Slim) |
| Online service | Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection | PlayStation Network |
| Backward compatibility | Plays almost all Game Boy Advance cartridges | Plays PlayStation games through PS3 download |
| System software | Proprietary OS, Pictochat | Cross Media Bar |
| Consumer programmability | See Nintendo DS homebrew | See PlayStation Portable homebrew |
| Resolutions | 256 × 192 (both screens) | 480 × 272 |
| Network | Wi-Fi (802.11) | Wi-Fi (802.11b), IrDA, USB |
| Audio | Stereo speakers, headphone jack | Stereo speakers, headphone jack |
| I/O | 1 x Game Card slot 1 x GBA slot |
UMD slot USB port Memory Stick Duo slot |
| Storage | Game Card | Memory Stick PRO Duo |
| Battery life |
|
|
| Units sold | 47.87 million August 172007[41] | 22.50 million August 172007[41] |
Note: First year of release is the first year of the system's worldwide availability.
Software
Franchises revived during era
Nintendo DS
- Yoshi's Island
- Super Mario 64
- Dragon's Lair (Production)
Xbox 360
PlayStation 3
PlayStation Portable
Wii
Milestone titles
- Brain Age and Big Brain Academy brought the "non-game" trend from Japan to Western audiences. They were marketed toward an older audience and have sold several million units.
- Gears of War was the first graphical showpiece for Unreal Engine 3. It has sold two million copies worldwide in six weeks.[42]
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games marks the first time these two former rival mascots will officially appear in the same game.
- Pokémon Battle Revolution is the first Nintendo home console game with Wi-Fi Connection online play and the first with Nintendo DS and Wii connectivity.
Remakes
![FC Twin Video Game System (Yobo) November 20, 2006-Present[43]](/wiki/File:Fctwin_06_from-top.jpg)
Other
-
-
Game Wave Family Entertainment System (ZAPiT Games), ? ?-Present
See also
References
- ^ a b The untold story of how the Wii beat the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 CNN. Retrieved on May 1 2007.
- ^ "Nintendo President, Satoru Iwata, media briefing speech at E3 2006". Nintendo. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ^ Nick Wingfield and Yukari Iwatani Kane, Wii and DS Turn Also-Ran Nintendo Into Winner in Videogames Business, Wall Street Journal, April 19, 2007
- ^ http://kotaku.com/gaming/we.re-slashing-prices/sony-confirms-ps3-price+cut-80gb-bundle-276091.php
- ^ http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/16/ps3-launches-in-korea-with-80gb-hard-drive/
- ^ http://www.joystiq.com/2007/05/21/sony-announces-80gb-playstation-3-in-south-korea/
- ^ New PlayStation to Go on Sale in August
- ^ Gears of War sells 3 million copies, Xboxic, January 20, 2007
- ^ http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/toppers/?id=15436
- ^ Matt Casamassina (2007-07-25). "Nintendo Sales Update". IGN. Retrieved 2007-07-25.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "Nintendo Wii FAQ". IGN. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ^ a b "PLAYSTATION®3 LAUNCHES ON NOVEMBER 11, 2006 IN JAPAN" (PDF). Sony. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ^ "Xbox 360 Technical Specifications". xbox.com. Microsoft.
- ^ "About Playstation®3 - Technical Specifications".
- ^ "A Closer Look at the Nintendo Wii". PC World. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ^ "PS3 Backwards Compatibility Issues - New system has some problems with past titles". IGN. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ^ "PlayStation 3 in Europe will play fewer old games". Reuters. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ^ "Xbox 360 Media Download Center". xbox.com. Microsoft.
- ^ "Wii - File Types". Nintendo. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ^ Burman, Rob (2007-08-08). "Keyboard Functionality Added to Wii". IGN. Retrieved 2007-08-08.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ "XNA Game Studio Express". MSDN. Microsoft.
- ^ "Product information - Xbox 360™ VGA HD AV Cable". xbox.com. Microsoft. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ^ "New Wii Accessory Pictures - Images reveal RGB SCART compatibility". Official Nintendo Magazine. Nintendo. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ^ "Wiiの概要 (Wii本体)" (in Japanese). Nintendo. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ^ "Nintendo confirms Wii DVD playback only for Japan, for now". Engadget. Retrieved 2007-04-03.
- ^ Thorsen, Tor (2007-04-11). "20 GB PS3 officially discontinued in North America". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-04-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Thorsen, Tor (2007-07-13). "E3 07: Hirai: 60GB PS3 'no longer in production'". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Boxer, Steve (2007-03-01). "PlayStation 3 loses all Emotion in Europe". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Androvich, Mark (2007-07-09). "New 80GB PS3 eliminates "emotion engine" chip". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2007-07-31.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Kageyama, Yuri. "Microsoft: No price drop for Xbox 360". Howell Times and Transcript. Retrieved 2007-07-26. Cite error: The named reference "Microsoft: No price drop for Xbox 360" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b Takahashi, Dean. "Nintendo ups forecasts again". The Mercury News. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
- ^ Brenn, Max. "US PS3 Sales Surpass Xbox 360 Sales, But Nintendo Wins". eFluxMedia. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
- ^ "Worldwide PS3 sales at 0". play.tm. 2007-07-26. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
- ^ "Updated: Worldwide PS3 Sales @ 0". n4g.com. 2007-07-26. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
- ^ "Worldwide PS3 sales only 0". pro-g.co.uk. 2007-07-26. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
- ^ "2007 February 5th - February 12th weekly software & hardware rankings" (in Japanese). Media Create. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
- ^ Ellie Gibson (2007-01-15). "Nintendo celebrates successful Christmas". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2007-01-15.
- ^ Randolph Ramsay. "Australian gaming rises in 2006". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-01-17.
- ^ Matt Martin. "Wii and DS help US hardware sales rise 98 per cent". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
- ^ "Nintendo Full Year Results Show Rapid Gain". Retrieved 2007-04-26.
- ^ a b Look at ref 33
- ^ "Gears of War Sells 2 Million Copies". Kotaku. December 15, 2006. Retrieved 2007-06-15.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Retro Thing Review Retrieved on April 27, 2007