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Subject: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: mach!ne_he@d on 02/03/16 at 1:04 pm

The Consoles

http://www.retrogamer.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/dreamcast.png

Sega Dreamcast (American launch date: September 9, 1999)

The Dreamcast, known for being Sega's last home video game system, was also notable for being the first console of the 6th generation. Launched in American on "9/9/99", Sega hoped that the system's yearlong head start over the PlayStation 2's impending U.S. release would give it a leg up in the upcoming console war. The company also hoped that it would make consumers forget about the disastrous Saturn, which had proven to be a financial fiasco for Sega. The Dreamcast was an impressive console for it's time, featuring out-of-the-box online connectivity, smooth graphics, and an impressive library of games. But, despite a successful launch, the Dreamcast was ultimately crushed underneath the massive wave of PS2 launch hype. Sega discontinued the Dreamcast in March 2001, only 18 months after it's launch, and over half a year before the Nintendo Gamcube and Microsoft Xbox would even release.


http://paulov.ru/files/2012/10/playstation-2_3.jpg

Sony PlayStation 2 (American launch date: October 26, 2000)

Really, what more can be said about possibly the greatest video game console of all-time? The hype machine was amazing, the graphics were a technical leap over the PS1, and the launch was perfectly timed for a 2000 holiday season that both Nintendo and Microsoft were sitting out. You could certainly argue that the Xbox was the more powerful system, but with the incredible PS2 game library, that made effectively zero difference. I mean, Final Fantasy X, Gran Tourismo 3, Metal Gear Solid 2 and Grand Theft Auto III all coming out in the same year! That's a release calendar we can only dream of today. Plus, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Sony's masterstroke of an idea to make the PS2 DVD compatible. For many of folks in the early '00s (including yours truly), the PS2 was our first DVD player, at a time when many standalone players on the market cost hundreds of dollars. The PS2 is the highest selling video game console in history, and I don't see that record changing hands anytime soon.


http://cdn1.sbnation.com/products/large/1678/xbox.jpg?1316016132

Microsoft Xbox (American launch date: November 15, 2001)

People had been anticipating a Microsoft gaming console for several years, and when it was finally launched in 2001 it certainly didn't disappoint. The Xbox was the best 6th gen console from a graphical standpoint, and had far and away the most superior online gaming network in Xbox Live. It also had perhaps the ultimate "killer-app" in Halo, which helped catapult the Xbox like no game had a console since the original Sonic the Hedgehog on the Genesis. The Xbox had an impressive array of exclusives (including Fable, Star Wars: KOTOR, Ninja Gaiden, and Chronicles of Riddick) but ultimately just couldn't compete against the PlayStation 2 juggernaut. It was the first 6th gen console to replaced after the Xbox 360 came out in 2005, just four years after the launch of the original Xbox.


http://media.engadget.com/img/product/4/39q/nintendo-gamecube-4xs-800.jpg

Nintendo Gamecube (American launch date: November 18, 2001)

I'll admit that I was one of the many who initially made fun of the Gamecube for it's childish purple coloring, and absurd lunchpail-like design. But, once the console launched and began to amass an impressive library of games, I wasn't laughing anymore. Though it finished third in the 6th gen, and was Nintendo's worst performing console to date, the Gamecube was actually an impressive little machine. With graphical capabilities on par (and perhaps even better) than the PlayStation 2, and the first ever first-party developed wireless controller, the Gamecube was able to successfully defy it's early reputation as an underpowered console. The Gamecube lacked the more robust online capabilities of it's competitors, but with triple-A titles like Super Mario Sunshine, Smash Bros. Melee, Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Pikmin, it didn't really need it.


The Sales Results

1) PlayStation 2: 155 million units sold (73.3% of the market)
2) Xbox: 24 million units sold (11.4% of the market)
3) Gamecube: 22 million units sold (10.4% of the market)
4) Dreamcast: 9.13 million units sold (4.3% of the market)


The Top 10 Best-selling Games (Single Platform)

1) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas: 27.5 million units sold (PlayStation 2)
2) Gran Tourismo 3: A-Spec: 14.89 million units sold (PlayStation 2)
3) Gran Tourismo 4: 11.76 million units sold (PlayStation 2)
4) Halo 2: 8 million units sold (Xbox)
5) Grand Theft Auto III: 7.9 million units sold (PlayStation 2)
6) Super Smash Bros. Melee: 7.09 million units sold (GamCube)
7) Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty: 7 million units sold (PlayStation 2)
8 ) Mario Kart: Double Dash!!: 7 million units sold (GameCube)
9) Final Fantasy X: 6.6 million units sold (PlayStation 2)
10) Super Mario Sunshine: 6.31 million units sold (GameCube)

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: mqg96 on 02/03/16 at 1:25 pm

I owned an XBOX and Gamecube, and I had so many fun memories from those consoles.

But in reality it's probably the PS2.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Howard on 02/03/16 at 3:42 pm

I owned a PS2, the notebook skinny version.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Zelek2 on 02/03/16 at 4:28 pm

Anyone notice how the Dreamcast's reputation took a hit in the past few years?

Like, for a while, I remember everyone saying how it was the best console ever, how it died too young, how it was ahead of its time, how had a vast library of great games, etc. But it seems that around 2012, that opinion shifted to it being overpriced, overrated, deserved to die, Sega killed themselves, only had a few great games, etc.

At the risk of sounding geeky, it's like what happened to Sgt. Pepper's reputation among music fans.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/03/16 at 4:31 pm

The 6th console gen. The last stretch of golden age gaming for me (although the 7th and 8th consoles gens have some good games I suppose.).

- Super Smash Bros Melee
- Luigi's Mansion
- Sonic Adventure
- Kingdom Hearts
- Sonic Adventure 2
- Zelda Windwaker
- Metroid Prime
- Halo Combat Evolved
- Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
- Final Fantasy 10
- Final Fantasy 12
- Devil May Cry
- Phantom Dust
- Mario Kart Double Dash
- Psychonauts
- Beyond Good and Evil
- Jak & Daxter
- Ratchet and Clank
- Sly Cooper
- F-Zero GX
- Super Mario Sunshine
- Animal Crossing
- Pikmin
- Zelda Twilight Princess
- Paper Mario Thousand Year Door
- Dark Cloud
- Dark Cloud 2
- Marvel vs Capcom 2
- Jak 2
- Grand Theft Auto 3
- Grand Theft Auto Vice City
- Skies of Arcadia
- Jet Set Radio
- Resident Evil 0


And tons more (if I included every great game then this would be a pretty long post).

As I said before I loved how the 6th console gen had tons of variety in terms of games.  Not everything needed to be a realistic FPS game or a MOBA.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/03/16 at 4:35 pm


Anyone notice how the Dreamcast's reputation took a hit in the past few years?

Like, for a while, I remember everyone saying how it was the best console ever, how it died too young, how it was ahead of its time, how had a vast library of great games, etc. But it seems that around 2012, that opinion shifted to it being overpriced, overrated, deserved to die, Sega killed themselves, only had a few great games, etc.

At the risk of sounding geeky, it's like what happened to Sgt. Pepper's reputation among music fans.


I never noticed that. Heck I even see people say that the Dreamcast was even better than the Genesis/Mega Drive when comparing Sega consoles. I like the 6th console gen since there was no bad console. Dreamcast, Gamecube, Playsation 2, Xbox, and the Gameboy Advance had great lineup of games.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Zelek2 on 02/03/16 at 4:39 pm

I've never played this game, but I've heard it's one of the last "golden age" games. Those who have played it: is it any good?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/OkamiNTSCcoverFinal.jpg

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: bchris02 on 02/03/16 at 4:53 pm

Personally, the sixth generation is when I believe console gaming went downhill.  I miss the old Sega vs Nintendo days when the console experience and games were different from the PC and each other.  Games you played in Nintendo were different from what you played on Sega, and what you played on PC either wasn't available on console or the console version was inferior.  The sixth generation was the first step in unifying the gaming platforms, which in my opinion really hurt gaming.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: ocarinafan96 on 02/03/16 at 5:06 pm


Anyone notice how the Dreamcast's reputation took a hit in the past few years?

Like, for a while, I remember everyone saying how it was the best console ever, how it died too young, how it was ahead of its time, how had a vast library of great games, etc. But it seems that around 2012, that opinion shifted to it being overpriced, overrated, deserved to die, Sega killed themselves, only had a few great games, etc.

At the risk of sounding geeky, it's like what happened to Sgt. Pepper's reputation among music fans.


If anything it's the other way around. For much of the 2000's when the 6th gen consoles were relevant I remember everybody mocking the Dreamcast and making fun of how Sega reduced itself it to a third part company. Now in the 10's, many of those same people now have a deep respect for the console and the company of Sega as a whole for being ahead of its time

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: violet_shy on 02/03/16 at 6:05 pm

I didn't get the Playstation 2 until 2004. The first game we played on it was Lara Croft: Angel of Darkness.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: bchris02 on 02/03/16 at 6:21 pm


If anything it's the other way around. For much of the 2000's when the 6th gen consoles were relevant I remember everybody mocking the Dreamcast and making fun of how Sega reduced itself it to a third part company. Now in the 10's, many of those same people now have a deep respect for the console and the company of Sega as a whole for being ahead of its time


This.  The Dreamcast was a flop upon release and didn't get a lot of appreciation at all until this decade.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/03/16 at 7:02 pm


I've never played this game, but I've heard it's one of the last "golden age" games. Those who have played it: is it any good?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/OkamiNTSCcoverFinal.jpg


It's a pretty good game from what I've played.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/03/16 at 7:04 pm


Personally, the sixth generation is when I believe console gaming went downhill.  I miss the old Sega vs Nintendo days when the console experience and games were different from the PC and each other.  Games you played in Nintendo were different from what you played on Sega, and what you played on PC either wasn't available on console or the console version was inferior.  The sixth generation was the first step in unifying the gaming platforms, which in my opinion really hurt gaming.


I'm not sure about that. There are a lot of exclusive games for each console that set them apart and made them unique. Different franchises that helped them all have their own identity. You'd have titles that help define a console such as Halo, Phantom Dust, KOTOR etc for the Xbox. Jet Set Radio, Sonic Adventure, Space Channel 5, Phantasy Star Online  etc for the Dreamcast. Kingdom Hearts, Jak and Daxter, Grand Theft Auto, Sly Cooper etc for the Playstation 2. Metroid Prime, Zelda Windwaker, Super Smash Bros, Pikmin etc for the Gamecube. None of these games felt similar to other games. They all had their own unique identity that helped set them apart from what the other consoles had. 6th gen had a great amount of diversity to me. But hey to each his own.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: mqg96 on 02/03/16 at 7:54 pm


Personally, the sixth generation is when I believe console gaming went downhill.  I miss the old Sega vs Nintendo days when the console experience and games were different from the PC and each other.  Games you played in Nintendo were different from what you played on Sega, and what you played on PC either wasn't available on console or the console version was inferior.  The sixth generation was the first step in unifying the gaming platforms, which in my opinion really hurt gaming.


5th & 6th generation gaming felt like a similar era with the exception of the decline of Sega. In fact, I never cared about Sega growing up. I've always only been aware of Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony related gaming.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: mqg96 on 02/03/16 at 8:04 pm

Despite how underrated the Gamecube was, looking back I'll give it so much credit for still having tons of variety of Nintendo franchises and many other genres. I think some of the Mario games for the Wii were a huge improvement from the Gamecube versions, like Galaxy 1 & 2 being better than Sunshine by a landslide. Also having great games like New Super Mario Bros. Wii. However, some might be an opinion. Mario Kart Double Dash might be more nostalgic than Mario Kart Wii. Some people might agree with Super Smash Bros Brawl being better than Melee, but I think it's debatable. I can't choose on that one. Other than that the Gamecube still had more variety of 2nd party & 3rd party Nintendo games. The Wii lacked Star Fox, Metal Gear Solid, and F-Zero, which was a huge problem.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: ocarinafan96 on 02/03/16 at 8:20 pm


5th & 6th generation gaming felt like a similar era with the exception of the decline of Sega. In fact, I never cared about Sega growing up. I've always only been aware of Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony related gaming.


True, though to be fair Sega didn't really last that long in the 6th generation. Heck you could arguably call it a 5th generation console since its main popularity was from 1999-2001, during the widely considered tail end of that era. Also it seems most people compare the console with the N64 & (to a lesser extent) the PS1 anyways.

Personally for me growing up, I only knew Sega consoles through the Dreamcast as one of my cousin's owned it and had classics like the NFL 2K Series, PowerStone, Soul Calibur, & Sonic Adventure to name a few. But when he got rid of it in 2002, it never really phased my mind really because I was heavily invested on my PS1 & Gameboy Color and playing 6th gen consoles at friends/other relative's houses, to really care that much. Heck I remember putting PS1 discs inside of his Dreamcast expecting them to work ;D
It wasn't until I played the Dreamcast at a friend's house in 2010 that I realized how under appreciated the console really was.

Looking back, I still wonder how much different the gaming industry would be like if Sega never dropped out of the console race. Hence why I actually agree (well half agree, Ill explain) with Bchris02, that the absence of Sega IMO is what caused a decline in console gaming. HOWEVER, to say that the 6th generation as a whole was bad is outlandish though, as I agree with the general consensus that the 6th gen was probably the last good gaming generation. Maybe not as great 5th gen to some people, but definitely a God send to the current generation and the second half of the 7th generation! You still had a perfect variety of Platformers (Jak and Daxter, Super Mario Sunshine, & The Sonic Adventure Series), FPS (The first COD, Soccom, & Halo), Fighting (Street Fighter, Soul Calibur, & DBZ Budokai), & RPGs (Final Fantasy X, Kingdom Hearts, & Persona 3) among other genres. Also it was when online gaming became noticeable with Xbox Live and (to a lesser extent) the online service on PS2. But for the most part local mutliplayer was still the norm in this generation, especially on the Gamecube with classics like Super Smash Bros. Melee and Mario Party 4.

All in all, it was bittersweet without Sega, and definitely something that would reduce gaming to the dismal point now, I still though 6th was overall a good generation!

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: 2001 on 02/03/16 at 8:41 pm

I have mixed feelings about 6th Gen. While it gave me and introduced me to some of my favourite franchises like Devil May Cry and Gran Turismo,  I also found it very difficult to care about video games in that mushy 2004-2006I period with all the extremely lame GTA clones and other shovelware shooters.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: 2001 on 02/03/16 at 8:46 pm


5th & 6th generation gaming felt like a similar era with the exception of the decline of Sega. In fact, I never cared about Sega growing up. I've always only been aware of Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony related gaming.


They feel different to me because the dominant genre in 5th Gen by far was platforming games, and action adventure titles. The 6th Gen felt like an offline 7th Gen, especially towards the end. The dominant genre in both generations is by far shooters.

However, there are many similarities between 5th and 6th Gen like dominance of Japanese RPGs, while in 7th Gen they lose major ground to Western RPGs.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: ocarinafan96 on 02/03/16 at 8:52 pm


They feel different to me because the dominant genre in 5th Gen by far was platforming games. The 6th Gen felt like an offline 7th Gen, especially towards the end. The dominant genre in both generations is by far shooters.

However, there are many similarities between 5th and 6th Gen like dominance of Japanese RPGs, while in 7th Gen they lose major ground to Western RPGs.


Nah you still had tons of platformers in the 6th gen, Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, Sonic Advenuture Series, & Super Mario Sunshine to name a few

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Zelek2 on 02/03/16 at 8:56 pm

Hey Ocarinafan, this is slightly off-topic, but do you have a YouTube account? Have you posted any videos?

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: 2001 on 02/03/16 at 8:57 pm


Nah you still had tons of platformers in the 6th gen, Jak and Daxter, Ratchet and Clank, Sly Cooper, Sonic Advenuture Series, & Super Mario Sunshine to name a few


There were shooters in 5th Gen too. What I'm saying is it was the dominant genre in 6th Gen, while platformers and action adventure were the dominant 5th Gen genres.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: ocarinafan96 on 02/03/16 at 9:05 pm


Hey Ocarinafan, this is slightly off-topic, but do you have a YouTube account? Have you posted any videos?


Nah my YouTube account is only used for liking/commenting

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Zelek2 on 02/03/16 at 9:07 pm

Can I have a link to it?

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: ocarinafan96 on 02/03/16 at 9:12 pm


There were shooters in 5th Gen too. What I'm saying is it was the dominant genre in 6th Gen, while platformers and action adventure were the dominant 5th Gen genres.


Shooters were definitely much more popular in 6th gen with the freshman titles of Call of Duty & Halo, but it wasn't the dominant genre though. Like I said above, many franchises still retained the elements that made them successful You still had a boat load of platformers and they were still very popular, RPGs like Final Fantasy X (which is arguably the last good FF Game) were still mostly turn based and un-linear, FPS were popular but online gaming was still seen as a novelty (with the exception of XBL at the tail end), horror games like Resident Evil 4 still retained a very gritty and haunting experience and not trying to be a COD clone.

The point is that the 7th gen was the generation that FPS titles and former franchises that tried to imitate COD's success started to become popular, while in a way also ditching the style of gameplay that made them popular.

There are many points about the 6th generation that I would critique, but 'Too Many FPS Titles' is not one of them

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: mqg96 on 02/03/16 at 9:27 pm


There were shooters in 5th Gen too. What I'm saying is it was the dominant genre in 6th Gen, while platformers and action adventure were the dominant 5th Gen genres.


I disagree, platformers, fighting, racing, and action adventure were still more dominant than first person shooters in 6th generation gaming compared to 7th generation and onwards. Or at least evenly balanced. 6th generation wasn't an offline 7th generation either. Did you see my last comment on page 1 about the Gamecube and Wii comparisons, that's one example, but look at the PS2 and XBOX as well compared to the modern ones.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/03/16 at 9:28 pm


There were shooters in 5th Gen too. What I'm saying is it was the dominant genre in 6th Gen, while platformers and action adventure were the dominant 5th Gen genres.


I don't remember shooters being the dominant genre. I mostly remember Halo and a few other shooters, but it didn't seem like the dominant genre. And Call of Duty didn't get really popular until Modern Warfare 2 which was in 2007. For nearly all of the 6th gen I don't remember there being any dominant genre which is what I like about it. Devs were able to release nearly any kind of game. 

Gamecube didn't have any First Person Shooters aside from maybe Metroid Prime. None of the PS2's top selling games were FPS games (Grand Theft Auto has shooting, but that isn't the main mechanic of the game as it's more of a open world/sandbox game). The Dreamcast wasn't known for FPS games. No one expects the GBA to have First Person Shooters. Only console with a somewhat big amount of FPS games is the Xbox. But Xbox alone doesn't describe the entire gen in terms of games.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: 2001 on 02/03/16 at 9:39 pm

Sorry, maybe I should've been clearer, but I wasn't talking specifically about FPSs. I include games like GTA and many of its clones in the shooter category.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: ocarinafan96 on 02/03/16 at 9:45 pm


Sorry, maybe I should've been clearer, but I wasn't talking specifically about FPSs. I include games like GTA and many of its clones in the shooter category.


I see. Personally I would consider GTA more of a Sandbox game. It may have some First person elements, but its dominant play style is open world/third person gameplay

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: 2001 on 02/03/16 at 9:50 pm


I see. Personally I would consider GTA more of a Sandbox game. It may have some First person elements, but its dominant play style is open world/third person gameplay


Whether its first person or third person, I'd say its shooter elements are a huge part of the gameplay.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: mqg96 on 02/03/16 at 10:03 pm


Whether its first person or third person, I'd say its shooter elements are a huge part of the gameplay.


I could even come up with tons of RPG's, platformers, or racing games that aren't big anymore that were still really huge back in the 6th generation era.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: 2001 on 02/03/16 at 10:06 pm


I could even come up with tons of RPG's, platformers, or racing games that aren't big anymore that were still really huge back in the 6th generation era.


Racing games and RPGs are still popular  :P

Platformers less so, but like I said, it was far from the dominant genre in 6th Gen. It peaked in 4th and 5th.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: ocarinafan96 on 02/03/16 at 10:22 pm


Racing games and RPGs are still popular  :P

Platformers less so, but like I said, it was far from the dominant genre in 6th Gen. It peaked in 4th and 5th.


That is a good point!

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: mqg96 on 02/03/16 at 10:37 pm


Racing games and RPGs are still popular  :P

Platformers less so, but like I said, it was far from the dominant genre in 6th Gen. It peaked in 4th and 5th.



That is a good point!


LOL, the racing genre compared to like the late 90's-2005 has definitely declined over the years. Just take a look at this list. Over half of these franchises are either dead, have gone downhill, or have declined so much to the point that you only get a release once every 5 years, unlike before when there were new ones rapidly like every year or two.

Mario Kart
Diddy Kong Racing
Crash Team Racing/Nitro Kart
Sega Rally
Daytona USA
Burnout
Out Run 2
Midnight Club
F-Zero
Gran Turismo
TOCA
Colin McRae Rally
V-Rally
WRC
Le Mans 24 Hours
RalliSport Challenge
Need For Speed
Forza
Metropolis Street Racer
Project Gotham Racing
Ferrari 355 Challenge

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/03/16 at 10:42 pm


Racing games and RPGs are still popular  :P

Platformers less so, but like I said, it was far from the dominant genre in 6th Gen. It peaked in 4th and 5th.


I don't see that many rpgs on consoles today. As for the 6th gen there was no dominant genre. You'd release any game and it'll be successful.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: 2001 on 02/03/16 at 11:00 pm


LOL, the racing genre compared to like the late 90's-2005 has definitely declined over the years. Just take a look at this list. Over half of these franchises are either dead, have gone downhill, or have declined so much to the point that you only get a release once every 4 or 5 years, unlike before when there were new ones rapidly like every year or two.

Mario Kart
Diddy Kong Racing
Crash Team Racing/Nitro Kart
Sega Rally
Daytona USA
Burnout
Out Run 2
Midnight Club
F-Zero
Gran Turismo
TOCA
Colin McRae Rally
V-Rally
WRC
Le Mans 24 Hours
RalliSport Challenge
Need For Speed
Forza
Metropolis Street Racer
Project Gotham Racing
Ferrari 355 Challenge


Mario Kart, Forza, Gran Turismo, Burnout and Project Gotham are all still pumping out great games. Some others you listed like Daytona, Diddy Kong Racing, Crash Racing, SEGA Rally and F-Zero peaked in 5th Gen rather than 6th Gen.

For 7th Gen gaming, while admittedly I'm not a huge racing fan, I enjoyed games like Banjo Nuts and Bolts, Gran Turismo 5 and 6, Mario Kart Wii, Burnout and Forza 2.

I don't have an 8th Gen console, they're too expensive, so I can't comment on that one. I heard Forza 6 came out a few months ago and it sounds pretty great, although I'm personally a Gran Turismo fanboy.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: 2001 on 02/03/16 at 11:08 pm


I don't see that many rpgs on consoles today. As for the 6th gen there was no dominant genre. You'd release any game and it'll be successful.


RPGs are the second most popular genre after shooters  ???

I would make a giant list but I'm on mobile. Just off the top of my head you have Oblivion, Skyrim, Fable (ew), Dragon Age, Witcher, Demon/Dark Souls, Mass Effect, Fallout etc.

Okami wasn't successful. You can't explain that. Neither was Shadow of the Collosus  :\'(

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Zelek2 on 02/03/16 at 11:12 pm


Mario Kart, Forza, Gran Turismo, Burnout and Project Gotham are all still pumping out great games. Some others you listed like Daytona, Diddy Kong Racing, Crash Racing, SEGA Rally and F-Zero peaked in 5th Gen rather than 6th Gen.

For 7th Gen gaming, while admittedly I'm not a huge racing fan, I enjoyed games like Banjo Nuts and Bolts, Gran Turismo 5 and 6, Mario Kart Wii, Burnout and Forza 2.

I don't have an 8th Gen console, they're too expensive, so I can't comment on that one. I heard Forza 6 came out a few months ago and it sounds pretty great, although I'm personally a Gran Turismo fanboy.

In general, Crash Bandicoot was at its peak during the 5th gen and began to fall during the 6th gen, before "dying" in 2007 with the Titans game as part of the 7th gen. I know some people who liked Twinsanity and maybe Wrath of Cortex, but other than that, the series was wallowing in obscurity from 2001-2007.

Games like Tag Team Racing were really mediocre and damaged the series' reputation.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: mqg96 on 02/03/16 at 11:35 pm


Mario Kart, Forza, Gran Turismo, Burnout and Project Gotham are all still pumping out great games. Some others you listed like Daytona, Diddy Kong Racing, Crash Racing, SEGA Rally and F-Zero peaked in 5th Gen rather than 6th Gen.


You're right on Mario Kart and Forza. But you have some misinformed information in your comment. Project Gotham hasn't had a racing game for a console since 4 for the XBOX 360 in 2007. The last two were for the Mobile and some Zune HD product in 2008 & 2009. There hasn't been one ever since, in fact, none this entire decade. Burnout's last release was Crash! back in 2011, which was downloadable I think. The last one of the main series released for the consoles being Paradise in 2008.

F-Zero GX came out in 2003 for the Gamecube, which was a really popular, epic, challenging game, just as big as F-Zero X for the 64. Crash Team Racing was the most popular Crash racing game, but Crash Nitro Kart was pretty good too, not as good but still the last good one of the series. As Zelek already stated, Crash Tag Team Racing was horrible, and there hasn't been any ever since.

Again, just like racing, all the other genres for 6th generation were still just as big as it was in 5th generation. Although you could say that 6th generation gaming was transitional though. Starting with the death of Sega consoles all the way to the transition from 6th to 7th generation in the mid-late 2000's.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Zelek2 on 02/03/16 at 11:38 pm


Crash Team Racing was the most popular Crash racing game, but Crash Nitro Kart was pretty good too, not as good but still the last good one of the series.

I remember you saying you liked Nitro Kart better. Have you changed your mind on that?

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: mqg96 on 02/03/16 at 11:41 pm


I remember you saying you liked Nitro Kart better. Have you changed your mind on that?


I did enjoy Nitro Kart better than Team Racing for my tastes, but in reality Team Racing was higher quality. I've played both before just to let you know, and finished both of the games. Nitro Kart actually had some pretty funny cut scenes too. That was the perfect animation to do a possible Crash Bandicoot cartoon series.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: 2001 on 02/03/16 at 11:43 pm


You're right on Mario Kart and Forza. But you have some misinformed information in your comment. Project Gotham hasn't had a racing game for a console since 4 for the XBOX 360 in 2007. The last two were for the Mobile and some Zune HD product in 2008 & 2009. There hasn't been one ever since, in fact, none this entire decade. Burnout's last release was Crash! back in 2011, which was downloadable I think. The last one of the main series released for the consoles being Paradise in 2008.

F-Zero GX came out in 2003 for the Gamecube, which was a really popular, epic, challenging game, just as big as F-Zero X for the 64. Crash Team Racing was the most popular Crash racing game, but Crash Nitro Kart was pretty good too, not as good but still the last good one of the series. As Zelek already stated, Crash Tag Team Racing was horrible, and there hasn't been any ever since.

Again, just like racing, all the other genres for 6th generation were still just as big as it was in 5th generation. Although you could say that 6th generation gaming was transitional though. Starting with the death of Sega consoles all the way to the transition from 6th to 7th generation in the mid-late 2000's.


Sorry. Like I said I haven't bought an 8th Gen console so by "recent" I mean 7th Gen aka in the last 10 years.  ;D (wow I can't believe it's been 10 years since the start of 7th gen... Time flies).

I find the F-Zero mediocre generally imo. But I don't remember the Gamecube game being very popular at all? I haven't played any of the non-PS1 Crash games either. Zelek2 seems to know more about this.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Zelek2 on 02/03/16 at 11:45 pm


Sorry. Like I said I haven't bought an 8th Gen console so by "recent" I mean 7th Gen aka in the last 10 years.  ;D (wow I can't believe it's been 10 years since the start of 7th gen... Time flies)

You're a bit off. It's more like 11 years.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/03/16 at 11:48 pm


RPGs are the second most popular genre after shooters  ???

I would make a giant list but I'm on mobile. Just off the top of my head you have Oblivion, Skyrim, Fable (ew), Dragon Age, Witcher, Demon/Dark Souls, Mass Effect, Fallout etc.

Okami wasn't successful. You can't explain that. Neither was Shadow of the Collosus  :\'(


By any games I mean games that're given the actual chance to be successful. Okami released to late in the life of the PS2 with the PS3 right around the corner with little to no marketing. Shadow of the Collosus also lacked strong marketing. They were great games, but lacked any strong marketing When a game has tons of marketing it can be successful no matter the genre. When I was talking about RPGs I was mostly referring to JRPGs (I'm an idiot for not explaining that). WRPGs are pretty big though.

Edit! Wait a second! Shadow of the Colossus sold around 1 Million copies. That was a success.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: 2001 on 02/03/16 at 11:50 pm


You're a bit off. It's more like 11 years.


It's actually 10 years and 3 months :p

Unless you're including handhelds then...yeah, it's been 11 years since the DS came out  :o

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: 2001 on 02/04/16 at 12:08 am


By any games I mean games that're given the actual chance to be successful. Okami released to late in the life of the PS2 with the PS3 right around the corner with little to no marketing. Shadow of the Collosus also lacked strong marketing. They were great games, but lacked any strong marketing When a game has tons of marketing it can be successful no matter the genre. When I was talking about RPGs I was mostly referring to JRPGs (I'm an idiot for not explaining that). WRPGs are pretty big though.


I'm not completely sure if a game like Okami has mass appeal. Also the marketing making a game successful no matter what can be a blessing and a curse... Yeah I am talking about Final Fantasy X-2  8-P

Haha yeah, that makes more sense. I feel that was one similarity that 5th and 6th gen had, with JRPGs still being popular and WRPGs being non-existent. The 7th/8th Gen are the opposite, although I do remember JRPGs still being a semi popular in the early 7th Gen with games like Star Ocean, Lost Odyssey, and the wretched Final Fantasy 13. The latter probably killed off JRPGs for good  8-P

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/04/16 at 12:25 am


I'm not completely sure if a game like Okami has mass appeal. Also the marketing making a game successful no matter what can be a blessing and a curse... Yeah I am talking about Final Fantasy X-2  8-P

Haha yeah, that makes more sense. I feel that was one similarity that 5th and 6th gen had, with JRPGs still being popular and WRPGs being non-existent. The 7th/8th Gen are the opposite, although I do remember JRPGs still being a semi popular in the early 7th Gen with games like Star Ocean, Lost Odyssey, and the wretched Final Fantasy 13. The latter probably killed off JRPGs for good  8-P


As for whether Okami has mass appeal or not that I'm not sure on. I can only really make my opinion on success based on certain facts. All I know is that being released to late in the life span and not being marketed as well contributed to its low sells (at least this is what the internet tells me)  ???  Although Platnium games has a reputation for having games with low levels of success due to poor marketing (not all their games suffer from poor sales, but there are a few of them such as Madworld  or Anarchy Reigns)

And marketing being both a blessing and a curse..............can't argue with ya there. On the plus side it means more games will be successful. On the down side it means more bad games would be more successful. And don't get me started on Final fantasy X-2 >:(

The JRPG golden age according to wikipedia is between 1990-2006 (4th - 6th gen) as the SNES, PS1, and PS2 were known to have tons of JPRGs. So many JRPGs that I got sick of them by 2006 actually (last JRPG I played for the PS2 was Kingdom Hearts 2). Nowadays I don't see many JRPGs. But WRPGs I do see quite a lot.

Nowadays if you want a platform where tons of genres are present then your best bet is the PC and that's assuming you also like to play indie games. On steam you'd find tons of Platformers, MOBAs, MMOs, Racers, Fighters, FPS, TPS, Strategy, Simulation, Beat-em-ups etc. As of today the 8th console gen has been disappointing me. So I moved to the PC and I'll say that I'm happy for my decision. But I'm sure not everyone shares my opinion on PC gaming and indie games.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Zelek2 on 02/04/16 at 2:42 am

What do you guys think of Sonic Heroes?

http://sega-addicts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/seaside-hill-e1373860913828.png

Even though this game is highly flawed (controls are terrible), I have to admit, it has a very "Y2K era" feel to it (goofy, fun, colorful, x-treme), despite being released in 2004. I feel like it was kind of a "wasted potential" game, since it had a fantastic style but played badly.

Would you say this feels like an early 00s game, @JordanK1982?

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/04/16 at 3:16 am


What do you guys think of Sonic Heroes?

http://sega-addicts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/seaside-hill-e1373860913828.png

Even though this game is highly flawed (controls are terrible), I have to admit, it has a very "Y2K era" feel to it (goofy, fun, colorful, x-treme), despite being released in 2004. I feel like it was kind of a "wasted potential" game, since it had a fantastic style but played badly.


It was released in 2004, but then again it was developed and released in Japan in 2003. It's a Y2K game that just had a late delay overall. As you mentioned it has that goofy, colorful, xtreme vibe to it. You boot up the game to be greeted to some rock and seeing the Sonic characters running fast and stuff. The game is flawed as it's controls are weird. But to me it was a good game. Sonic overall is a very Y2K character. He's all about being fast, xtreme, full of energy and spirit.

You want to know what's funny? It's easy to tell that the mid '00s had a darker tone by just looking at the Sonic games. Look at the Y2K Sonic games. From 1998, 2001, and 2003.

Sonic Adventure 1 (1998)
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/sonic/images/d/d3/Sonicadventuredcog.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20100707130920
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Sonic Adventure 2 (2001)
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http://s.emuparadise.org/fup/up/66825-Sonic_Adventure_2_-_Battle_(Europe)_(En,Fr,De,Es)-1.jpg


Sonic Heroes (2003)
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2BAImWt7QL.jpg
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These games are very colorful and xtreme. Can be defining games of the Y2K era in terms of video games.

Now look at Shadow the Hedgehog Video Game that was released in 2005
http://s.emuparadise.org/GCN/Covers/Shadow%20The%20Hedgehog.jpg
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This game was known for its overly dark story and atmosphere. It was all about being caught in the middle of this battle between aliens and humans. Finding the mysteries of Shadow's past and stuff. Got Shadow going around shooting and blowing up things. Sure it was a speedy platformer like the Y2K era games, but it didn't have the same Y2K era vibe.



Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Zelek2 on 02/04/16 at 3:34 am

No, I think Sonic is more of a "core 90s" character than Y2K era. He's still x-treme, but the "hypercolor" kind of extreme.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: SpyroKev on 02/04/16 at 9:03 am

I first got the Gamecube in 2002. I have such great memories with thing. I was a Nintendo head then so it beat the other consoles for me. I first got the Dreamcast in 1999, right when it was release through my oldest brother with Sonic Adventure. The demo disk that came with it had a nice variety of interesting titles I craved. My third oldest brother was hooked to Power Stone haha I experienced the PS2 from my earliest friend in 03 from what I remember. I did felt the glory from how excited he was. We got the PS2 in 2004 lasting to 2005. Xbox in 2006. The Xbox was just there to be had at that point.

I would claim the 6 gen is definitely the last golden age for video games.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: mach!ne_he@d on 02/04/16 at 11:26 am


Personally, the sixth generation is when I believe console gaming went downhill.  I miss the old Sega vs Nintendo days when the console experience and games were different from the PC and each other.  Games you played in Nintendo were different from what you played on Sega, and what you played on PC either wasn't available on console or the console version was inferior.  The sixth generation was the first step in unifying the gaming platforms, which in my opinion really hurt gaming.


I agree with this to an extent. Looking back, there were several things that did begin to emerge in the 6th Gen that have turned me off on gaming somewhat over the last decade, in particular the over popularization of FPS games which began to happen in large part due to the huge success of Halo and Halo 2. You could also argue that the 6th Gen was when game developers first began to focus too much on graphics over gameplay, which I think is a another big problem with games today.

Having said all that, I love the 6th Gen overall just due to the sheer number of great games that came out during that era, particularly on the PS2. As an old school gamer, I lean towards the 3rd and 4th Gen's as being my favorites personally, but if you're just going to judge a console generation soley on the volume of top-tier games that came out during it's time, you could make a very strong case that the 6th Gen is the greatest "games generation" ever.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/04/16 at 12:01 pm


No, I think Sonic is more of a "core 90s" character than Y2K era. He's still x-treme, but the "hypercolor" kind of extreme.


Classic Sonic seems core '90s to me. Dreamcast/Modern Sonic seems more Y2K to me.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: JordanK1982 on 02/04/16 at 12:18 pm

PS2 is the system for the kings! My all-time favorite console!


What do you guys think of Sonic Heroes?

http://sega-addicts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/seaside-hill-e1373860913828.png

Even though this game is highly flawed (controls are terrible), I have to admit, it has a very "Y2K era" feel to it (goofy, fun, colorful, x-treme), despite being released in 2004. I feel like it was kind of a "wasted potential" game, since it had a fantastic style but played badly.

Would you say this feels like an early 00s game, @JordanK1982?


Totally is. It's too shiny, colors are too bright and the music is too loud for it to be mid 00's. Shadow the Hedgehog, on the other hand, is Mid 00's all the way like Fall Out Boy is. Melodramatic like a baby on Myspace and dark and poetic like some bad Edgar Allen Poe knock-off.


Classic Sonic seems core '90s to me. Dreamcast/Modern Sonic seems more Y2K to me.


This 100%.

Also, Shadow the Hedgehog is a horrible game and much worse than Sonic Heroes ever could be! Who the hell gives Hedgehog's guns? That's stupid.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/04/16 at 12:49 pm


PS2 is the system for the kings! My all-time favorite console!

PS2 is a lot of people's favorite consoles whether we're talking about the 6th gen or just gaming as a whole. But then again that's expected for the console that holds the record of highest selling consoles (which to this day it still holds that record).


This 100%.
Also, Shadow the Hedgehog is a horrible game and much worse than Sonic Heroes ever could be! Who the hell gives Hedgehog's guns? That's stupid.


Sega thought it would be a good idea to make dark style Sonic game. In the end the game sold well enough, but not many people liked it due to not wanting cursing, guns, dark/confusing story, and gritty levels in a Sonic game.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: JordanK1982 on 02/04/16 at 12:57 pm


PS2 is a lot of people's favorite consoles whether we're talking about the 6th gen or just gaming as a whole. But then again that's expected for the console that holds the record of highest selling consoles (which to this day it still holds that record).


Yeah, man. The PS2 will always be the best if you ask me! It totally beats out the PS3 and PS4.


Sega thought it would be a good idea to make dark style Sonic game. In the end the game sold well enough, but not many people liked it due to not wanting cursing, guns, dark/confusing story, and gritty levels in a Sonic game.


It also had terrible controls and felt like it was thrown together in 5 minutes. What a horrible, horrible game. It might as well have had Paramore and Panic at the Disco on the soundtrack, too. 8-P

Stop trying to out-Saturn yourself, Sega.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: bchris02 on 02/04/16 at 2:00 pm


I agree with this to an extent. Looking back, there were several things that did begin to emerge in the 6th Gen that have turned me off on gaming somewhat over the last decade, in particular the over popularization of FPS games which began to happen in large part due to the huge success of Halo and Halo 2. You could also argue that the 6th Gen was when game developers first began to focus too much on graphics over gameplay, which I think is a another big problem with games today.


Agree with this.  This trend started in 6th gen, but it was taken to the next level to the point it ruined gaming during 7th gen.  There were still plenty of good games that came out during 6th gen, especially for the PC.  I believe this era was the peak of PC gaming.  7th gen on the other hand, with its shift towards online multiplayer, the mass consolidation of developers that occurred around that time, and the overall simplification of gameplay/level design in favor of graphics is what killed gaming.

Crysis for PC is an example of everything that was wrong with 7th-gen era games.  Photo-realistic graphics that blew away anything that came before it, but the gameplay and story was extremely boring.  I tried playing the game numerous times and I couldn't stay interested after the "wow" effect from the pretty graphics wore off.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Howard on 02/04/16 at 2:55 pm


I didn't get the Playstation 2 until 2004. The first game we played on it was Lara Croft: Angel of Darkness.


Was it the skinny notebook version like I had? ???

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Eazy-EMAN1995 on 02/04/16 at 5:55 pm

Al righty guys!!! I've seen all your posts some I completely agree with it and some posts I don't agree with! Overall the PS2 is my FAVORITE console of the 6th generation and it's my favorite console of all time.

The 6th generation is probably the best gaming generation of all TIME!!! The 4th gen is the only other that equals it!  :DIt was better than the 5th generation , yes I hate to admit it but it WAS! Even though 5th gen got me into gaming, 6th generation took it to a WHOLE NOTHeR LEVEL!!!

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Eazy-EMAN1995 on 02/04/16 at 6:25 pm

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I completely agree with Adam on this video!

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Eazy-EMAN1995 on 02/04/16 at 6:48 pm

Even though I think that the 6th gen was overall better than 5th. There were things that changed for the worst. NINTENDO started to fall apart from my perspective. The old president stepped down and airways took over and they brought Reggie in for Nintendo America!  >:( SEGA left and Microsofts XBOX debuted which was a VERY rude awakening! The 6th gen was the biggest transitional period for gaming probably of all TIME!

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/04/16 at 7:07 pm

Seems we're all just saying clashing opinions. None of which will be universally agreed upon as they're not actual facts. To me I loved the Gamecube as it was when Nintendo still targeted their core audience and not focus casual gamers. The Xbox was okay, but the death of Sega is very sad indeed specially since I loved the Dreamcast. I loved the lineup of all the consoles (I own 172 games when combining all 6th gen games) as I love the amount of great  games and variety. On my list of favorite all time games a majority of them comes from the 6th gen.

Again it's just my opinion. If anyone disagrees then I'll destroy them that's fine.  ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Baltimoreian on 02/04/16 at 8:11 pm

In my opinion, the PS2 seems awesome. Although, I never really cared about the sixth-generation of video games, since I didn't know what Nintendo was. I also didn't know that Sony and Microsoft did video games, since I thought they did computers (Microsoft) along with TVs, DVD players, DVDs, etc (Sony).

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: JordanK1982 on 02/05/16 at 12:42 am


Was it the skinny notebook version like I had? ???


The skinny PS2 is the lame version. The reason the fat one is so big is too hold all it's mightiness.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/05/16 at 2:38 am


Even though I think that the 6th gen was overall better than 5th. There were things that changed for the worst. NINTENDO started to fall apart from my perspective. The old president stepped down and airways took over and they brought Reggie in for Nintendo America!  >:( SEGA left and Microsofts XBOX debuted which was a VERY rude awakening! The 6th gen was the biggest transitional period for gaming probably of all TIME!


The 9th console gen may also be a big transition. New president at Nintendo now that Iwata is gone. And the fact that gaming seems to be moving towards virtual reality.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Howard on 02/05/16 at 5:33 am


VkmUZpIpxtc
I completely agree with Adam on this video!


What other video game generations does he also cover? ???

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Howard on 02/05/16 at 5:34 am


The skinny PS2 is the lame version. The reason the fat one is so big is too hold all it's mightiness.


That's why I used The PS2 for a few years till I traded it in for a mightier PS3.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: ocarinafan96 on 02/05/16 at 7:11 am

Question, when do you guys think the PS5/NextBox Will come out?

I predict 2018, as I feel this generation is going to revert back to the traditional 5 year cycle, plus consoles in this generation (especially the ONE & Wii U) are very unerpowered compared to just basic mid-range gaming PCs. So it wouldn't make sense for the consoles to longer than that, however possibly 2020 at the very latest. But I personally still think that's too long especially with how underpowered the consoles are now. Heck the NX might possibly come out this year!

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Eazy-EMAN1995 on 02/05/16 at 10:57 am

But yeah the first half of 6th generation felt MUCH different than the second half.  The first half was still RPG, fighting genre, and platforming period with new shooters like GTA and Halo. Then the second half it begun to feel like a precursor to the 7th gen, shooting games begun to take over, RPGs and figthing games begun to decline MIGHTLY! XBOX was also beginning to be viewed as LEGIT direct competition to PS. Also prior to 6th gen gaming was still seen in that classic SEGA vs Nintendo way, even though the Satrun flopped in America and Sony's Playstation pretty much took over as the other game company. So yeah the 6th generation as a WHOLE was the biggest transitional period for gaming EVER despite the fact that most of the 6th gen was an extension of the 5th generation.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Eazy-EMAN1995 on 02/05/16 at 11:17 am

Also imagine along with the PS2, the GameCube vs Dreamcast console war! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
oooohhhhhh what could have been! :o

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: mqg96 on 02/05/16 at 11:25 am


Also imagine along with the PS2, the GameCube vs Dreamcast console war! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D
oooohhhhhh what could have been! :o


I'm sure you've seen these two videos as well.

HpCs3UxrWFI

HxHVca9HxBA

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Eazy-EMAN1995 on 02/05/16 at 11:28 am


I'm sure you've seen these two videos as well.

HpCs3UxrWFI

HxHVca9HxBA

Yep I saw all of his gaming videos!

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: bchris02 on 02/05/16 at 12:06 pm


Even though I think that the 6th gen was overall better than 5th. There were things that changed for the worst. NINTENDO started to fall apart from my perspective. The old president stepped down and airways took over and they brought Reggie in for Nintendo America!  >:( SEGA left and Microsofts XBOX debuted which was a VERY rude awakening! The 6th gen was the biggest transitional period for gaming probably of all TIME!


I think the Xbox was the worst thing to ever happen to gaming.  The release of the Xbox is what started the slow death of PC gaming (which peaked in 2004 and has been in decline ever since).  It's also what started gaming down the path towards gritty realism as opposed to the fun, lighthearted games of the Nintendo/Sega era.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/05/16 at 12:21 pm


I think the Xbox was the worst thing to ever happen to gaming.  The release of the Xbox is what started the slow death of PC gaming (which peaked in 2004 and has been in decline ever since).  It's also what started gaming down the path towards gritty realism as opposed to the fun, lighthearted games of the Nintendo/Sega era.


Whoa whoa! Wait a second I though PC gaming was still popular. I hear more about people playing on PC nowadays then I did before. Thanks to things like Steam and its never ending library of games more and more people jump to PC gaming.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: bchris02 on 02/05/16 at 12:24 pm


Whoa whoa! Wait a second I though PC gaming was still popular. I hear more about people playing on PC nowadays then I did before. Thanks to things like Steam and it's never ending library of games more and more people jump to PC gaming.


It's improved some since the dark days of the late '00s/early '10s, but its still nowhere near what it was in 2004.  Indie developers today are primarily responsible for keeping PC gaming alive, and Steam is an excellent platform that allows them to distribute their content.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Eazy-EMAN1995 on 02/05/16 at 12:28 pm


I think the Xbox was the worst thing to ever happen to gaming.  The release of the Xbox is what started the slow death of PC gaming (which peaked in 2004 and has been in decline ever since).  It's also what started gaming down the path towards gritty realism as opposed to the fun, lighthearted games of the Nintendo/Sega era.

Judging by your posts, I'll take it the 4th gen was your favorite gaming generation! ;D
It's honestly a toss up between the 4th and 6th gen as the best console generation! I love 5th gen with my heart, but I love it for NOSTALGIA. If you go back and play many of them it will come across as DATED! 4th and 6th gen don't feel that way ironically. ;D ;D ;D

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/05/16 at 12:31 pm


Judging by your posts, I'll take it the 4th gen was your favorite gaming generation! ;D
It's honestly a toss up between the 4th and 6th gen as the best console generation! I love 5th gen with my heart, but I love it for NOSTALGIA. If you go back and play many of them it will come across as DATED! 4th and 6th gen don't feel that way ironically. ;D ;D ;D


4th console gen was when 2D gaming was at its best to me. 6th console gen was when 3D gaming as at its best for me. I love the 5th gen, but again that's just nostalgia speaking to me. A lot of the 5th gen games haven't aged as well. I can go back and play Sly Cooper, but I can't go back and play Donkey Kong 64.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Eazy-EMAN1995 on 02/05/16 at 12:48 pm

I agree and disagree with Bchris's points about the 6th gen! I understand what he's saying though. Chris is basically saying that 6th gen was a turning point for gaming. PS2 dominated in a landslide even though we had the XBOX, Gamecube, and Dreamcast which were all good-great consoles in their on way. Problem is the Dreamcast and GameCube didn't do that well in sales. PS2 was THE console everybody had. Kinda like PS4 is THE console everybody owns today. Thing is 6th gen was when 3D gaming was in it's prime HANDS DOWN! 5th gen as a whole hasn't aged that well AT ALL imo, despite it being my first generation as a gamer live.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/05/16 at 2:15 pm


I agree and disagree with Bchris's points about the 6th gen! I understand what he's saying though. Chris is basically saying that 6th gen was a turning point for gaming. PS2 dominated in a landslide even though we had the XBOX, Gamecube, and Dreamcast which were all good-great consoles in their on way. Problem is the Dreamcast and GameCube didn't do that well in sales. PS2 was THE console everybody had. Kinda like PS4 is THE console everybody owns today. Thing is 6th gen was when 3D gaming was in it's prime HANDS DOWN! 5th gen as a whole hasn't aged that well AT ALL imo, despite it being my first generation as a gamer live.


Sales wise the 6th gen can be upsetting (this can also be said for the 5th gen). Quality wise the 6th gen was great overall. Everyone has their preferred console, but each console has quite a bit of people who enjoy them. Gamecube fans, Xbox fans, Dreamcast fans, and tons of Playstation 2 fans. That's what I loved about the 6th gen. Overall it was pretty good. No console is universally seen as  bad.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: mach!ne_he@d on 02/05/16 at 3:05 pm


Question, when do you guys think the PS5/NextBox Will come out?

I predict 2018, as I feel this generation is going to revert back to the traditional 5 year cycle, plus consoles in this generation (especially the ONE & Wii U) are very unerpowered compared to just basic mid-range gaming PCs. So it wouldn't make sense for the consoles to longer than that, however possibly 2020 at the very latest. But I personally still think that's too long especially with how underpowered the consoles are now. Heck the NX might possibly come out this year!


Just a sheer guess on my part: I feel like Nintendo will announce the NX at E3 this year, but will wait until 2017 to launch it just to avoid a backlash among Wii U owners who feel that four years is too soon to release a new console. I think it really depends on the new open-world Zelda game, though. If Nintendo feels as if the Wii U is powerful enough to handle what they want to do with it, then it will release this year on that console, but, if the Wii U has been deemed not powerful enough to encompass the expected large size of the game, they may very well release the NX (along with the new Zelda as a launch title) this upcoming holiday season.

As for the PlayStation 5 and "Xbox 4" (or whatever), I predict that both Sony and Microsoft will want to get the most out of both systems since they just launched in 2013. I can see a PS5 and XB4 no earlier than 2018, but Holiday 2019 is when I really think they'll both be launched.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/05/16 at 7:16 pm

Question, when do you guys think the PS5/NextBox Will come out?

I predict 2018, as I feel this generation is going to revert back to the traditional 5 year cycle, plus consoles in this generation (especially the ONE & Wii U) are very unerpowered compared to just basic mid-range gaming PCs. So it wouldn't make sense for the consoles to longer than that, however possibly 2020 at the very latest. But I personally still think that's too long especially with how underpowered the consoles are now. Heck the NX might possibly come out this year!


Nintendo tends to give their consoles 5-6 year spans before releasing the next one (SNES - N64 was 6 years. N64 - GC was 6 years. GC - Wii was 5 years. Wii - Wii U was 6 years). Since the Wii U was in 2012 I can imagine they'd release the console in 2017. They usually show the game off a year before release. So E3 2016 is the reveal. 2017 is the release.

I can see the PS5 and XB4 (or Xbox two, I guess) coming out in by the very end of this decade. Either 2018-2019, but at the same time I'm not entirely sure as Microsoft doesn't follow a release pattern. The Xbox had only 4-5 years before the Xbox 360 came, but the Xbox 360 had 8 years before the Xbox one came. If the same 8 year span happens we may not get another Xbox console until 2021 (which may not be the case). Sony are like Nintendo where they follow a year span pattern. Ps1 came out in 1994-95 with a 5 year life span before the PS2 came out. The Ps2 had about a 6 year span before the Ps3 came out. The Ps3 had a 7 year span before the Ps4 came out. So if they follow the same 5-7 year span we could be getting another Sony console by 2018-2020.




TL;DR - I don't know  :D

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Howard on 02/05/16 at 7:19 pm


Question, when do you guys think the PS5/NextBox Will come out?

I predict 2018, as I feel this generation is going to revert back to the traditional 5 year cycle, plus consoles in this generation (especially the ONE & Wii U) are very unerpowered compared to just basic mid-range gaming PCs. So it wouldn't make sense for the consoles to longer than that, however possibly 2020 at the very latest. But I personally still think that's too long especially with how underpowered the consoles are now. Heck the NX might possibly come out this year!


I think they said most likely 2017 or 2018, around there. ???

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: muppethammer26 on 02/10/16 at 7:16 pm


I think they said most likely 2017 or 2018, around there. ???


I was thinking they might release the PS5/Xbox 2 in 2020, since 5 years is too short and the 7th generation lasted about 7 years, so I think the 8th generation should last 7 years too.

Subject: Re: The Sixth Generation of Video Game Consoles: A Retrospective

Written By: Toon on 02/11/16 at 5:03 pm

Some funny comics that I found from 2004

http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console1.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console2.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console3.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console4.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console5.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console6.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console7.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console8.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console9.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console10.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console11.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console12.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console13.gif
http://www.cheatcc.com/imagesfunny/console14.gif

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