This time line is in date order, with the oldest first and the newest last.
Atari Lynx:
The Atari Lynx is a 16-bit handheld game console that was released by Atari Corporation in September 1989. The Lynx holds the distinction of being the world's first handheld electronic game with a colour LCD. The system is also notable for its forward-looking features, advanced graphics, and ambidextrous layout. As part of the fourth generation of gaming, the Lynx competed with Nintendo's Game Boy (released just a month earlier), the Sega Game Gear and NEC's TurboExpress, both released the following year. However, the Game Boy in particular, as well as the Sega Game Gear, outsold the Lynx. Atari failed to achieve the sale numbers required to attract quality third party developers and the Lynx was eventually abandoned.
Today, as with many older consoles, there is still a small group of devoted fans, creating and selling games for the system.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Lynx
SegaGameGear:
The Sega Game Gear (ゲームギア Gēmu Gia) is an 8-bit handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990 in Japan, 1991 in North America and Europe, and Australia in 1992. As part of the fourth generation of gaming, the Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, the Atari Lynx and NEC's TurboExpress. The handheld shares much of its hardware with the Sega Master System and is able to play its own titles as well as those of the Master System, the latter being made possible by the use of an adapter. Containing a full-colour backlit screen with a landscape format, Sega positioned the Game Gear as a technologically superior handheld to the Game Boy.
Though the Game Gear was rushed to market, its unique game library and price point gave it an edge over the Atari Lynx and TurboExpress. However, due to issues with its short battery life, lack of original titles, and weak support from Sega, the Game Gear was unable to beat the Game Boy, selling approximately 11 million units. The Game Gear was succeeded by the Sega Nomad in 1995, and was discontinued in 1997. A rerelease of the system was done by Majesco in 2000. Several Game Gear titles were released on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console service on the Nintendo eShop in 2012. Retrospective reception to the Game Gear is mixed with criticisms over its battery life, praises for its full-colour backlit screen, and uneven reception over the quality of its game library.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Gamegear
SegaSaturn:
The Sega Saturn (セガサターン Sega Satān) is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America and July 8, 1995 in Europe.
The Saturn sold 9.5 million units worldwide, and its installed base in Japan was over 6 million units though it was only 2 million in the United States. While it was popular in Japan, the Saturn failed to gain a similar market share in North America and Europe against its main competitors: Sony's PlayStation and later the Nintendo 64.
In 2009, video game website IGN chose the Saturn to be their 18th best video game console of all time, out of their list of 25.
In addition to playing games, all of the Saturn models could play CD-DA, CD+G, and CD+EG discs. A software disc was sold by Sega to allow the playing of PhotoCDs ('Photo CD Operating System'). An MPEG decoding hardware module was released by Sega, JVC and Hitachi, allowing VideoCD playback. JVC later released a VideoCD module that included the software for displaying PhotoCDs, eliminating the need for a software disc. However, these modules were released in Japan and Europe only due to the popularity of the Video CD Format. In order to use one on a North American Saturn, a region converter must be used.
There were some titles that could be played on both North American and Japanese consoles, with Street Fighter Alpha 2 being one of the titles that could be played on both regions systems without a converter. Scud: The Disposable Assassin, which was only released in the North America, was compatible with both European and Japanese Saturns, in addition to North American Saturns.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Saturn
PlayStation 1-3:
The PlayStation (プレイステーション Pureisutēshon?), officially abbreviated as PS, at the time referred to as PSX (not to be confused with the PSX console) and also known as PS1 is a 32-bit video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, 1994, with Western releases in September 1995. The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. As part of the fifth-generation of gaming, it primarily competed with the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn. In 2000, a re-designed, "slim" version was released, called the PSone, replacing the original grey console, and also being renamed to avoid confusion with its successor, the PlayStation 2.
The PlayStation was the first "computer entertainment platform" to ship 100 million units, which it had reached 9 years and 6 months after its initial launch. The last PSone units were sold on Christmas 2004 before it was finally discontinued, for a total of 102 million units shipped since its launch 10 years earlier. Games continued to sell until Sony ceased production of PlayStation games on March 23, 2006; over 11 years after it was released, and just over half a year before the release of the PlayStation 3.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playstation_1
PlayStation 2:
The PlayStation 2 (Japanese: プレイステーション2 Hepburn: Pureisutēshon Tsū, officially abbreviated as PS2) is a video game console that was manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was released on March 4, 2000, in Japan followed by North America and Europe later the same year. The sixth-generation console competed with the Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft Xbox, and Nintendo GameCube.
The PlayStation 2 went on to become the best-selling video game console of all time, selling over 150 million units. More than 3,800 game titles have been released for the PS2 since launch, and more than 1.5 billion copies have been sold. Sony later manufactured several smaller, lighter revisions of the console known as "slimline" models, and in 2006 introduced the successor, the PlayStation 3.
On January 4, 2013, Sony announced that the PlayStation 2 had been discontinued after 12 years of production – one of the longest runs of all time for a video game console. Despite the announcement, new games for the console continue to be produced including Final Fantasy XI: Seekers of Adoulin for Japan and FIFA 14 and Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 for Occident. Sony unveiled the PlayStation 4 console the following month on February 20, 2013.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Playstation_2
PlayStation 3:
The PlayStation 3 (Japanese: プレイステーション3 Hepburn: Pureisutēshon Surī, officially abbreviated as PS3) is a home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. It was first released on November 11, 2006, in Japan, with international markets following shortly thereafter.
The console was first officially announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2005. Originally set for a spring 2006 release date, it was delayed several times until finally hitting stores at the end of the year. It was the first console to use Blu-ray Disc as its primary storage medium. Major features of the console include its unified online gaming service, the PlayStation Network, and its connectivity with the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita, In September 2009 the updated PlayStation 3 Slim, was released. This Slim is lighter and thinner than the original version, although it lacks PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility (removed on later original models), but notably featured a re-designed logo and marketing design. A further refined Super Slim design was released in late 2012. 75 million PlayStation 3's have been sold worldwide. Its successor, PlayStation 4, is set for a November 15, 2013 release.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS3
Gameboy Colour:
The Game Boy Color (ゲームボーイカラー Gēmu Bōi Karā), sometimes referred as GBC, is a handheld game console developed by Nintendo and released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 18, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in Australia. It is the successor of the original Game Boy.
The Game Boy Colour, as suggested by the name, features a colour screen. It is slightly thicker and taller than the Game Boy Pocket, which is a redesigned Game Boy released in 1996. As with the original Game Boy, it has an 8-bit processor.
As part of the fifth generation of gaming (post-1997), the Game Boy Colour's primary competitors were the Neo Geo Pocket and the WonderSwan (Japan only), though the Game Boy Colour outsold these by a huge margin. The Game Boy and Game Boy Colour combined have sold 118.69 million units worldwide.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gameboy_Color
Dreamcast:
he Dreamcast (ドリームキャスト Dorīmukyasuto) is a video game console that was released by Sega in November 1998 in Japan and later in 1999 in other territories. It was the first entry in the sixth generation of video game consoles, preceding its rivals, the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube. The Dreamcast was Sega's last home console to date.
Sega intended to launch the console as part of a comeback after its previous efforts with the Sega Saturn failed. With a strong marketing campaign and reformed studios to develop new creative content, the Dreamcast was initially well received with a very successful launch and strong sales. However when Sony announced the eagerly awaited PlayStation 2, sales of the Dreamcast plummeted and it lost its momentum. Sega later came to the realization that it did not have the resources to compete as it was in dire financial straits. The company discontinued the Dreamcast in North America early in March 2001, withdrawing from the console hardware business altogether and restructuring itself as a third-party developer. Support of the system continued in Europe and Oceania until the end of 2002, while in Japan, consoles were still sold until 2007 and new licensed games continued to be released. 10.6 million units were sold worldwide, as of 2002.
Despite its short lifespan, the Dreamcast was widely hailed as ahead of its time. It saw the release of many new game series which have been considered creative and innovative, such as Crazy Taxi, Jet Set Radio, and Shenmue, the most expensive game ever produced upon release. Ports of games from other platforms were also praised for the system and the console introduced many aesthetic and software design features to be later emulated. It was the first[citation needed] games console to render full frames (as opposed to interlaced only) in VGA mode at 640×480, and it continues to be held in high regard for pioneering online console gaming; it was the first console to include a built-in modem and Internet support for online play. The Dreamcast is still highly regarded and remembered, and its influence can be greatly seen in Microsoft's Xbox, as Sega worked with the company before the Xbox's release. As of 2013, the Dreamcast is still supported via small independent companies such as RedSpotGames and the GOAT Store. The Dreamcast was chosen as the best console ever by PC Magazine.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamcast
Gamecube:
The GameCube (ゲームキューブ Gēmukyūbu, officially called Nintendo GameCube, abbreviated NGC in Japan and GCN in North America) is a video game console released by Nintendo on September 14, 2001, in Japan and November 18, 2001, in North America. It was later released worldwide in 2002. The sixth-generation console was the successor to the Nintendo 64 and competed with the Sony's PlayStation 2, Microsoft's Xbox, and Sega's Dreamcast.
The GameCube was the first Nintendo console to use optical discs for its primary storage medium. The discs are similar to the miniDVD format, and as a result of their smaller size, the system was not designed to play standard DVDs or audio CDs. Nintendo also introduced a variety of connectivity options for the GameCube. It was the first Nintendo console to support online gaming, which relied on the use of an add-on broadband or modem adapter that was sold separately. Game support and availability of the adapter was, however, very limited. The GameCube also supported connectivity to the Game Boy Advance, allowing players to access exclusive in-game features using the handheld as a second screen and controller.
Reception of the GameCube was generally mixed. Some praised the extensive software library and high-quality games, while others criticized the console's exterior design and lack of features. The GameCube sold approximately 22 million units worldwide before being discontinued in 2007. Its successor, the Wii, was released in November 2006.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gamecube
XBOX/ XBOX 360:
The original Xbox was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market. As part of the sixth-generation of gaming, the Xbox competed with Sony's PlayStation 2, Sega's Dreamcast (which stopped American sales before the Xbox went on sale), and Nintendo's GameCube. The Xbox was the first console offered by an American company after the Atari Jaguar stopped sales in 1996. The name Xbox was derived from a contraction of DirectX Box, a reference to Microsoft's graphics API, DirectX.
The integrated Xbox Live service launched in November 2002 allowed players to play games online with a broadband connection. It first competed with Dreamcast's online service but later primarily competed with PlayStation 2's online service. Although these two are free while Xbox Live required a subscription, as well as broadband-only connection which was not completely adopted yet, Xbox Live was a success due to better servers, features such as a buddy list, and milestone titles like Halo 2 released in November 2004, which is the best-selling Xbox video game and was by far the most popular online game for years.
XBOX 360:
The Xbox 360 was released as the successor of the original Xbox in November 2005, competing with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles. As of June 30, 2013, 78.2 million Xbox 360 consoles have been sold worldwide. The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The console sold out completely upon release in all regions except in Japan.
The Xbox 360 introduced an expanded Xbox Live service (which now included a limited "Free" tier), the ability to stream multimedia content from PCs, while later updates added the ability to purchase and stream music, television programs, and films through the Xbox Music and Xbox Video services, along with access to third-party content services through third-party media streaming applications. Microsoft also released Kinect, a motion control system for the Xbox 360 which uses an advanced sensor system.
At their E3 presentation on June 14, 2010, Microsoft announced a redesigned Xbox 360 that would ship on the same day. The redesigned console is slimmer than the previous Xbox 360 model and features integrated 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, TOSLINK S/PDIF optical audio output, five USB 2.0 ports (compared to the three from older versions) and special port designed for the Kinect peripheral. Older models of the Xbox 360 have since been discontinued.[15] The first new console to be released features a 250 GB hard drive, while a later less expensive SKU features 4 GB internal storage.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox#Xbox
NGage:
The N-Gage is a mobile phone and handheld game system by Nokia, based on the Nokia Series 60 platform, released on 7 October 2003. The N-Gage QD replaced the original N-Gage in 2004.
N-Gage attempted to lure gamers away from the Game Boy Advance by including mobile phone functionality. This was unsuccessful, partly because the buttons, designed for a phone, were not well-suited for gaming and when used as a phone the original N-Gage was described as resembling a "taco".
In 2005, Nokia announced that it would move its N-Gage games capabilities onto a series of smartphones. These Symbian devices have been available since early 2007, and a pre-release version of the N-Gage application allowing users to purchase and download games was made available for download from the official N-Gage website on 4 February 2008. The full version of the N-Gage service was released to the public on 3 April 2008. On 30 October 2009, Nokia pronounced the end of the N-Gage service at the end of 2010.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NGage
Nintendo DS:
The Nintendo DS (ニンテンドーDS Nintendō Dī Esu) is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and released by Nintendo. The device went on sale in North America on November 21, 2004. The DS, short for "dual screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld gaming: an LCD screen working in tandem with a touchscreen, a built-in microphone, and support for wireless connectivity. Both screens are encompassed within a clamshell design similar to the Game Boy Advance SP. The Nintendo DS also features the ability for multiple DS consoles to directly interact with each other over Wi-Fi within a short range without the need to connect to an existing wireless network. Alternatively, they can interact online using the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service.
Prior to its release, the Nintendo DS was marketed as a "third pillar" in Nintendo's console line up, meant to complement the Game Boy Advance and GameCube. However, backward compatibility with Game Boy Advance titles and strong sales ultimately established the new handheld console as the successor to the Game Boy series. On March 2, 2006, Nintendo launched the Nintendo DS Lite, a slimmer and lighter redesign of the original Nintendo DS with brighter screens. On November 1, 2008, Nintendo released the Nintendo DSi, another redesign with several hardware improvements and new features. As of June 30, 2013, all Nintendo DS models combined have sold 153.93 million units, making it the best selling handheld game console to date, and the second best selling video game console of all time.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_ds
PlayStation Portable/ PlayStation Vita:
The PlayStation Portable (プレイステーション・ポータブル Pureisutēshon Pōtaburu), sometimes abbreviated as PSP (ピーエスピー Pī Esu Pī), is a handheld game console made by Sony. Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004. The system was released in Japan on December 12, 2004, in North America on March 24, 2005, and in the PAL region on September 1, 2005.
The PlayStation Portable is the only handheld video game console to use an optical disc format, Universal Media Disc (UMD), as its primary storage medium. Other distinguishing features of the console include its large viewing screen, robust multi-media capabilities, and connectivity with the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, other PSPs and the Internet.
After the release of a slimmer, lighter, remodelled version of the PlayStation Portable (the PSP-2000/"Slim & Lite") in early September 2007, sales quadrupled in the United Kingdom the following week and increased by nearly 200% in North America for the month of October. This model was later replaced by another remodelling, the PSP-3000, which included a new screen and an inbuilt microphone. Since then, a complete redesign called the PSP Go has been released, which was sold alongside the PSP-3000. In 2011 a budget model, the PSP-E1000, was released. The PSP line was succeeded by the PlayStation Vita, released in December 2011 in Japan, and in February 2012 in North America, Europe and Australia, respectively.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Portable
PlayStation Vita:
The PlayStation Vita (Japanese: プレイステーション・ヴィータ Hepburn: Pureisutēshon Vīta, officially abbreviated PS Vita) is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It is the successor to the PlayStation Portable as part of the PlayStation brand of gaming devices. It was released in Japan and parts of Asia on December 17, 2011, in Europe, North America, South America and Singapore on February 22, 2012, and in Australia on February 23, 2012. It primarily competes with the Nintendo 3DS, as part of the eighth generation of gaming.
The handheld includes two analog sticks, a 5-inch (130 mm) OLED multi-touch capacitive touchscreen, and supports Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and optional 3G. Internally, the Vita features a quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore processor and a quad-core SGX543MP graphics processing unit, as well as LiveArea software as its main user interface, which succeeds the XrossMediaBar.
A redesigned PS Vita was announced by Sony on September 9, 2013. The new PCH-2000 series system is 20% thinner, 15% lighter, has an additional hour of battery life, has moved from OLED to LCD, includes a micro USB Type B port, 1GB of internal storage memory, and will be available in Japan on October 10, 2013 in six colours. In addition, Sony is introducing a new 64 GB memory card, and the PlayStation Vita TV device which allows players to play PS Vita games on a television, available in Japan on 14 November 2013.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_Vita
Nintendo Wii/ WiiU:
The Wii (ウィー Uī?, /ˈwiː/) is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others. As of the first quarter of 2012, the Wii leads the generation over PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in worldwide sales; in December 2009, the console broke the sales record for a single month in the United States.
The Wii has many advanced features compared to previous Nintendo consoles. For example, the primary wireless controller (the Wii Remote) can be used as a handheld pointing device and detects movement in three dimensions. Another notable feature of the console is WiiConnect24, which enables it to receive messages and updates over the Internet while in standby mode. Furthermore, it is the first console to offer the Virtual Console service, with which select emulated games from past systems can be downloaded.
It succeeds the Nintendo GameCube, with early models being fully backward-compatible with all GameCube games and most accessories. Nintendo first spoke of the console at the 2004 E3 press conference and later unveiled it at the 2005 E3. Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata revealed a prototype of the controller at the September 2005 Tokyo Game Show. At E3 2006, the console won the first of several awards. By December 8, 2006, it had completed its launch in the four key markets.
In late 2011 Nintendo released a reconfigured model, the "Wii Family Edition", which removed Nintendo GameCube compatibility; this model was not released in Japan. The Wii Mini, Nintendo's first major console redesign since the compact SNES, succeeded the standard Wii model on December 7, 2012 in Canada. The Wii Mini can only play Wii optical discs, as it omits GameCube and online game capabilities.
The Wii's successor, the Wii U, was released on November 18, 2012.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_wii
WiiU:
The Wii U (ウィー ユー Wī Yū?, Pronounced /ˌwiː ˈjuː/) is a video game console from Nintendo and the successor to the Wii. The system was released on November 18, 2012, in North America; November 30, 2012, in the PAL regions; and on December 8, 2012, in Japan. It is the first entry in the eighth generation of video game home consoles, and will compete with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One.
The Wii U is the first Nintendo console to support high-definition graphics, capable of producing video output up to 1080p, and has 2 GB of RAM with half dedicated to the console's operating system. The console was released in two versions: a "Basic" white-colored version with 8 GB of internal Flash storage; and a "Deluxe"/"Premium" black-colored version with 32 GB of Flash storage. The Deluxe package additionally includes stands for the console and for the GamePad, a charging dock for the GamePad, and a pack-in game. An HDMI cable is included with both versions. The Wii U's primary controller is the Wii U GamePad, which features an embedded touchscreen. The touchscreen is used to supplement the main gameplay shown on the television or, with games supporting Off-TV Play, can allow the player to continue playing games by displaying the main gameplay even when the television is off. In addition to the Wii U GamePad, a more traditional controller, called the Wii U Pro Controller, may be used.
The system is backward compatible with Wii, and Wii U games may support compatibility with Wii peripherals, such as the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk. While it is not backward compatible with Nintendo GameCube discs or peripherals, Nintendo of America's director of entertainment and trend marketing indicated that select GameCube titles would become available for download, although Nintendo has since stated it has nothing to announce regarding this.
Information sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WiiU
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