2015-09-06
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The initial video game consoles were introduced by Sony, Sega, and Nintendo in 1994. These were based on 32- and 64-bit processors, and used to play relatively simple games. The most successful manufacturer of first-generation video games was Sony, with its PS1. The Nintendo 64 trailed the PS1, while the Sega Saturn failed in the marketplace.
Second Generation Video Games
Sega introduced the next major technology advance in videogaming in 1999, when it launched the Dreamcast. The system sold well initially, but sales fell rapidly when Sony introduced the PS2, and Sega eventually exited the market. This second generation of consoles was a major technical advance, using a 128-bit processor. Sonyís PS2, launched in March 1999 in Japan, and in the U.S. in October 2000, sold extremely well despite production and delivery delays which limited supply to the U.S. market. The Xbox, launched in the U.S. in November 2001, used more advanced technology than was offered by Sony, but Microsoft did not have the established base of games and gamers that Sony enjoyed, and Sony continued to dominate the market.
