Think this holiday season is the first time that big-name video-game makers have fought for the dollars and hearts of consumers? Not a chance. Yes, Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4 are set to fight it out this holiday season. But, as a recent story by PCMag.com shows, video-game console wars are nothing unusual. Here's a brief background of the battles between video-game companies.
Atari vs. nobody?
As the PCMag.com story says, the earlier days of the home video-game industry were led by the Atari 2600. This isn't to say that the console didn't have any its challengers: The Intellivsion and Odyssey 2 were just two of them. Even so the Atari 2600 seemed to be in every gamer's home.
Sega takes on Nintendo
Nintendo has long been a video-game heavyweight. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the company experienced long-running success with its NES and Super Nintendo home-gaming systems. But Sega was a strong competitor with its Genesis home system. Sega never backed down from taking potshots at its rival, including an infamous "Genesis does what Nintendon't" ad campaign. Still, Nintendo continuously ranked as the top gaming company of this period.
Microsoft vs. Sony
The Microsoft vs. Sony battles started far earlier than these days, hitting a high point from 2005 through 2012. Sony's PS3 introduced Blu-ray but entered at an amazingly high price point of $599. Microsoft took on the Sony with its Xbox 360, which it launched just four years after the original Xbox. The big debate during this time? Which of the consoles was more powerful? Which had the better online network? And which one broke more frequently? Nintendo entered this fight with its first Wii, a system that hardcore gamers sneered at but which families and casual gamers loved, sending it to huge success.
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