History MediaNotes / TheSeventhGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames

Ahead of the competition by a year, the first major console launch of the generation was Microsoft's Platform/Xbox360 in 2005. While it wasn't the first console with the ability to output in [[Platform/HighDefinition HD resolution]],[[note]]The [[Platform/PlayStation2 PS2]] and Platform/{{Xbox}} already had that ability to an extent. Some games do output natively at 720p, but others merely upscale it from a smaller resolution for fairly obvious reasons.[[/note]] it was the first to implement it as a standard for games. It eschewed the PC-based architecture of its predecessor, but still used development tools very similar to those used for PC games, retaining the ease of development the original Xbox was famous for. Unfortunately, the early launch was plagued with hardware issues, most infamously the "red ring of death".

Also, the presence of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'' as well as the new IP, ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', caused a resurgence in the 2D FightingGame genre's popularity. Like 2D platformers, it was thought to have been fallen by the wayside due to the presence of more "modern" 3D fighters such as ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' and ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}''. Many other games followed this resurgence like ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', which restored credibility to a franchise that had had its reputation hit by a poorly-handled VideoGame3DLeap, ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'', and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3''. The genre as a whole found new life with the advent of console hardware and broadband infrastructure finally capable of handling online play in a genre where every literal frame counts. Fighting games in the previous generation struggled as the Western arcade scene died, forcing properties to beef up single-player content for the multiplayer-impaired at home.[[note]]Some games in the previous generation like ''VideoGame/MortalKombatDeception'' gave online play a go, but they tended to be exceptions to the rule; notably, the original [=PS3=] release of ''[[VideoGame/VirtuaFighter Virtua Fighter 5]]'' in 2007 lacked online play as Sega [=AM2=] was still not satisfied with the latency[[/note]] However, online play brought back the competition element in a way not seen since arcades were thriving in the West, allowing players to take on challengers any time, anywhere from home. As a result, the UsefulNotes/FightingGameCommunity and fighting games as an esport began to explode, in particular the Evolution Championship Series (Evo) global tournament, which grew from modest ballrooms in Las Vegas resorts to setting up in prominent casino exhibition halls, and starting with the next generation, the 12,000-seat Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay.

Ahead of the competition by a year, the first major console launch of the generation was Microsoft's Platform/Xbox360 in 2005. While it wasn't the first console with the ability to output in [[UsefulNotes/HighDefinition HD resolution]],[[note]]The [[Platform/PlayStation2 PS2]] and Platform/{{Xbox}} already had that ability to an extent. Some games do output natively at 720p, but others merely upscale it from a smaller resolution for fairly obvious reasons.[[/note]] it was the first to implement it as a standard for games. It eschewed the PC-based architecture of its predecessor, but still used development tools very similar to those used for PC games, retaining the ease of development the original Xbox was famous for. Unfortunately, the early launch was plagued with hardware issues, most infamously the "red ring of death".

The next year, Creator/{{Sony}}'s Platform/PlayStation3 saw a release. The [=PlayStation=] 3 was marketed more or less as a household supercomputer (in Britain, there was a bizarre and weirdly durable [[PopCultureUrbanLegends urban legend]] pre-release that it was to feature a ''toastie-machine''), as it was manufactured with cutting-edge technology like the Cell processor and the very high-capacity UsefulNotes/BluRay format. The latter was actually put in as a push for the Blu-ray format (to the point where Sony's executives said outright that the success of the [=PS3=] and Blu-ray were interdependent), since there was still competition as to what the standard high-capacity optical disc would be. However, said cutting-edge technology came with a hefty cost, as the console was released with the infamously high price of $600, and many studios found the hardware very difficult and expensive to make games for, due the console's general architecture, and the the Cell processor in particular, being challenging to program for. It has since been argued that these factors put somewhat of a dent in what exactly had been Sony's main edges in the previous two generations, namely a relatively affordable console which was very accessible for developers to make games for.

Another realm where casual games became massively successful turned out to be the handheld market. The Platform/NintendoDS, which was released in 2004, was named the "Developer's System"[[note]]This is where the name "DS" comes from, not "dual screen"[[/note]] in hope that it would inspire innovative design from developers. It managed to gain widespread popularity among casual gamers for the simplicity of games controlled by simply using the touchscreen, as well as earning the appeal of traditional gamers for its traditional controller setup. The DS's success foreshadowed the success of games in the smartphone and tablet market. Not only was the [[UsefulNotes/IOSGames iOS]] easy to develop for, but is was powerful enough that it could support a variety of games. The success of [[UsefulNotes/IOSGames iOS games]] led to many other smartphones getting their own libraries of games and the rise of smartphones as a viable gaming device.

On the other side of the handheld arena, Sony released the Platform/PlayStationPortable a.k.a. the PSP handheld device in 2004 as well. They attempted to use the device as not only a powerful gaming machine but a complete multimedia device capable of playing not only Sony's new heavily invested UMD format, but also UsefulNotes/{{MP3}}, digital video, etc. The device had healthy hardware sales early on, but was outpaced by the DS; the UMD format failed to expand as digital downloads for movie media also began to rise. It achieved strong success, primarily in Japan, however, thanks in no small part to the new phenomenon that was the ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' series and various other Japanese developers and publishers finding the device the perfect home for several titles. While the PSP never beat the DS worldwide, toward the end of the DS's life cycle, it began to match and beat the Nintendo handheld within the Japanese market. The success of the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS also proved to be a turning point in the Japanese market, as most of Japan's smaller publishers and developers began focusing on the handheld market rather than the main consoles.

** ''VideoGame/WarioWareDIY'

** ''[=WarioWare=]: [=D.I.Y.=]''

The company that had much different attention going for it than Microsoft and Sony was Creator/{{Nintendo}}. In the [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames sixth generation]], the Platform/NintendoGameCube fell behind the [[Platform/PlayStation2 PS2]] and Platform/{{Xbox}} in the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars. Their reputation at this point was such that gaming audiences were fully convinced that Nintendo would quit the console business and go third party like Creator/{{Sega}}, Creator/HudsonSoft, and Creator/{{Atari}} did before them. Even professional analysts were certain that Nintendo attempting another home console entry into the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars would be dead-on-arrival, and that they would be far better served to focusing solely on their dedicated handheld business, where they were still seeing success. Instead, Nintendo [[TakeAThirdOption did something completely different]].

In previous generations after UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983, Eastern-developed games made the bulk of the market and generally outsold Western games worldwide. This generation is notable in that Western developers dominated the worldwide video game market. Because of this, Western-oriented genres like the FirstPersonShooter and WesternRPG gained much popularity in this generation, while Eastern-oriented genres like the CollectAThonPlatformer and EasternRPG fell out of the spotlight. In the previous generation, the ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' franchise popularized the FPS genre and led to an influx of developers wanting to capitalize on its success. This FPS craze became very apparent in this generation, but the ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' series made the genre even more popular and outshone ''Halo'', particularly after ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' hit the scene. The Western RPG genre, mainly represented on the PC before then, made a few successful forays into the console territory during the sixth generation (''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic KotOR]]'' being the chief trailblazers), but really became a phenomenon on the consoles in this one. Creator/BioWare in particular spearheaded the increased popularity of [=WRPGs=], especially with the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' franchise, which [[{{Reconstruction}} reconstructed]] the SpaceOpera in the vein of ''Franchise/StarWars'' for a new generation. The popularity of both genres contributed to the rise of western developers in this generation. Another common Western development that became increasingly popular during this generation was [[JustForFun/XMeetsY the combination of first- and third-person shooter mechanics with those of other genres]]; the Western RPG was a common second-half for this sort of arrangement, as in the aforementioned ''Mass Effect'' and the return of the ''Franchise/{{Fallout}}'' series, though another common combination was FPS with WideOpenSandbox, as done with games like ''VideoGame/{{STALKER}}'' and the ''Franchise/FarCry'' series from ''VideoGame/FarCry2'' onwards (though distinction between the two can be somewhat difficult, considering the wide-open worlds of several of the FPS-RPG hybrids and the RPGElements present in several of the FPS-sandbox ones). Meanwhile, Eastern developers declined in this generation due to game development costs rising beyond what many of them were able to afford, lack of experience with HD game development, many of the genres they made and which were popular in the previous generations no longer having mainstream appeal, games with colorful cartoony artstyles which appealed to them and they specialized in being dismissed by the mainstream as "[[AnimationAgeGhetto kiddy]]", attempts at Westernizing their games which alienated fans, and the Eastern market shifting to prefer handhelds and later mobile games over consoles.

Another interesting genre development in this era was the [[GenreRelaunch surprising resurgence]] of the 2D PlatformGame. It was a genre that went by the wayside by the time of the [[UsefulNotes/TheFifthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames fifth generation]] due to the more open polygonal worlds and the success of ''VideoGame/SuperMario64''. However, Creator/{{Nintendo}} revived the genre's popularity with the release of ''VideoGame/NewSuperMarioBros1'', which overjoyed fans who wanted a new 2D [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Mario]] game last generation. This sparked a movement of classic franchises returning to their roots, especially but not exclusive to those who were met with poorly-handled {{Video Game 3D Leap}}s, such as ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' with ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog4 Sonic 4]]'' and ''Franchise/MegaMan'' with ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' and ''[[VideoGame/MegaMan10 10]]''. NSMB's influence also lead to a good number of original [=IPs=] of 2D platformers such as ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet''.

Somewhat related to both the casual and hardcore market was the rise of indie games. Big-name publishers have started to support games made by very small development teams. These games included ''VideoGame/{{Braid}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Bastion}}'', and ''VideoGame/GeometryWars'', among countless others. These games were mainly released on the Platform/PlayStationNetwork, Platform/XboxLiveArcade, and Platform/{{Steam}}, with occasional Platform/WiiWare releases for games less than 40 MB. With indie games' massive success returns the notion that individuals or small groups of developers can create quality hit games, something that, ever since the [[UsefulNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 8-bit era]], had become all but impossible.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the question of videogames as an art form reached a new apex. Alongside animation (which is overcoming its own ghetto this generation), the quality of story, characterization, and voice direction in videogames has gained a new realism previously unique only to live-action media. By the end of the generation, games such as VideoGame/TheLastOfUs have become cultural phenomena for their believable characters and strong writing, while Hollywood actors now regularly appear in titles. All of this ties in with and becomes much more feasible because of the power of the consoles. With the ability to render hundreds of thousands of polygons at once, graphics are capable of near photo-realism which draws in people to the far more human-like characters presented to them. Avant-garde video games also came to the forefront thanks to the indie game market's power. Video games made for the sake of art appeared, and some major titles with and without the aforementioned Hollywood approach also carried a very strong vibe of emotional realism and vibrant character development unseen in video games before. Thanks to graphical advancements rendering photorealism a near standard, this helped supporters of videogames as art gain support. As we move into the UsefulNotes/TheEighthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames, the debate continues and supporters continue to make gains especially through story-heavy games. Story-heavy games, however, also picked up their detractors from several camps: one being those who felt that the over-reliance on shallowly "deep" plots, inflated budgets, and ultra-realistic voice action and direction led to video games losing their "surrealistic" value; and others being for less noble reasons, such as those who felt that since video games "can't" be art and are for either kids, immature teenagers, or for the family at large, they shouldn't waste time and money on high quality storylines. These became minority viewpoints shrinking with time, however. As video games as a medium mature, they are now being seriously considered as a true form of artistic entertainment.

Ahead of the competition by a year, the first major console launch of the generation was Microsoft's Platform/Xbox360 in 2005. While it wasn't the first console with the ability to output in [[UsefulNotes/HighDefinition HD resolution]],[[note]]The [[Platform/PlayStation2 PS2]] and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} already had that ability to an extent. Some games do output natively at 720p, but others merely upscale it from a smaller resolution for fairly obvious reasons.[[/note]] it was the first to implement it as a standard for games. It eschewed the PC-based architecture of its predecessor, but still used development tools very similar to those used for PC games, retaining the ease of development the original Xbox was famous for. Unfortunately, the early launch was plagued with hardware issues, most infamously the "red ring of death".

Another realm where casual games became massively successful turned out to be the handheld market. The UsefulNotes/NintendoDS, which was released in 2004, was named the "Developer's System"[[note]]This is where the name "DS" comes from, not "dual screen"[[/note]] in hope that it would inspire innovative design from developers. It managed to gain widespread popularity among casual gamers for the simplicity of games controlled by simply using the touchscreen, as well as earning the appeal of traditional gamers for its traditional controller setup. The DS's success foreshadowed the success of games in the smartphone and tablet market. Not only was the [[UsefulNotes/IOSGames iOS]] easy to develop for, but is was powerful enough that it could support a variety of games. The success of [[UsefulNotes/IOSGames iOS games]] led to many other smartphones getting their own libraries of games and the rise of smartphones as a viable gaming device.

Somewhat related to both the casual and hardcore market was the rise of indie games. Big-name publishers have started to support games made by very small development teams. These games included ''VideoGame/{{Braid}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Minecraft}}'', ''VideoGame/{{Bastion}}'', and ''VideoGame/GeometryWars'', among countless others. These games were mainly released on the UsefulNotes/PlayStationNetwork, UsefulNotes/XboxLiveArcade, and UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}, with occasional UsefulNotes/WiiWare releases for games less than 40 MB. With indie games' massive success returns the notion that individuals or small groups of developers can create quality hit games, something that, ever since the [[UsefulNotes/The8bitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 8-bit era]], had become all but impossible.

** UsefulNotes/{{Kinect}} (2010-2016)

Ahead of the competition by a year, the first major console launch of the generation was Microsoft's UsefulNotes/Xbox360 in 2005. While it wasn't the first console with the ability to output in [[UsefulNotes/HighDefinition HD resolution]],[[note]]The [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]] and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} already had that ability to an extent. Some games do output natively at 720p, but others merely upscale it from a smaller resolution for fairly obvious reasons.[[/note]] it was the first to implement it as a standard for games. It eschewed the PC-based architecture of its predecessor, but still used development tools very similar to those used for PC games, retaining the ease of development the original Xbox was famous for. Unfortunately, the early launch was plagued with hardware issues, most infamously the "red ring of death".

The next year, Creator/{{Sony}}'s UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 saw a release. The [=PlayStation=] 3 was marketed more or less as a household supercomputer (in Britain, there was a bizarre and weirdly durable [[PopCultureUrbanLegends urban legend]] pre-release that it was to feature a ''toastie-machine''), as it was manufactured with cutting-edge technology like the Cell processor and the very high-capacity UsefulNotes/BluRay format. The latter was actually put in as a push for the Blu-ray format (to the point where Sony's executives said outright that the success of the [=PS3=] and Blu-ray were interdependent), since there was still competition as to what the standard high-capacity optical disc would be. However, said cutting-edge technology came with a hefty cost, as the console was released with the infamously high price of $600, and many studios found the hardware very difficult and expensive to make games for, due the console's general architecture, and the the Cell processor in particular, being challenging to program for. It has since been argued that these factors put somewhat of a dent in what exactly had been Sony's main edges in the previous two generations, namely a relatively affordable console which was very accessible for developers to make games for.

The company that had much different attention going for it than Microsoft and Sony was Creator/{{Nintendo}}. In the [[UsefulNotes/TheSixthGenerationOfConsoleVideoGames sixth generation]], the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube fell behind the [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 PS2]] and UsefulNotes/{{Xbox}} in the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars. Their reputation at this point was such that gaming audiences were fully convinced that Nintendo would quit the console business and go third party like Creator/{{Sega}}, Creator/HudsonSoft, and Creator/{{Atari}} did before them. Even professional analysts were certain that Nintendo attempting another home console entry into the UsefulNotes/ConsoleWars would be dead-on-arrival, and that they would be far better served to focusing solely on their dedicated handheld business, where they were still seeing success. Instead, Nintendo [[TakeAThirdOption did something completely different]].

Released within about a week of the [=PS3=], the UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} seemed to be completely indifferent to its "competitors." Its hardware wasn't a significant leap in power; it was largely an update of the [=GameCube=]'s and it couldn't even output in HD resolution. Instead, the real selling point for the system was its ''very'' unconventional controller, shaped like a television remote, eschewing the tried-and-true standard gamepad layout reiterated through the years in favor of motion-sensing capabilities. Early detractors cited its inferior hardware as proof that [[ItWillNeverCatchOn it would fail]]. [[HilariousInHindsight As irony would have it]], the Wii went on to outsell both the 360 and [=PS3=] ''combined'' within the first couple years of its life. CrazyEnoughToWork indeed.

On the other side of the handheld arena, Sony released the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable a.k.a. the PSP handheld device in 2004 as well. They attempted to use the device as not only a powerful gaming machine but a complete multimedia device capable of playing not only Sony's new heavily invested UMD format, but also UsefulNotes/{{MP3}}, digital video, etc. The device had healthy hardware sales early on, but was outpaced by the DS; the UMD format failed to expand as digital downloads for movie media also began to rise. It achieved strong success, primarily in Japan, however, thanks in no small part to the new phenomenon that was the ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'' series and various other Japanese developers and publishers finding the device the perfect home for several titles. While the PSP never beat the DS worldwide, toward the end of the DS's life cycle, it began to match and beat the Nintendo handheld within the Japanese market. The success of the Sony PSP and Nintendo DS also proved to be a turning point in the Japanese market, as most of Japan's smaller publishers and developers began focusing on the handheld market rather than the main consoles.

* UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 (2006-2017)
* UsefulNotes/{{Wii}} (2006-2013)[[note]]The "Family Edition" lasted from 2011-2014, while the "Mini" revision lasted from 2012-2017.[[/note]]
* UsefulNotes/Xbox360 (2005-2016)

* UsefulNotes/NintendoDS (2004-2016)
* UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable (2004-2014)

In previous generations after UsefulNotes/TheGreatVideoGameCrashOf1983, Eastern-developed games made the bulk of the market and generally outsold Western games worldwide. This generation is notable in that Western developers dominated the worldwide video game market. Because of this, Western-oriented genres like the FirstPersonShooter and WesternRPG gained much popularity in this generation, while Eastern-oriented genres like the CollectAThonPlatformer and EasternRPG fell out of the spotlight. In the previous generation, the ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' franchise popularized the FPS genre and led to an influx of developers wanting to capitalize on its success. This FPS craze became very apparent in this generation, but the ''VideoGame/CallOfDuty'' series made the genre even more popular and outshone ''Halo'', particularly after ''VideoGame/ModernWarfare'' hit the scene. The Western RPG genre, mainly represented on the PC before then, made a few successful forays into the console territory during the sixth generation (''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic KotOR]]'' being the chief trailblazers), but really became a phenomenon on the consoles in this one. Creator/BioWare in particular spearheaded the increased popularity of [=WRPGs=], especially with the ''Franchise/MassEffect'' franchise, which [[{{Reconstruction}} reconstructed]] the SpaceOpera in the vein of ''Franchise/StarWars'' for a new generation. The popularity of both genres contributed to the rise of western developers in this generation. Another common Western development that became increasingly popular during this generation was [[JustForFun/XMeetsY the combination of first- and third-person shooter mechanics with those of other genres]]; the Western RPG was a common second-half for this sort of arrangement, as in the aforementioned ''Mass Effect'' and the return of the ''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'' series, though another common combination was FPS with WideOpenSandbox, as done with games like ''VideoGame/{{STALKER}}'' and the ''Franchise/FarCry'' series from ''VideoGame/FarCry2'' onwards (though distinction between the two can be somewhat difficult, considering the wide-open worlds of several of the FPS-RPG hybrids and the RPGElements present in several of the FPS-sandbox ones). Meanwhile, Eastern developers declined in this generation due to game development costs rising beyond what many of them were able to afford, lack of experience with HD game development, many of the genres they made and which were popular in the previous generations no longer having mainstream appeal, games with colorful cartoony artstyles which appealed to them and they specialized in being dismissed by the mainstream as "[[AnimationAgeGhetto kiddy]]", attempts at Westernizing their games which alienated fans, and the Eastern market shifting to prefer handhelds and later mobile games over consoles.

* [[/index]]''VideoGame/{{Fallout}}'':[[index]]

* [[/index]]''VideoGame/BatmanArkhamSeries'':[[index]]

*** ''[=WarioWare=]: [=D.I.Y.=]''
*** ''VideoGame/WarioWareSmoothMoves''

Also, the presence of ''VideoGame/StreetFighterIV'' as well as the new IP, ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'', caused a resurgence in the 2D FightingGame genre's popularity. Like 2D platformers, it was thought to have been fallen by the wayside due to the presence of more "modern" 3D fighters such as ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' and ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}''. Many other games followed this resurgence like ''VideoGame/MortalKombat9'', which restored credibility to a franchise that had had its reputation hit by a poorly-handled VideoGame3DLeap, ''VideoGame/TatsunokoVsCapcom'', and ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom3''.

* [[/index]]''VideoGame/{{Atelier}}'':[[index]]

** ''[=WarioWare=]: Touched!''

** ''Ghost Recon Predator''
** ''Ghost Recon (2010)''

*** ''Gyakuten Kenji 2'' (Japan-only sequel to ''Investigations'')

** ''VideoGame/SonicRushSeries''

*** ''[=WarioWare=]: Smooth Moves''