Seventh generation: A multimedia experience

After a difficult decade of business, Nintendo managed to re-establish itself as the king of the gaming industry thanks to the Wii.

An early, risky launch of the Microsoft Xbox 360 in 2005 paid dividends as it managed to outsell the PlayStation 3, who got off to a slow start. With Nintendo so far ahead of the pack, however, this generation is about the race for second place.

Nintendo's Wii, originally codenamed Revolution, was covered in a shroud of mystery upon its launch, but at the 2005 Tokyo Games Show its innovative controller was unveiled for the first time. Launching in November 2006, the Wii has experienced huge sales, with many stores experiencing shortages.

The brisk sales were in no small part due to Nintendo's blue ocean strategy: targeting adults and other demographics unlikely to play games, as well as its unique motion-sensing controller.

While the machine is significantly less powerful than the Xbox 360 and PS3 (prompting EA's Chris Hecker to call it "two Gamecubes duct-taped together"), it currently enjoys sales in excess of 50 million consoles.

Some of the system's top games include 'Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess', 'Madworld', 'Metroid Prime 3', 'Super Mario Galaxy' and 'No More Heroes'.

An early November 2005 launch for Microsoft's Xbox 360 had many gamers frothing at the mouth as true HD consoles came to the forefront. This decision was a double-edged sword, however, as design flaws and cheap parts resulted in a high failure rate (reportedly 33%). Microsoft capitulated and extended the warranty for this problem to three years, while also introducing a new motherboard in an attempt to alleviate the issue.

The early release of the 360 has resulted in many more exclusive games being released for it in comparison to the PS3, with 'Gears of War', 'Fable 2', 'Halo 3', 'Dead Rising' and 'Forza Motorsport 2' being some of the top titles available.

With almost 30 million consoles sold, Microsoft seemingly has the PS3 beaten.

Matching the success of the PS2 would be an almost impossible act to follow by anyone, and Sony's PlayStation 3 is no exception. Scheduled to be launched in November 2006 worldwide, the PS3's launch in many territories was hampered by delays relating to the Blu-ray components. This, combined with a lack of killer apps for the system in its first year contributed to a sluggish start for the PS3.

On paper, the PS3 seems to be the better machine, thanks to its IBM-designed Cell processor and Blu-ray drive — however, many developers found the machine difficult to develop for. Things are looking up for Sony though as top games like 'Uncharted: Drake's Fortune', 'Killzone 2', 'Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots' and 'Little Big Planet' find success, both critically and commercially.

The gaming industry has matured from a rebellious newcomer into arguably the biggest entertainment medium on the planet — and it is still growing. Gaming, ladies and gentlemen, has gone mainstream.

Nintendo Wii

Microsoft Xbox 360

PlayStation 3