History of video games (Seventh generation era)

From Wikinfo

Template:CVG history The seventh generation era (sometimes referred to as the HD era or the Touch! Generation) is a video game era in the history of computer and video games that began towards the end of 2004, but isn't set to really take off until late 2005/early 2006 with the release of new video game consoles from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony, the three current major console manufacturers.

For video game handhelds, the seventh generation began roughly with the release of Nintendo's Nintendo DS, a system based on a design fundamentally different from the Game Boy and other video game systems where the user is able to control the movement of characters and the action in a game through the use of a touch screen and dual screens. It was released in late 2004. In late 2004 Sony released their first handheld in Japan, the PlayStation Portable to challenge Nintendo's current reign in the market. It subsequently was released in North America and remaining regions in 2005. The PSP is the first handheld to have an optical media. Also in 2005 was the release of the Gizmondo from Tiger Telematics.

The HD era

Microsoft has dubbed this era, at least for their next-generation video game console, as the high-definition era. Both consoles by Sony and Microsoft will support HD output in 720p and 1080i optimized for 16:9 aspect ratio. In addition, Sony has announced that the PlayStation 3 will have support for 1080p, a higher-level HD resolution that has not yet been fully realised. Nintendo?s VP of marketing Perrin Kaplan, however, has stated that the Nintendo Revolution will not support HD. The company does not feel HD is as important, and instead has dubbed this era the Touch! Generation.

Video game systems

Video game consoles

With the exception of the Xbox 360, to be released in 2005 worldwide, the following consoles have been announced and are expected to be released in 2006. No specific release dates have been currently announced and many details about each system have yet to be disclosed including the retail name of Nintendo's next video game console, currently codenamed "Revolution."