eKids Toys

A Guide to Video Games Consoles

Video game console

A is a dedicated electronic device designed to play video games. Often the output device is a separate television or a computer monitor. The main input device is a Game controller.

There was a time when video game consoles were easily distinguishable from personal computer: consoles used a standard television for display, and did not support standard PC accessories such as keyboards or modems. However, as consoles have become more enhanced, the distinction has blurred: some consoles can have full Linux operating systems running with hard drives and keyboards (like the Sony Playstation 2).

The console market has steadily developed from simple one-off games, such as , to fully featured general purpose games systems.

Older game consoles and their software now live on in emulators as they are no longer supported by their manufacturers. However, console makers try to prevent their games from being played on emulators using copyright-like exclusive rights in mask works and a protection of encrypted media created by the United States' Digital Millennium Copyright Act and foreign counterparts.

Note that the advertised "bitness" of post-32-bit consoles were in large part created by the console makers' marketing departments and may have little to do with the actual architecture or processing power of the systems.

Video game consoles have created a whole self-supporting market for thousands of different video game accessory manufacturers who would otherwise not be able to produce their own video game consoles. These manufacturers have expanded upon the original uses for the game consoles and have even created entirely new ways to both play and use some of the most popular video game systems.

Timeline

: This is an timeline of video game consoles in North America.

DateFormat=mm/dd/yyyy

ImageSize= width:600 height:400

Period = from:01/01/1975 till:12/31/2008

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

AlignBars = justify

PlotArea = width:90% height:90% left:0 bottom:30

Colors =

id:console value:rgb(0.9,0.3,0.3)

id:consolealt value:rgb(0.3,0.9,0.9)

id:2ndgen value:tan1

id:8bit value:coral

id:16bit value:skyblue

id:32bit value:drabgreen

id:64bit value:drabgreen

id:6thgen value:lightorange

id:7thgen value:lavender

id:line value:black

id:liteline value:rgb(0.3,0.3,0.3)

id:bg value:white

id:projection value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9)

PlotData=

width:23 textcolor:black align:center

bar:Atari from:01/01/1977 till:01/01/1990 color:2ndgen text:" Atari 2600 "

bar:Atari from:01/01/1993 till:06/30/1996 color:64bit text:" Atari Jaguar/Jaguar "

bar:Atari2 from:01/01/1982 till:01/01/1984 color:2ndgen text:" Atari 5200 "

bar:Atari2 from:01/01/1986 till:01/01/1992 color:8bit text:" Atari 7800 "

bar:Nintendo1 from:01/01/1985 till:01/01/1995 color:8bit text:" NES "

bar:Nintendo2 from:08/01/1982 till:03/01/1984 color:8bit text:" Colecovision "

bar:Nintendo2 from:08/01/1991 till:01/01/1999 color:16bit text:" Super NES "

bar:NEC1 from:01/01/1978 till:01/01/1984 color:2ndgen text:" Magnavox Odyssey 2 "

bar:NEC1 from:08/01/1989 till:08/01/1992 color:16bit text: " TurboGrafx-16 "

bar:NEC2 from:01/01/1980 till:01/01/1984 color:2ndgen text:" Intellivision "

bar:NEC2 from:10/10/1992 till:01/01/1995 color:16bit text: " TurboDuo "

bar:Nintendo1 from:09/29/1996 till:08/01/2001 color:64bit text:" Nintendo 64"

bar:Nintendo2 from:10/18/2001 till:05/01/2006 color:6thgen text:" Nintendo GameCube" shift:(-20,0)

bar:Nintendo2 from:05/01/2005 till:12/31/2006 color:projection text:"(proj.)"

bar:Nintendo1 from:03/22/2006 till:12/31/2007 color:projection text:" Nintendo Revolution (projection)"

bar:SEGA1 from:01/01/1986 till:01/01/1992 color:8bit text:" Sega Master System/Master System "

bar:SEGA2 from:01/09/1989 till:12/31/1995 color:16bit text:" Sega Genesis/Genesis "

bar:SEGA1 from:05/01/1995 till:03/01/1998 color:32bit text:" Sega Saturn/Saturn "

bar:SEGA2 from:09/09/1999 till:01/01/2001 color:6thgen text:" Sega Dreamcast/Dreamcast "

bar:Sony1 from:09/09/1995 till:01/01/2001 color:32bit text:" PlayStation "

bar:Sony2 from:10/26/2000 till:01/01/2006 color:6thgen text:" PlayStation 2"

bar:Sony2 from:01/01/2006 till:07/01/2006 color:projection text:"(proj.)"

bar:Sony3 from:04/01/2006 till:12/31/2007 color:projection text:" PlayStation 3 (proj.)"

bar:MS from:11/15/2001 till:01/01/2006 color:6thgen text:" Xbox "

bar:MS from:01/01/2005 till:03/01/2006 color:projection text:"(proj.)"

bar:MS2 from:11/22/2005 till:12/31/2007 color:projection text:" Xbox 360 (proj.)"

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:4 start:01/01/1976

ScaleMinor = gridcolor:liteline unit:year increment:2 start:01/01/1978

: This is an timeline of video game consoles in Japan.

DateFormat=mm/dd/yyyy

ImageSize= width:600 height:400

Period = from:01/01/1975 till:12/31/2008

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

AlignBars = justify

PlotArea = width:90% height:90% left:0 bottom:30

Colors =

id:console value:rgb(0.9,0.3,0.3)

id:consolealt value:rgb(0.3,0.9,0.9)

id:2ndgen value:tan1

id:8bit value:coral

id:16bit value:skyblue

id:32bit value:drabgreen

id:64bit value:drabgreen

id:6thgen value:lightorange

id:7thgen value:lavender

id:line value:black

id:liteline value:rgb(0.3,0.3,0.3)

id:bg value:white

id:projection value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9)

PlotData=

width:23 textcolor:black align:center

bar:Nintendo1 from:07/15/1983 till:01/01/2003 color:8bit text:" NES/Famicom(NES) "

bar:Nintendo2 from:11/21/1990 till:09/01/2003 color:16bit text:" Super NES/Super Famicom(Super NES) "

bar:NEC1 from:10/30/1987 till:01/01/1999 color:16bit text: " PC Engine/PC Engine(TurboGrafx-16) "

bar:NEC2 from:01/01/1994 till:01/01/1998 color:16bit text: " PC FX "

bar:Nintendo3 from:07/01/1983 till:01/01/1985 color:2ndgen text: " SG-1000 "

bar:Nintendo3 from:06/23/1996 till:01/01/2002 color:64bit text:" Nintendo 64/N64 "

bar:Nintendo4 from:09/14/2001 till:05/01/2005 color:6thgen text:" Nintendo GameCube/GameCube " shift:(-20,0)

bar:Nintendo4 from:05/01/2005 till:12/31/2006 color:projection text:"(proj.)"

bar:Nintendo1 from:07/01/2006 till:12/31/2007 color:projection text:" Nintendo Revolution/Revolution (projection)"

bar:SEGA1 from:10/20/1985 till:02/04/1989 color:8bit text:" SG-1000_Mark_III/SG-1000_Mark_III(Master System) "

bar:SEGA2 from:10/29/1988 till:12/31/1995 color:16bit text:" Sega Megadrive/Mega Drive (Genesis) "

bar:SEGA1 from:11/22/1994 till:01/01/1999 color:32bit text:" Sega Saturn/Saturn "

bar:SEGA2 from:11/27/1998 till:02/24/2004 color:6thgen text:" Sega Dreamcast/Dreamcast "

bar:Sony1 from:12/03/1994 till:01/01/2002 color:32bit text:" PlayStation "

bar:Sony2 from:03/04/2000 till:01/05/2005 color:6thgen text:" PlayStation 2/PS2 "

bar:Sony2 from:01/05/2005 till:12/31/2006 color:projection text:"(proj.)"

bar:Sony3 from:04/01/2006 till:12/31/2007 color:projection text:" PlayStation 3/PS3 (proj.)"

bar:MS from:02/22/2002 till:01/05/2005 color:6thgen text:" Xbox "

bar:MS from:01/05/2005 till:12/31/2006 color:projection text:"(proj.)"

bar:MS2 from:11/10/2005 till:12/31/2007 color:projection text:" Xbox 360 (proj.)"

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:4 start:01/01/1976

ScaleMinor = gridcolor:liteline unit:year increment:2 start:01/01/1978

: This is an timeline of video game consoles in Europe.

DateFormat=mm/dd/yyyy

ImageSize= width:600 height:400

Period = from:01/01/1975 till:12/31/2008

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal

AlignBars = justify

PlotArea = width:90% height:90% left:0 bottom:30

Colors =

id:console value:rgb(0.9,0.3,0.3)

id:consolealt value:rgb(0.3,0.9,0.9)

id:2ndgen value:tan1

id:8bit value:coral

id:16bit value:skyblue

id:32bit value:drabgreen

id:64bit value:drabgreen

id:6thgen value:lightorange

id:7thgen value:lavender

id:line value:black

id:liteline value:rgb(0.3,0.3,0.3)

id:bg value:white

id:projection value:rgb(0.9,0.9,0.9)

PlotData=

width:23 textcolor:black align:center

bar:Nintendo1 from:03/01/1997 till:11/16/2001 color:64bit text:" Nintendo 64/N64 "

bar:Nintendo1 from:07/01/2006 till:12/31/2007 color:projection text:" Nintendo Revolution/Revolution (projection)"

bar:Nintendo2 from:04/01/1992 till:01/01/1999 color:16bit text:" Super NES "

bar:Nintendo2 from:05/03/2002 till:05/01/2005 color:6thgen text:" Nintendo GameCube/GameCube " shift:(-20,0)

bar:Nintendo2 from:05/01/2005 till:12/31/2006 color:projection text:"(proj.)"

bar:SEGA2 from:11/30/1990 till:12/31/1995 color:16bit text:" Sega Genesis/Genesis "

bar:SEGA2 from:10/14/1999 till:01/01/2001 color:6thgen text:" Sega Dreamcast/Dreamcast "

bar:Sony1 from:09/29/1995 till:01/01/2001 color:32bit text:" PlayStation "

bar:Sony3 from:04/01/2006 till:12/31/2007 color:projection text:" PlayStation 3/PS3 (proj.)"

bar:MS from:04/26/2002 till:01/05/2005 color:6thgen text:" Xbox "

bar:MS from:01/05/2005 till:12/31/2006 color:projection text:"(proj.)"

bar:MS2 from:11/10/2005 till:12/31/2007 color:projection text:" Xbox 360 (proj.)"

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:4 start:01/01/1976

ScaleMinor = gridcolor:liteline unit:year increment:2 start:01/01/1978

Books

Links.


Junior Golf

The News.

Romanians lighten up Harry Potter game (Reuters) </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script>
<p> Reuters - In the mobile phone version of the &quot;Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix&quot; video game, the torches hanging along the dark walls of Hogwarts glow in an eerily realistic fashion.</p><br clear="all"/> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script>

Writers: Don't expect 'Simpsons' to slow (AP) </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script>
<p> AP - TV's favorite animated family, "The Simpsons," already has a hit movie, a video game on the way, a new theme-park ride and the title of America's longest-running sitcom. So what's next? Plenty, according to creator Matt Groening and his team of writers, who spoke to a crowd of more than 6,500 fans at the Comic-Con entertainment expo on Saturday &

PlayStation 2 Is Most-Played Game Platform (NewsFactor) </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script>
NewsFactor - While video game console makers climb over each other to show that they have the fastest or most innovative platform, a new video game report from Nielsen said that 42 percent of console playing in June was on the last generation&

Xbox 360 Overtakes Wii In U.S. Searches (TechWeb) </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script>
TechWeb - While Microsoft&

Comic-Con: Comics fans, film geeks unite (AP) </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script>
<p> AP - They come for anime and original comic-book art. They come for video games, collectible figurines and to show off their "Star Wars" or "Lord of the Rings" costumes. They might even come to buy a winged helmet or a suit of armor.</p><br clear="all"/> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script> </script>

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