WelcomeToTheNextLevel
12-16-2015, 01:42 AM
There have been only five companies to find major success in the video game console market. Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and Microsoft. There have been others, but they usually put out one or two consoles, or were for a niche market (like SNK). What company do you think has been the MOST successful of all time in the video game console market?
Personally, I would say Sony. Nintendo was a close 2nd, but still very important. Let's look at the time periods that each company was #1:
Atari - about 1975-1984
Nintendo - about 1986-1992, 1994-1996, and 2006-2008
Sega - about 1992-1994
Sony - about 1996-2006 and 2013-present
Microsoft - about 2008-2013
As for longevity, Sony has had 12 years on top. Nintendo had 10, Atari had 9, MS had 5, and Sega had a fleeting 2.
Sony also helped grow the video game industry greatly in the mid 1990s, by targeting their games and advertising to get an adult audience; prior to the PS1, video games were primarily marketed to people under 21. Sony was also able to get a lot of the younger audiences as well, giving their console an all-ages appeal. They have the two best selling consoles (not handheld) of all time and have had great success over a vast majority of their video game period.
Nintendo is a close second, and I actually debated putting it in first. Honestly, it's so close that if I was looking at this even a year earlier, Nintendo would have edged out Sony. If handheld consoles were included, Nintendo would be number one. Nintendo pretty much doesn't exist in the console market today, but in the past they've left a lasting impression and great success. They brought back the video game market after the crash. (Sega played a role by giving them a competitor, but Nintendo should get 90% of the credit) They had the NES and SNES - two of the most kick-ass consoles of all time.
Personally, I would say Sony. Nintendo was a close 2nd, but still very important. Let's look at the time periods that each company was #1:
Atari - about 1975-1984
Nintendo - about 1986-1992, 1994-1996, and 2006-2008
Sega - about 1992-1994
Sony - about 1996-2006 and 2013-present
Microsoft - about 2008-2013
As for longevity, Sony has had 12 years on top. Nintendo had 10, Atari had 9, MS had 5, and Sega had a fleeting 2.
Sony also helped grow the video game industry greatly in the mid 1990s, by targeting their games and advertising to get an adult audience; prior to the PS1, video games were primarily marketed to people under 21. Sony was also able to get a lot of the younger audiences as well, giving their console an all-ages appeal. They have the two best selling consoles (not handheld) of all time and have had great success over a vast majority of their video game period.
Nintendo is a close second, and I actually debated putting it in first. Honestly, it's so close that if I was looking at this even a year earlier, Nintendo would have edged out Sony. If handheld consoles were included, Nintendo would be number one. Nintendo pretty much doesn't exist in the console market today, but in the past they've left a lasting impression and great success. They brought back the video game market after the crash. (Sega played a role by giving them a competitor, but Nintendo should get 90% of the credit) They had the NES and SNES - two of the most kick-ass consoles of all time.