Summary
The sixth-generation of consolesofficially kicked off in 1998 with the launch of the Sega Dreamcast, but would make its largest impact on the industry during the 2000s, when the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube would begin a full-scale hardware conflict that defined gaming for generations. But among all the debris and carnage left over from the sixth-generation console war, a few machines were forgotten as the shadows of the big three loomed large.
Whether it was a commitment to a niche market, a poor software library or a lack of worldwide availability, these consoles were doomed to fade into obscurity. Some of them were fascinating, offering unique services, while others simply didn’t provide what players in the 2000s really wanted. It was hard to compete with Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo during this time, and they are still dominating the hardware production space today, proving just how difficult it is to get into this fast-moving industry. Others were actually products and add-ons for the consoles of those larger companies, but were not useful or desired enough to warrant massive sales numbers.
4Zeebo
A Hybrid Game Console And Edutainment System
Designed to take advantage of entertainment markets in emerging countries like Brazil and Mexico, theZeebowas not just a traditional video game console. It was also an edutainment machine that could connect to the internetand run educational appsthat expanded its ability beyond what other consoles at the time could do. It was a fascinating device that acted almost like a bridge between classic video game consoles and a home computer, adding access to email and social network features.
Zeebowas launched in Mexico and Brazil at the tail end of the decade in 2009, with some rather impressive titles from major franchises likeResident Evil,Crash Bandicoot,QuakeandFIFA. As a device intended to appeal to families and children,Zeebohad a tough time competing with a market in the middle of a hardware transition, and poor sales forced the company to re-evaluate the platform moving forward. Releases in other countries were planned and announced, but Zeebo Inc. eventually discontinued the machine and folded the company in 2014.
3Panasonic Q
Slick Revision Of GameCube Hardware Allowed It To Play Other Forms Of Media
Nintendo was no stranger to unique hardware add-ons to their existing platforms, as they had attempted it with the Nintendo 64 via the 64DD, and would try it oncemore with the GameCube. However, this time, instead of an add-on to the system, they teamed up with electronics manufacturer Panasonic to create what would later be called the GameQ within the community. ThePanasonic Qwas a new version of the GameCube that came with several new additions to the old machine, and was one of many ways that Nintendo tried to compete with the PS2 and Xbox.
ThePanasonic Qwas able to play every GameCube game on the market, but it also allowed for DVD playback, a feature missing from the original console. It also allowed for CD and MP3 playback, and was equipped with a nifty LCD screen on the front of the console, as well as a Dolby 5.1 headphone jack. Unfortunately, thePanasonic Qwas only released in Japan, which led to sluggish sales and caused Nintendo to cease production not long after launch.
2Sony PSX
Sony-Branded DVR Played PS1 And PS2 Games
Released three years after the launch of the PS2 in 2003, theSony PSXwas a remarkable device that was both a digital video recorder and able toplay every single PlayStation 1and 2 game to boot. The DVR features were excellent, with the ability to play DVDs and CDs, and the ability to record to DVD and CD formats. It initially launched without support for CD-R and DVD+RW formats, but firmware updates would remedy this not long after release. It was also the first Sony device to use the massively popular XMB UI, which would become a defining feature of the PS3 three years later.
TheSony PSXlaunched exclusively in Japan, severely limiting its market appeal. It was also rather expensive at the time: coming in at roughly 270 USD, it was something of a luxury product that was far more expensive than Sony’s home consoles. Due to its poor sales and limited availability in worldwide markets, thePSXwas discontinued in 2005, but would have a major influence on the PlayStation 3 and Sony’s identity moving forward.
1The Nokia N-Gage
Mobile Phone Meets Dedicated Handheld Gaming Machine
The video game market was exploding during the 2000s, andmobile gaming was startingwhat would become a meteoric rise to the top. Noticing these trends, and wanting to enter both the mobile and handheld video game market, Nokia threw their hat into the ring by announcing theN-Gageat the Mobile Internet Conference in 2002. Combining a genuine cell phone with a dedicated video game device was a pretty edgy move back when it launched in 2003, and the machine enticed a lot of third-party developers during this time.
The launch line-up of theN-Gagewas rather impressive, featuring franchises likeTony Hawk’s Pro Skater,SonicandTomb Raider. Over the next few years, theN-Gagewould see game releases fromSplinter Cell,Raymanand evenSpider-Man, which boosted its software line-up in some pretty significant ways. Alas, due to the significant cost of software development and the rather high production budget for the hardware itself, theN-Gagewas a commercial failure. The mobile company tried to remedy these issues by releasing an updated version known as theN-Gage QD, but little could be done to reverse the damage already caused, and Nokia discontinued the device in 2006.
