Console Market Timeline

Nintendo

• Entered: 1983 (with the Famicom in Japan, later released as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985 internationally).
• Legacy: Considered a pioneer in reviving the video game industry after the 1983 crash. Classic franchises like Mario, Zelda, and Metroid started here.
• Notable consoles:
  • NES (1985)
  • SNES (1991)
  • Nintendo 64 (1996)
  • GameCube (2001)
  • Wii (2006)
  • Switch (2017)

Microsoft Xbox

• Entered: 2001 (with the original Xbox).
• Reason: Microsoft wanted to enter the living room and compete with Sony’s PlayStation 2.
• Known for: Strong online service (Xbox Live), franchises like Halo, Gears of War, and powerful hardware.
• Notable consoles:
  • Xbox (2001)
  • Xbox 360 (2005)
  • Xbox One (2013)
  • Xbox Series X|S (2020)

Summary:

• Nintendo was among the first major players in home consoles.
• Xbox came much later, but quickly became a dominant force alongside PlayStation.