Abstract
The home-based video games market is one of the largest within the entertainment industry, and has recently begun to rival the music and film sectors in terms of audience, sales and revenue. This is partially due to the high profile mass marketing of games consoles and titles over the last decade, especially by a trio of Japanese electronics companies (Nintendo, Sega and Sony); however, it is also due to the increasing complexity, visual attractiveness and interactivity of contemporary video games.
In this paper, we identify a number of characteristics pertaining to games consoles and game development. Following this, we examine the state of the console market as of the summer of 2001, focusing on the main manufacturers, their consoles, and how they may fare in the near future.
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