How Gaming Has Evolved in the 2000s

What began as a grand technological achievement in the late 20th century has now occupied homes across the globe and has grown into one of the most valuable industries in entertainment.

Gaming has come a long way since its inception, with the traditional definitions of what makes a game blurred into an array of different platforms. While established console names still sell in the millions, some of the most popular games can be found online or on a mobile app.

Here, we’ll take a look at how gaming has evolved since the turn of the century.

New names

Since 2000, gaming has seen a massive shift in its ecosystem, with new trends and industry practices emerging every year.

Whereas established names like Nintendo and Sega had become powerhouses of the gaming industry, the new millennium ushered in budding franchises who looked to take a shot at the throne.

Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox soon became the dominant forces within the industry, leading to a two-horse console race that would rage on throughout the 2000s. During those years, the multiple generations of consoles were released to much acclaim, with only gaming PCs managing to maintain the audience the two consoles had.

Though Nintendo managed to re-enter the conversation with its DS and Switch models, it was Sony who came out as top sellers in the past 20 years.

Going global

With the affordability of these consoles, as well as the commodification of wireless home broadband, a new trend emerged that would go on to become a highly profitable and talked-about the aspect of gaming.

Online play, which was perfected with the seventh generation of consoles like the PS3 and the Xbox 360, allowed gamers to compete against others from around the world through seamless internet connections on game servers.

Before 2000, gamers could only really enjoy playing with friends if it was within their own home. Sharing a console with multiple controllers was the only form of multiplayer until the internet changed everything.

PC games like World of Warcraft and Runescape were succeeded by console giants like Halo 2 that enticed millions of players to join the rank and play with or against each other.

Mobile dominance

The fastest and most staggering development in gaming during the 2000s was the rise of mobile gaming and the dominance it now holds on the industry.

While nostalgic gamers will look back at titles like Snake and other arcade titles as ways to pass the time without consoles, these games laid the foundations for what would become the most dominant aspect of gaming culture by the end of 2019.

With the widespread affordability and ever-developing technology of smartphones, markets like Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store began to boom with people investing in games like Angry Birds and Clash of Clans. Soon enough, mobile game developers saw ways to add pay-to-play bonuses and harness advertisement space within these games to drive up massive revenue.

With phones becoming so powerful and mobile games turning over such profit, it’s no surprise we’re seeing fully-fledged console titles like Fortnite come to this platform – with game streaming looking to introduce a new era.