<s>
1990s	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
2000s	B-Application
in	I-Application
video	I-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
2010s	B-Application
Other	O
topics	O
:	O
Anthropology	O
.	O
Fashion	O
.	O
Music	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
2000s	O
was	O
the	O
fourth	B-Device
decade	I-Device
of	O
the	O
video	O
game	O
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
,	O
being	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
main	O
rival	O
in	O
the	O
1980s	O
and	O
1990s	B-Application
,	O
left	O
the	O
console	O
market	O
in	O
2002	O
in	O
favor	O
of	O
returning	O
to	O
third-party	O
development	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
once	O
were	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Overall	O
the	O
decade	O
saw	O
the	O
last	O
of	O
the	O
low	O
resolution	O
three-dimensional	O
polygons	O
of	O
the	O
1990s	B-Application
with	O
the	O
emergence	O
of	O
high	O
definition	O
games	O
,	O
and	O
often	O
focused	O
on	O
developing	O
immersive	O
and	O
interactive	O
environments	O
,	O
implementing	O
realistic	O
physics	O
,	O
and	O
improving	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sixth	B-Application
and	O
seventh	B-Application
generation	I-Application
of	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
went	O
on	O
sale	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
Wii	B-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
.	O
Notable	O
games	O
released	O
in	O
the	O
2000s	O
included	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
Wii	B-Application
Sports	I-Application
,	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
The	B-Application
Sims	I-Application
,	O
Ikaruga	B-Application
,	O
Tony	B-Application
Hawk	I-Application
's	I-Application
Pro	I-Application
Skater	I-Application
3	I-Application
,	O
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
:	I-Application
Knights	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Old	I-Application
Republic	I-Application
,	O
Batman	B-Application
:	I-Application
Arkham	I-Application
Asylum	I-Application
,	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Galaxy	I-Application
,	O
the	O
Halo	O
trilogy	O
and	O
Call	B-Application
of	I-Application
Duty	I-Application
4	I-Application
:	I-Application
Modern	I-Application
Warfare	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sixth	B-Application
generation	O
of	O
video	O
games	O
officially	O
began	O
in	O
1998	B-Application
with	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
the	O
short-lived	O
Dreamcast	B-Operating_System
,	O
which	O
was	O
discontinued	O
in	O
2001	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
announced	O
that	O
they	O
would	O
no	O
longer	O
produce	O
video	B-Application
game	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
after	O
two	O
straight	O
underperforming	O
consoles	O
and	O
became	O
a	O
third-party	O
developer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
was	O
released	O
in	O
2000	B-Application
and	O
became	O
the	O
best-selling	O
video	B-Application
game	I-Application
console	I-Application
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
entered	O
the	O
home	O
console	O
market	O
with	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
initially	O
expected	O
to	O
struggle	O
,	O
it	O
managed	O
to	O
reach	O
second	O
place	O
in	O
sales	O
behind	O
the	O
PS2	B-Device
on	O
the	O
strength	O
of	O
the	O
launch	O
title	O
Halo	O
:	O
Combat	O
Evolved	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
GameCube	B-Application
,	O
launched	O
in	O
2001	B-Application
alongside	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
,	O
fell	O
into	O
third	O
place	O
,	O
a	O
first	O
for	O
Nintendo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sixth	B-Application
generation	O
improved	O
on	O
the	O
3D	O
graphics	O
of	O
the	O
fifth	O
generation	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
new	O
features	O
in	O
the	O
consoles	O
included	O
built-in	O
DVD	B-Device
players	I-Device
and	O
hard	B-Device
drives	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Internet	O
play	O
on	O
consoles	O
,	O
pioneered	O
by	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
,	O
became	O
commercially	O
viable	O
with	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
system	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
launched	O
in	O
November	O
2002	O
,	O
one	O
year	O
after	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
featured	O
a	O
broadband	B-General_Concept
connection	O
and	O
downloadable	O
content	O
and	O
was	O
a	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
seventh	B-Application
generation	I-Application
of	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
began	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
in	O
2005	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
and	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
in	O
2006	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
seventh-generation	O
featured	O
widespread	O
implementation	O
of	O
HD-ready	O
graphics	O
,	O
media	O
centers	O
,	O
and	O
wireless	O
game	B-Device
controllers	I-Device
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
online	O
services	O
for	O
all	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
PS3	I-Operating_System
also	O
has	O
Blu-ray	O
Disc	O
compatibility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
implemented	O
an	O
innovative	O
game	B-Device
controller	I-Device
that	O
features	O
full	O
motion	O
sensitivity	O
and	O
is	O
wielded	O
like	O
a	O
remote	O
,	O
with	O
limited	O
button	O
interaction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
,	O
the	B-Operating_System
PS3	I-Operating_System
introduced	O
tilt-sensitive	O
functionality	O
with	O
its	O
controllers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
's	O
motion	O
sensitive	O
controls	O
and	O
focus	O
on	O
family-friendly	O
games	O
,	O
while	O
alienating	O
some	O
hardcore	O
gamers	O
,	O
helped	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
to	O
become	O
the	O
best-selling	O
console	O
of	O
the	O
seventh-generation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
high	O
price	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
PS3	I-Operating_System
had	O
initially	O
caused	O
slow	O
sales	O
,	O
but	O
numerous	O
price	O
cuts	O
and	O
efforts	O
to	O
bring	O
feature-parity	O
between	O
it	O
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
were	O
made	O
in	O
the	O
years	O
following	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
generally	O
successful	O
as	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
steadily	O
increased	O
in	O
popularity	O
,	O
resulting	O
in	O
lifetime	O
sales	O
to	O
be	O
nearly	O
equal	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
continued	O
to	O
dominate	O
the	O
handheld	O
console	O
market	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
dual-screen	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
in	O
2004	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
screens	O
is	O
a	O
touchscreen	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
,	O
released	O
in	O
2005	B-Application
by	O
Sony	O
,	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
serious	O
competitor	O
to	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
handheld	O
video	B-Application
game	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
and	O
is	O
by	O
far	O
the	O
best-selling	O
non-Nintendo	O
handheld	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sega	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
poor	O
performance	O
of	O
the	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
and	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
lines	O
contributed	O
to	O
their	O
decision	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Microsoft	O
officially	O
debuted	O
their	O
Xbox	B-Application
console	I-Application
at	O
the	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Conference	O
in	O
2000	B-Application
after	O
much	O
speculation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
a	O
noticeable	O
trend	O
was	O
to	O
push	O
video	B-Application
game	I-Application
consoles	I-Application
into	O
media	O
centers	O
and	O
offer	O
more	O
features	O
than	O
just	O
playing	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nintendo	O
was	O
slow	O
to	O
react	O
and	O
released	O
the	O
Gamecube	B-Application
in	O
2001	B-Application
without	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
exotic	O
features	O
seen	O
in	O
other	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
was	O
focusing	O
on	O
improving	O
the	O
gameplay	O
experience	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
preparing	O
its	O
new	O
innovative	O
controller	O
to	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
2006	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Backward	B-General_Concept
compatibility	I-General_Concept
also	O
became	O
a	O
staple	O
feature	O
to	O
gaming	O
in	O
this	O
decade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
was	O
the	O
first	O
major	O
system	O
to	O
allow	O
for	O
backward	B-General_Concept
compatibility	I-General_Concept
to	O
a	O
preceding	O
console	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
companies	O
required	O
registration	O
through	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
a	O
product	B-Application
key	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
more	O
notable	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
decade	O
,	O
Valve	O
was	O
hit	O
particularly	O
hard	O
by	O
a	O
hacker	O
and	O
subsequently	O
had	O
much	O
of	O
their	O
work	O
on	O
Half-Life	B-Application
2	I-Application
leaked	O
onto	O
the	O
internet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sony	O
and	O
Microsoft	O
released	O
their	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
consoles	O
in	O
the	O
mid-decade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
,	O
Nintendo	O
unveiled	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
and	O
revolutionized	O
the	O
industry	O
with	O
the	O
interactive	O
gameplay	O
that	O
its	O
brand	O
new	O
controller	O
provided	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
would	O
not	O
be	O
until	O
the	O
next	O
decade	O
that	O
Sony	O
or	O
Microsoft	O
would	O
release	O
a	O
similar	O
motion	O
controller	O
to	O
the	B-Operating_System
Wii	I-Operating_System
as	O
an	O
accessory	O
(	O
See	O
:	O
Kinect	B-Algorithm
and	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Move	I-Device
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
1990s	B-Application
decade	O
oversaw	O
the	O
transition	O
from	O
2D-based	O
video	O
games	O
to	O
fully	O
immersive	O
three-dimensional	O
environments	O
and	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2000	B-Application
,	O
it	O
released	O
the	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
game	O
Diablo	B-Application
II	I-Application
which	O
is	O
frequently	O
listed	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
games	O
ever	O
made	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Then	O
in	O
2004	B-Application
,	O
Blizzard	O
wowed	O
gamers	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
,	O
which	O
was	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
most-subscribed	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
at	O
the	O
time	O
with	O
over	O
10	O
million	O
subscribers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Sims	I-Application
,	O
a	O
spin-off	O
project	O
of	O
the	O
popular	O
Sim	O
City	O
franchise	O
,	O
also	O
became	O
a	O
popular	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
era	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Combining	O
all	O
of	O
its	O
sequels	O
and	O
expansions	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Sims	I-Application
easily	O
becomes	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best-selling	O
PC	O
game	O
in	O
history	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Sims	I-Application
also	O
had	O
an	O
important	O
role	O
in	O
bringing	O
female	O
and	O
casual	O
gamers	O
into	O
the	O
often	O
male-dominated	O
and	O
hardcore	O
video	O
game	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rhythm	O
games	O
were	O
primarily	O
centered	O
in	O
the	O
arcade	O
with	O
popular	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Dance	B-Application
Dance	I-Application
Revolution	I-Application
and	O
Beatmania	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
of	O
these	O
franchises	O
had	O
been	O
popular	O
since	O
the	O
late-nineties	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
was	O
n't	O
until	O
Guitar	O
Heros	O
release	O
in	O
2005	B-Application
that	O
the	O
genre	O
really	O
impacted	O
on	O
popular	O
culture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
success	O
of	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
lead	O
to	O
the	O
creation	O
of	O
other	O
similar	O
game	O
franchises	O
such	O
as	O
Rock	B-Application
Band	I-Application
and	O
DJ	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
late	O
2011	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
low	O
sale	O
figures	O
,	O
Activision	O
closed	O
its	O
Guitar	B-Application
Hero	I-Application
division	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
2007	O
,	O
the	O
fast	O
growing	O
mobile	O
market	O
in	O
African	O
countries	O
such	O
as	O
Nigeria	O
and	O
Kenya	O
has	O
resulted	O
in	O
a	O
growth	O
in	O
mobile	B-Application
game	I-Application
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Local	O
developers	O
have	O
taken	O
advantage	O
of	O
the	O
recent	O
increase	O
in	O
mobile	O
internet	O
connection	O
in	O
countries	O
where	O
broadband	B-General_Concept
is	O
rarely	O
available	O
and	O
console	O
games	O
are	O
expensive	O
,	O
though	O
locally	O
developed	O
applications	O
have	O
difficulty	O
competing	O
against	O
millions	O
of	O
western	O
applications	O
available	O
on	O
the	O
Google	B-Application
Play	I-Application
Store	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
growth	O
has	O
continued	O
through	O
the	O
2010s	B-Application
as	O
video	O
games	O
are	O
becoming	O
a	O
more	O
viable	O
business	O
on	O
the	O
continent	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
evidence	O
was	O
inconclusive	O
,	O
but	O
debates	O
continued	O
throughout	O
the	O
decade	O
about	O
the	O
level	O
of	O
profanity	B-Protocol
,	O
violence	O
,	O
pornography	O
,	O
and	O
whether	O
or	O
not	O
video	O
games	O
had	O
an	O
addictive	O
effect	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
game	O
series	O
in	O
particular	O
that	O
was	O
no	O
stranger	O
to	O
controversy	O
in	O
the	O
2000s	O
was	O
Grand	B-Application
Theft	I-Application
Auto	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
2004	B-Application
San	B-Application
Andreas	I-Application
installment	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
received	O
widespread	O
criticism	O
revolving	O
around	O
the	O
Hot	O
Coffee	O
mod	O
,	O
a	O
normally	O
disabled	O
mini-game	O
that	O
could	O
be	O
enabled	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
game	O
that	O
struck	O
a	O
nerve	O
with	O
many	O
analysts	O
and	O
the	O
general	O
public	O
was	O
a	O
game	O
released	O
in	O
2005	B-Application
entitled	O
Super	B-Application
Columbine	I-Application
Massacre	I-Application
RPG	I-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
The	O
Wachowskis	O
,	O
known	O
for	O
their	O
Matrix	O
series	O
of	O
films	O
,	O
developed	O
Enter	B-Application
the	I-Application
Matrix	I-Application
to	O
tie	O
together	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
The	O
Matrix	O
Reloaded	O
and	O
The	O
Matrix	O
Revolutions	O
motion	O
pictures	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Opening	O
in	O
2001	B-Application
,	O
Lara	O
Croft	O
:	O
Tomb	O
Raider	O
became	O
the	O
highest-grossing	O
video	O
game	O
adaptation	O
with	O
over	O
a	O
US$274	O
million	O
box	O
office	O
performance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
adaptations	O
in	O
the	O
2000s	O
included	O
the	O
popular	O
Resident	O
Evil	O
saga	O
,	O
Silent	O
Hill	O
,	O
Max	O
Payne	O
,	O
Hitman	B-Application
,	O
Alone	O
in	O
the	O
Dark	O
,	O
DOOM	O
,	O
House	O
of	O
the	O
Dead	O
,	O
and	O
Dungeon	B-Application
Siege	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
Video	O
Games	O
Live	O
concert	O
was	O
held	O
at	O
the	O
Hollywood	O
Bowl	O
on	O
July	O
6	O
,	O
2005	B-Application
,	O
to	O
an	O
audience	O
of	O
11,000	O
people	O
.	O
</s>
