NINTENDO
Nintendo is a Japanese company that has a long history of making entertainment products. It was founded in 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi as a maker of hanafuda, a type of Japanese playing cards. Over the years, it diversified into various kinds of toys, such as Disney-themed cards, mechanical contraptions, and electronic games. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Nintendo entered the video game industry with arcade hits like Donkey Kong and home consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Nintendo became a global leader in video games with iconic franchises like Mario, Zelda, Metroid, and Pokémon, and innovative hardware like the Game Boy, the Nintendo DS, the Wii, and the Switch. Nintendo's vision is to create unique and surprising experiences that bring joy to people of all ages and backgrounds. Nintendo has sold over 5.3 billion games and 800 million consoles worldwide, and has influenced generations of gamers and pop culture.
XBOX (MICROSOFT)
Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand started in 2001 with the launch of the original Xbox console, which was the first video game console offered by an American company after Atari. The original Xbox competed with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube in the sixth generation of consoles. Microsoft's second console, the Xbox 360, was released in 2005 and introduced online gaming with Xbox Live, as well as motion gaming with Kinect. The Xbox 360 was one of the best-selling consoles of the seventh generation, competing with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii. Microsoft's third console, the Xbox One, was released in 2013 and added features such as voice control, cloud computing, and backward compatibility. The Xbox One faced strong competition from Sony's PlayStation 4 and Nintendo's Switch in the eighth generation of consoles. Microsoft's fourth line of consoles, the Xbox Series X and Series S, were released in 2020 and offer high performance gaming with ray tracing, variable refresh rate, and fast loading times.
PLAYSTATION (SONY)
PlayStation is a video game brand created by Sony Computer Entertainment in 1994. The first PlayStation console was originally a collaboration with Nintendo to develop a CD-based add-on for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, but Sony decided to launch it as a standalone device after Nintendo backed out of the deal. The PlayStation was one of the first consoles to deliver 3D graphics and use CDs instead of cartridges, allowing for more storage space and content. The PlayStation became a global success, competing with Nintendo and Sega in the 32-bit era. Some of the most popular games for the PlayStation include Final Fantasy 7, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, Tekken, and Crash Bandicoot. Sony later released several revisions of the PlayStation, such as the smaller PS One in 2000 and the retro-themed PlayStation Classic in 2019. The PlayStation also spawned several successors, such as the PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, as well as handheld devices like the PlayStation Portable and PlayStation Vita
SEGA
Sega is a Japanese company that started as a maker of coin-operated games in the 1940s and 1950s. The company was originally called Standard Games in Hawaii and Service Games of Japan, before merging with Rosen Enterprises to form Sega Enterprises in 1965. Sega became famous for its arcade games, such as Periscope, Zaxxon, and Out Run. Sega also entered the console market with the SG-1000 in 1983, followed by the Master System in 1986 and the Genesis (or Mega Drive) in 1988. Sega competed with Nintendo for dominance in the video game industry, creating popular franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage, and Phantasy Star. Sega also introduced innovative hardware, such as the Sega CD, the 32X, and the Saturn, but these failed to gain much market share. Sega's last console was the Dreamcast, released in 1998, which offered online gaming and advanced graphics, but was overshadowed by Sony's PlayStation 2. Sega discontinued the Dreamcast in 2001 and became a third-party game developer and publisher for other platforms. Sega has since produced games for its classic series, such as Yakuza, Shenmue, and Total War, as well as new IPs like Bayonetta, Valkyria Chronicles, and Persona.
ATARI
Atari is a video gaming brand that was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney in California. Atari was a pioneer in arcade games, home video game consoles, and home computers. Some of its most famous games are Pong, Asteroids, Centipede, and Missile Command. Atari also created popular consoles, such as the Atari 2600, the Atari 5200, and the Atari 7800. Atari faced competition from other companies, such as Nintendo, Sega, and Apple, and suffered from the video game crash of 1983. In 1984, Atari was split into two entities: Atari Corporation, which focused on home computers and consoles, and Atari Games, which continued to produce arcade games. Atari Corporation was sold to Jack Tramiel, the former CEO of Commodore International, while Atari Games was sold to Namco. Atari Corporation later released the Atari ST computer and the Atari Lynx handheld device, but failed to compete with the PC and Nintendo markets. In 1996, Atari Corporation merged with JTS, a disk drive manufacturer, and ceased to exist as a separate entity. In 1998, Hasbro Interactive acquired the Atari brand and assets from JTS and revived it as a subsidiary. In 2001, Hasbro Interactive was bought by Infogrames Entertainment, a French company that later renamed itself to Atari SA. Atari SA has since published games for various platforms, such as RollerCoaster Tycoon, Test Drive Unlimited, and Alone in the Dark. Atari SA has also diversified into other businesses, such as cryptocurrency and hotels.
