The last decade has seen great advances in video gaming technology. From the hysteria that surrounded the Nintendo Wii's release to the more recent appearance of the likes of the Kinect and Playstation Move, a lot has happened. But how did this all come about? Read on and find out.
Nintendo Wii
The announcement of Nintendo's latest non-portable console was met with much excitement. Utilising the Wiimote in order to create three-dimensional movement on-screen, it was also able to play all GameCube games as well as using its accessories (GameCube controller with your Super Smash Brothers Brawl anyone?). Nintendo's fifth home console, it was the first time the company had led the generation (the seventh in this case) in sales since the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (more commonly known as SNES), originally coming out in November 2006.
Xbox 360 Kinect
First known as the Natal, the Kinect burst onto the scene in November 2010, almost exactly four years after the Wii. With no controller the Kinect relies on the user's body to control the action, also featuring impressive voice recognition technology. Facial recognition and full body 3D motion capture are both features of the system, and there is talk of adapting it for Windows PCs as well (not that this hasn't already been done unofficially).
Sony Playstation Move
Just managing to squeeze out before the Kinect in September 2010, the Playstation Move has some similarities to the Wii. With a distinctive wand-like controller (the end of which changes colour depending on the in-game action) and navigation attachment, addons can be purchased in order to change its appearance (such as gun extensions, for example). Named the most immersive game controller by Popular Science in 2010, the Playstation Move (and, let's be fair, its compatriots) looks set to continue to dazzle the video gaming world for some time.
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