It has come to a time where it is nessecary that we determine the victor of the battle between the Playstation 2, the Xbox, and the Gamecube. It has been a hell of a fight, with each console having some great games, but only one can be the overall victor. So, as I deconstruct each small battle, feel free to share your opinion on who wins this battle of the Consoles.
Launch - In 2001, the Playstation 2 launched in Australia alongside launch games such as Gran Turismo 3, Ridge Racer V and Dynasty Warriors 2. After supply was strictly limited due to limited supplies in NTSC territories, the Playstation 2 came into its own as a must have after the release of Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto III soon after the release in Australia. The Xbox, released in Australia in 2002, shipped alongside the most successful FPS of the sixth generation consoles, Bungie and Microsoft Game Studios' Halo: Combat Evolved. Also at launch was Bizarre Creations' Project Gotham Racing, and Dead or Alive 3. It also enjoyed strong third party support, unlike its rival, Nintendo's Gamecube, which launched on May 17th 2002 with Luigi's Mansion and Star Wars Rogue Leader being the must have titles. While Gamecube's launch was very successful, its weak support and Nintendo's lack of advertising saw it sink in Australia.
Market Share - Microsoft, with its first entry into the console battle, started strongly and is finishing strongly with 24 million units shipped as of Q2 2006. Gamecube has only managed about 20 million, with the Playstation 2 screaming success with over 106 million units shipped worldwide. While these may have been sold to repeat customers, it proves conclusively that Playstation 2 was the most popular console for many of the worlds people.
Games - The Playstation 2 has had a lot of great games over its long lifespan, the most notable of which have been the Grand Theft Auto series, the Jak and Daxter series, God of War, Resident Evil 4, Gran Turismo, Final Fantasy series, the Metal Gear Solid series, and many, many more. The Xbox also had some very good titles, the most notable of which were Halo and its sequel, but was also supported with good sales of Fable, Ninja Gaiden, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Grand Theft Auto, the Splinter Cell series, the Rainbow Six series and the Ghost Recon series. The Gamecube's best titles were first-party, like Metroid Prime, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Super Smash Brothers Melee and Super Mario Sunshine, none of which capturing the commercial success that would have kept Nintendo afloat this generation.
Controller - The controllers on all three systems were fine, but in terms of comfort, the Playstation 2 pad was the best for playing games on. Microsoft redesigned the horribly massive Xbox Controller into a small version which soon became as standard, and the Gamecube controller also worked well, especially the wireless 'Wavebird' controller. The second Analogue Stick of the Cube was also great for EA Sport's FIFA games.
The Winner - The Winner of this console war, the sixth generation of machines, is undoubtedly the Playstation 2. No other machine has been as popular or has had as great a game as Eye Toy, which was just one of Sony's innovative Party Starters range. While the Xbox was the most powerful, and the Gamecube was in the middle technically, the weakest machine of the pack proved that a two year head start on the competition can really win you a commercial battle. Feel free to comment on my desicion, and please message me your own. But for now, sit on your couch and wait for the next generation to come.