The 2000s was a big advancement in gaming. Lets start with consoles. First, the Xbox made its arrival in 2001. Not only was it about to get Microsoft into the console business, it started the biggest gaming war ever with Sony's PS2. However, Xbox edged it out with its ability to play online and even introduced Halo Combat Evolved: the first online first-person shooter. It was a very big game and the best selling game for the Xbox. Moving on, we got a handheld coming in: Nintendo's Nintendo DS, who came out in 2004. The DS had lots of features. It was equipped with wireless play, to screens, a stylus, and could connect to the internet for online game play for certain games. They also made DS lite, which had a smaller package, brighter screen, had a long-lasting battery, and could even play Game Boy Advance games and videos. Next handheld, the Nintendo DSi, came out in 2008. The Dsi had a front and back camera, so you can take pictures and record videos. It also had access to the NIntendo DSi shop, where you can buy games online. There is also a XL version with a larger screen as well. Lets move on to a console, the Nintendo Wii. What made the Wii special was that it used motion controlled controllers: the Wii remotes. This allowed to to swing a golf club by swing your arm as you would if you were playing real golf or swing a bat as if you were hitting a real bat. In this way, the Wii was a console that was in everyones's home and was a advancement over the Nintendo Gamecube, which was played with a controller but also popular for its time as it had better graphics and playablity than the 64. The Wii also had Miis, these video game versions of yourself that appear for you in several games.
Now lets get to the war I told you about. Microsoft and Sony. Now Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PS3 are very similar. Both countered the Wii with Xbox's Kinect and PS3's PSmove, which used cameras and didn't require a controller at all. This made games like Just Dance tons of fun. Both of these consoles allowed social interactment with friends via Xbox Live and PSN(Playstation Network). These let you chat and play games with your friends. This was big, since it was something the leading console at the time, the Wii, didn't have. Both of these consoles allowed internet access right on your television screen and could also play your favorite shows through Netflix, Hulu+, and more. These two consoles introduced the best shooter and action series out there including Halo, Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, Gears of War, Rage, Minecraft, and lots more. These consoles are brilliant, just brilliant. I will leave it up to you though on which is better. Personally, I would go with whichever one most of your friends have so you have more people to chat and play with, but that's just me.
Lets check out the games now. Popular games for Wii the include Super Mario Bros. Wii, Mario Kart Wii, and the Just Dance, Skylanders Giants, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Super Mario Galaxy, and Donkey Kong Country Return. All of these games are from very popular series and some took advantage of the Wii's ability to connect online. All these games really made the Wii amazing and the perfect family system. Now, I saved the best game for last. The game that got people gaming on Youtube. The most popular indie game in the world at the time-Minecraft. Minecraft let kids imagination run wild. But not in a silly, cartoonish way. The game looked very much appealing for older kids as well. In the game, you craft anything with various materials. However, a cast of enemies, the most famous one the creeper, will try to kill you and whatever you crafted. The game also allows you to play in each other worlds and to download mods, which add different features to the game depending on the mod. Mobile gaming was also emerging at the time, any many were playing Angry Birds. Angry Birds was a strategy game where players shoot birds at pigs in wooden building. Players could use each birds special powers but try to finish a level in the shortest time possible. Now, lets get a move on to the 2010s, 70 years into gaming!