| The world is fast changing a few centuries | | | | Hyper Fighting and The Elder Scrolls IV: |
| ago the focus was on nations, economies, and | | | | Oblivion were all reaching out for Xbox360, |
| science. With the onset of the cyber world | | | | PS#, and PSP. 6. Q4 reached new heights with |
| gaming shares a platform along with important | | | | launches of state-of-art gaming consoles like |
| happenings in the world today. The year 2006 | | | | Wii and PSP3. Each had its fans and gaming |
| for avid gamers was full of expectations and | | | | was all a buzz with expectations, some joys |
| excitement. According to statistics the US | | | | as well as disappointments. Blizzard drew |
| totaled more than USD 10.5 billion in | | | | considerable attention with its massive |
| hardware, software, and accessories sales | | | | multi-player role -playing masterpiece World |
| alone setting a new record. Sony PSP and | | | | of Warcraft. 7. NDP industry tracking |
| Nintendo DS took portable gaming to new | | | | revealed that Q4 reached new heights and that |
| horizons and many predictions were proven | | | | PS3 sold 197,000 systems while Wii sold |
| wrong in 2006. The year 2006 brought | | | | 476,000 systems. According to the trackers |
| excitement and thrills: 1. Three gaming | | | | 400,000 copies of the Legend of Zelda: |
| consoles vied with each other for supremacy | | | | Twilight Princess was retailed. 8. |
| and the Xbox360; Sony PSP; and Nintendo Wii | | | | Technological advancements in the gaming |
| set pulses racing with gaming reaching new | | | | world reached new heights. High level |
| heights with the latest technology. 2. Gaming | | | | graphics, speed, clarity, and multi-player |
| designers and companies like Vivendi Games, | | | | gaming took gamers to new adventures. The |
| Activision, Rockstar, and Electronic Arts | | | | gaming industry went all out to take gaming |
| brought new games, revitalized games, and | | | | into the future with designers and hardware |
| futuristic technology to gaming. God of War | | | | manufactures redefining gaming. 9. Change is |
| won accolades at DICE where game developers | | | | inevitable and the Entertainment Software |
| unveiled great plans for 2006. 3. The E3 or | | | | Association will have a new head as Douglas |
| Electronic Entertainment Expo held in the Q2 | | | | Lowenstein the founding President of ESA |
| of 2006 unveiled press conferences by giants | | | | decided to move on. 10. The year laid the |
| in gaming as well as launches of new games | | | | foundation of futuristic gaming hardware |
| like Assassin's creed, Haze, Command and | | | | which set the trend for designers to focus on |
| Conquer 3, and Wii Resident Evil among many | | | | better software and greater games. 2007 will |
| others. Gaming gurus studies and reviewed the | | | | introduce multiplatform games like Grand |
| event and presented expert opinions on gaming | | | | Theft Auto IV, Army of Two, BioShock, and |
| delights. 4. Gaming watchers NPD kept a | | | | more. The Gaming Industry is all set to reach |
| finger on the pulse of gaming and established | | | | new heights in the coming year with gaming |
| that gaming was here to stay and figures were | | | | gaining popularity world over. The World Wide |
| up by 29% over July 2005, 17% in August, and | | | | Web, popularity of the internet, and tech |
| 38% in September. 5. The leaders in Q3 were | | | | savvy gaming consoles has caught and |
| Madden NFL 07 and Lego Star Wars II: The | | | | sustained the interest of gamers young and |
| Original Triology which crossed the one | | | | old. Gaming has expanded its base and become |
| million units sold hurdle. Consoler gaming | | | | multi-player with gamers from all over the |
| reached new delights with announcements that | | | | world vying their skills against opponents |
| Half-Life 2 rejuvenated, Street Fighter II' | | | | from all over the gaming universe. |