It's utterly mindboggling how many now-classic console games came out between September 20 and December 20, 2001. On the flipside, it was a fairly slow season (and year) for PC games, but jesus fuck, these 90 days was pretty much the peak of console gaming history, and I say that without a single bit of conscious hyperbole. With the way the market's changed since then, I don't even know if it will be possible to have a deluge of games like this on consoles ever again.
Let's recap, shall we?
September 24
September 30
October 17
October 22
October 28
October 31
November 1
November 5
November 11
November 14
November 15
November 18
November 20
November 23
December 3
December 11
December 17
Yep, that's it. That's where it peaked. That's where the old Japanese-dominated market met the new Western-dominated market. That's when we had three mind-blowing, cutting-edge new consoles all hitting their stride simultaneously. That's when game and console sales were through the roof across the board. If not for the collapse of Sega and being a relative slump year for PC gaming I would say it was the single greatest 90 days in video game history, but I'll have to content myself with saying it was the greatest period in console game history.
Let's recap, shall we?
September 24
September 30
October 17
October 22
October 28
October 31
November 1
November 5
November 11
November 14
November 15
November 18
November 20
November 23
December 3
December 11
December 17
Yep, that's it. That's where it peaked. That's where the old Japanese-dominated market met the new Western-dominated market. That's when we had three mind-blowing, cutting-edge new consoles all hitting their stride simultaneously. That's when game and console sales were through the roof across the board. If not for the collapse of Sega and being a relative slump year for PC gaming I would say it was the single greatest 90 days in video game history, but I'll have to content myself with saying it was the greatest period in console game history.
