I share a passion with many of you: video games. I also have a passion for history, including speculative history. That's why I'm starting this thread to discuss alternate histories of video gaming.

What kind of alternate histories, you ask? Why any kind you want! Like what if Sony and Nintendo stayed together to create the PlayStation? Or what if the Dreamcast was never abandoned by Sega? Or what if the Wii were released with specs on par with the Xbox 360 and PS3?

The purpose of this thread is twofold. First, I'd like to calalogue alternate histories people have made, including my own, on both this site and others. Second, I'd like to invite people to simply discuss how thingds could have turned out differently, and what might have happened had things done so.

Ideas

What if some game were never created, or somebody never got involved in the gaming industry?

What if Console X was released a year earlier/later?

What if the PlayStation was never created?

What if Atari remained relevant after 1983?

What if mid to late 90's arcades incorporated online play, thus extending their life?

What if Apple made a gmaing console?

What if Final Fantasy 7 was an N64 game as originally planned?

What if the N64 used CDs?

What if cartridges remained the primary format used by consoles for a longer period of time?

What if a series went 3D/remained 2D?

Throw in suggestions!

VGChartz User Content

F0X

What if Nintendo never made the DS?

platformmaster918

What if the PlayStation 3 came out at $399 in 2005?

Salnax

What if Nintendo released Wii-leveled hardware in 2001?

What if New Super Mario Bros was a Wii Launch title?

What if the Wii never used motion controls?

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1Up

Gaming Alternate Realities

What if the DS was never made?

Despite experimentation with a dual-screen handheld design, Nintendo scraps plans for the DS due to concerns about how the dual-screen feature will be recieved, along with the cost and potential battery drain. Instead, in late 2005, Nintendo releases the GameBoy Touch - a handheld similar in design to the GBA and PSP, featuring a single Circle Pad on the upper left side, a built-in camera, and a single-touch screen with an included stylus. It would be roughly as powerful as the PSP and be the first Nintendo system to have a major, integrated online infrastructure. Players will complain about Friend Codes, but the system's first true killer app, Mario Kart: Ultra Circuit, is heralded as a great online experience upon its release in March 2006.

Launch Price: $199
Notable Launch Titles: Super Mario 64 DX, Madden NFL 2006, WarioWare: Touched!, Kirby Canvas Curse, Trace Memory, Yoshi Touch & Go, Ridge Racer Touch.

Super Mario 64 DX is seen as an excellent remake with spiffed up graphics and decent analog control. The best 3D platformer on a handheld, critics say at the time. Kirby Canvas Curse is well-recieved for demonstrating how well touch gameplay works. An impressive tech demo at launch. WarioWare is similarly praised, and Trace Memory is a pleasent surprise for some.

Notable Titles for 2006-

Nintendogs
Mario Kart: Ultra Circuit
Castlevania: Tears of Silence (I am good at coming up with Castlevania titles, no?)
Advance Wars: Fusion Strike
Sonic Rush
Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
Nanostray
Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time
Resident Evil: Retouched
Children of Mana
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Trauma Center: Under the Knife
Touch Tetris
Metroid Prime: Hunters
Brain Age
New Super Mario Bros.
Yoshi's Island DS
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team
Lego Star Wars II
Me and My Katamari

Of the games released in 2006, Mario Kart, NSMB, Nintendogs, Animal Crossing, and Brain Age come out on top in sales. Mario & Luigi, Metroid Prime: Hunters, NSMB, Mario Kart, Castlevania, and Advance Wars are very warmly recieved by critics. Ace Attorney, Nanostray, and Trauma Center find a sizable niche audience.

Notable Titles for 2007 -

Star Fox: Command
Magical Starsign
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Justice For All
Pokemon Ranger
Hotel Dusk: Room 215
Final Fantasy III
Picross Touch
Custom Robo Arena
Metroid Prime Pinball
Mega Man ZX
Kirby Squeak Squad
Brain Age 2
Elite Beat Agents
Pokemon Diamond/Pearl
Worms: Open Warfare 2
Sonic Rush Adventure
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
Mario Party Touch
Contra 4
Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions
Monster Hunter Freedom 2

The GBT picks up a handful of games that would otherwise be PSP exclusive. There is little expectation that core, third-party titles will sell on GBT compared to the GBA, but by this time the portable is well ahead of the PSP in terms of install base. Pokemon D/P, Monster Hunter, Brain Age 2, Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, and Mario Party top the sales charts globally speaking. Phantom Hourglass, Pokemon D/P, Picross Touch, Contra 4, and Final Fantasy Tactics are very well-recieved by critics.

To be continued. Consider this a tag for future editing.

Any ideas as to how this would affect DS and PSP sales?

What if Nintendo made a CD N64... *cries*

An alternate history I've always thought of is, what if Dreamcast lasted a few more years, Gamecube released in 2000 and if Xbox didn't come out until 2003. This may seem like multiple what if scenarios but in this specific timeline they all go together. The Dreamcast's first year would be unaffected, selling about 1.5 million units during the launch window and sales slowing down throughout the year until it got its first price cut to $150 in Aug of 2000. The Gamecube is this timeline would be released in Sept 2000 and priced at $250 with Luigi's Mansion and Wave Race being 1st party launch titles. It sold about 500,000 units in September and about 1.2 million by the end of the year. In Oct Playstation 2 was released, its history would remain the same in this timeline, selling out through the holiday season. In 2001 DC faced stiff competition but sold well due to PS2 still being hard to find and GC being more expensive, plus it had a much larger catalog of games to play. In June, Sega and Nintendo released games starring there lead mascots. Sonic Adventure 2 and Super Mario Sunshine went head to head, releasing in the same week and quickly becoming the highest selling games for there respective systems. In the latter half of the year, PS2 and GC sales began to surge with FFX, MGS 2, GTA 3 releasing for PS2 and Rogue Squandron 2, Perfect Dark and Smash Bros for GC. By the end of the year DC sales had reached 6 million in North America compared to 8 million for PS2 and 4.5 million for GC. In May 2002 all consoles cut there price, DC to $129, GC to $199 and PS2 to $249. DC sales decrease throughout the year but was able to release some high profile 1st party titles such as Shinobi, Panzer Dragoon Orta and Super Monkey Ball 2. Top games of the year for GC were Metroid Prime, Wind Waker and Star Fox Adventures. Top PS2 games were Vice City, Kingdom Hearts and Ratchet & Clank. Sales by the end of the year were DC-7.8 million, GC-8.2 million and PS2-17 million. In early 2003 Sega announced that they had made a deal with Microsoft to create the hardware for there new home console, the XBOX to be released at the end of the year and be price at $299. DC sales plummeted due to the announcement and received a price cut to $79. Most of the releases of the year from Sega were sequels such as Power Stone 3, Crazy Taxi 3 and Super Monkey Ball 3. In Sept PS2 and GC cut there prices by $50. The XBOX in this timeline is smaller due to coming out 2 years later and its key launch titles are Sonic Heroes and an enhanced port of the PC game, Halo. By the end of the year DC sales had reached 8.5 million, GC-10.5 million, PS2-25 million and XBOX-1.5 million

DS sales would be nonexistant. I'm going off the premise that Nintendo never made the DS and instead decided to focus solely on the GameBoy line. A GameBoy-branded handheld one screen (a touchscreen), graphical capabilities comparable to the PSP (though not quite on par), a built-in camera, a Circle Pad and a greater online focus. I'm assuming that the second screen really wasn't essential in the first place for most DS games, which is probably true...

PSP sales would be overtaken almost instantly as both systems are to be released in late 2005, and the existence of Monster Hunter on Nintendo portables would steal some of the PSP's thunder in Japan. The "GBT" wouldn't compare in terms of Western support from developers like Rockstar, though. I can imagine PSP sales of about 65 million. Would be lower if Nintendo put a good deal of effort into making their handheld into more of a multimedia device, but I don't expect that.

Lifetime sales of the GBT, however, will be lower than the DS because of a higher initial price and a slightly shorter lifespan. I think somewhere around 125 million would be reasonable.

I'm currently working on a history where New Super Mario Bros was released on the Wii in 2006. I'll put it here when I'm ready to share.

yes this is a great idea. I wish we know the answers to questions like what if the video game crash of 1983 never happened? or what if the Playstation was never made?

I'm about ready to post my new alternate history. Would you guys prefer I make a new thread for it and link to it, or should I make it a single post here? It's about 1500 words so far.