# From Pong to GTA VI: Play your way through 50 years of video games

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/from-pong-to-gta-vi-play-your-way-through-50-years-of-video-games/
- Published: 2026-11-12T06:17:48+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T07:28:16+00:00
- Original publisher: Al Jazeera (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/longform/2026/11/12/from-pong-to-gta-vi-play-your-way-through-50-years-of-video-games?traffic_source=rss
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming, GTA 6, World

## Key points

- The PlayStation 2 remains the top-selling console at about 160 million units.
- Wii Sports sold more than 82 million copies, including bundles.
- The App Store helped set mobile gaming on course to become the biggest platform.

## Summary

The 2000s brought video games to a wider audience as consoles became entertainment hubs, online play connected players and mobile gaming began its rise. Games also shaped debates about violence and helped establish the open-world format that remains influential.

Sony’s PlayStation 2, released in 2000, remains the best-selling console, with about 160 million units sold. Grand Theft Auto III’s 2001 move into 3D helped define open-world games, while Nintendo’s motion-controlled Wii reached new audiences; Wii Sports sold more than 82 million copies, including bundled versions. Xbox Live launched in 2002, and Apple’s App Store opened in 2008, marking the start of mobile phones’ growth into the industry’s biggest platform.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.