Gain insight into the defining themes of the modern console market in this 2021 GDC session presented by Omdia's Steven Bailey. Explore the outgoing and incoming generations of hardware, examining topics such as the industrious use of back catalogues, digital-only hardware, the rise and fall of Mixer, and the maturation of hybrid business models. Analyze a 25-year picture of console generations, including hardware sales share and ecosystem complexities. Delve into the relative shifts in messaging focus by manufacturers, Xbox's hardware position, Nintendo's hardware-first strategy, and the problem of rising complexity. Investigate the Three Ages of the Games Business, the battle for console dominance in the USA and Europe, and the challenges of digital content curation in the modern gaming landscape.