Rockstar Games plans to launch Grand Theft Auto VI on November 19, concluding a 13-year wait since the franchise's prior mainline installment. The series helped establish modern design standards when it pioneered 3D open worlds with Grand Theft Auto III back in 2001. That breakthrough arrived alongside milestone hardware like Sony's PlayStation 2, which ultimately became history's best-selling console at roughly 160 million units.
Key points
The commercial gaming market began in 1972 with the Magnavox Odyssey home console and the…: The commercial gaming market began in 1972 with the Magnavox Odyssey home console and the arcade release of Pong.
Nintendo revitalized the market after an American collapse in 1983 by introducing the Nin…: Nintendo revitalized the market after an American collapse in 1983 by introducing the Nintendo Entertainment System and the Game Boy.
Sony established an enduring hardware milestone by selling roughly 160 million units of t…: Sony established an enduring hardware milestone by selling roughly 160 million units of the PlayStation 2 console.
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On November 19, Rockstar Games releases Grand Theft Auto VI, ending a 13-year wait for the sequel to one of the best-selling games ever made. Few games have arrived with more riding on them. Its first trailer drew more than 90 million YouTube views in 24 hours in December 2023, a record for a game reveal.
It arrives in an industry that generated $201.6bn in revenue in 2025, according to market research firm Newzoo. That business started with two paddles and a square of light.
Using AI tools, Al Jazeera built six short levels inspired by the games that defined each decade, from Pong to GTA VI. Play through 50 years of gaming and try to beat our times.
Choose a decade to jump ahead, or scroll down to play the whole journey.
Video games were not invented in 1972, but that was the year they began reaching a much wider public.
In 1958, physicist William Higinbotham wired a tennis game to an oscilloscope for visitors at Brookhaven National Laboratory in New York. People queued to play Tennis for Two,…
Hand-reared by caretakers at Japan's Ichikawa City Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the young macaque relied on an orange stuffed orangutan to fulfill maternal clinging instincts. Following gradual socialization and dietary management, his transition toward normal troop dynamics marks a major developmental milestone after early friction with older group members. Keepers continue to monitor his behavior closely as he expands his social interactions within the enclosure.
The veteran striker will secure his place as England's all-time men's appearance leader with his 126th cap against Croatia at Wembley. The 33-year-old Ballon d'Or winner enters the match already holding his nation's goalscoring record, having netted 91 times across a decorated decade-long international career. His sustained output across multiple major tournaments underscores an unprecedented era of individual consistency for the national side.
Following the award of village green status to Harding's Pits, Norfolk residents and local leaders are pushing to shield adjacent riverside land from residential development. They want the borough council to scrap plans for dozens of properties to curb traffic and protect local nature corridors. This push directly challenges the municipal authority as it works to deliver thousands of state-mandated properties over the coming decades.