Thought the only console manufacturers worth their salt were Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft? Think again, as although many have tried and failed along the way (Dreamcast, anyone?) the current console climate wouldn't be in the state it is without learning some lessons from the competition along the way. From today's hardware features that were actually brand-new implementations decades ago, to hidden now-triple-A franchises that had disastrous launch-lineup spin-offs - throughout the last three decades as gaming has grown and planted its feet, there's a bevy of stories to be told. For the most part as 2014 draws to a close and we look forward to the new year it's a two-dog race. Depending on your view the Wii is way out in front, having already proven itself to be the better console thanks to a supremely polished lineup - or it's trailing long in the rear, occasionally holding up the likes of Bayonetta to get some attention as both the PS4 and Xbox One tear off down the home straight with their third-party offerings. Over time many hardware manufacturers end up focussing their sights on game design rather than trying to survive in the cutthroat world of hardware manufacture, but for the great many that either thought they had something unique to offer or wanted to take on the established behemoths of the industry at the time, this is what they took into the ring.
