Games released in 2001

2001 is considered by many to be the "real" start of the new millennium.

As Sega was bleeding money from the Dreamcast, they discontinued its failing first-party console business, shifting them to a third-party developer and publisher for other platforms. The PlayStation 2 furthered its hold on the video game market, giving it a solid lead in the runup to the launches of Nintendo's GameCube and Microsoft's Xbox, which was the computer software giant's first foray into console gaming. Speaking of Microsoft, Windows XP was released, which went on to become the most used operating system over the next few years. Apple finalized Mac OS X this year, which signified the end of Mac OS Classic, despite a rocky and buggy launch. Nintendo also released the Game Boy Advance, which gave a sizeable technological boost to handheld games. Apple also released the iPod, though it would be many years before a model of it was released that was capable of playing (non-homebrew) games.

Notable games this year included the indomitable Grand Theft Auto III, with its revolutionary 3D sandbox-style gameplay, Taiko no Tatsujin with its odd but catchy rhythmic beats with taiko drums, Doubutsu no Mori (later localized as Animal Crossing) with its town-growing simulation, the superlative Final Fantasy X with its memorable story and laughter, and the mind-bending Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, with its... everything.

Sadly, this was the year of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Following this, many games were revised, delayed and even cancelled in response to the attacks and to remove references to the World Trade Center towers and the attacks that destroyed them.