In the history of video games, the sixth generation era is the era of computer and video games, video game consoles, and handheld gaming devices available at the turn of the 21st century, starting on November 27, 1998. Platforms in the sixth generation include consoles from four companies: the Sega Dreamcast (DC), Sony PlayStation 2 (PS2), Nintendo GameCube (GC), and Microsoft Xbox. This era began on November 27, 1998, with the Japanese release of the Dreamcast, which was joined by the PlayStation 2 on March 4, 2000, the GameCube on September 14, 2001 and the Xbox on November 15, 2001, respectively. The Dreamcast was among the first to be discontinued in 2001, followed by GameCube in 2007, Xbox in 2009, and PlayStation 2 in 2013. Meanwhile, the seventh generation of consoles started on November 22, 2005, with the launch of the Xbox 360.