You had multiple generation defining titles releasing early into the console gen and on a back-to-back basis. Bioshock in August, then an unforgettable holiday lineup with The Orange Box, Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, Halo 3, Call of Duty 4, Metroid Prime 3, and Uncharted. Almost every month had an all-timer set to release.
The PlayStation 2 was still releasing excellent games like Persona 3 and God of War II, whether you jumped into next-gen or not, you had great games to play.