This Day in Video Game History: October 24

This Day in Video Game History: October 24
Page content

This Day in Video Game History

1995

Atari hosted the “Fun ‘N’ Games” event for the press to show demonstrate its line of game titles for the upcoming 64-bit Atari Jaguar video game system.

Sega released the Vectorman platform game for the Sega Genesis in the U.S. (ESRB: KA)

1997

Sony announced a software buyback program for its Playstation titles that would allow retailers to reduce their excess game inventory over the coming holiday season in order to prevent any dip in sales that might have arisen from fears that the console’s popularity was waning.

1998

The BBC reported on a poorly-timed game advertisement received by one Jeanette Park of Barrow of Cumbria, England. The ad, which had been sent by Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, was a promotion for PlayStation game accessories that parodied a doctor’s test results. Unfortunately, at the time, Park was waiting for the results of cancer test results from her own doctor. The mass marketing campaign, which targeted current PlayStation owners, received fifty-three complaints in total and lead to an investigation conducted by the Advertising Standards Authority.

2000

Microsoft Game Studios released the Links 2001 golfing game for Windows.

Working Designs released GunGriffon Blaze vehicular combat game for the PlayStation 2 in the U.S. (ESRB: T)

2001

Sega released Virtua Tennis 2 for the Dreamcast in the U.S. (ESRB: E)

2002

Activision released the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 4 skating game for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 in the U.S. (ESRB: T)

2003

Square Enix Europe released the Final Fantasy Tactics Advance tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance in PAL regions. (PEGI: 3+, OFLC: G8+)

TDK released Pirates of the Caribbean for the Game Boy Advance in Europe. It served as a prequel to the 2003 blockbuster film, Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. In it, players were cast as a young Jack Sparrow who must escape from the island he was stranded on after being betrayed by his crew. Despite the popular of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and the enormous amount of marketing that promoted the game, it was poorly received by both critics and consumers. (PEGI: 7+)

2004

Namco released the single-player Ace Combat 5: The Unsung War simulation game for the PlayStation 2 in the U.S. (ESRB: T)

2005

Bethesda Softworks released the Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth survival horror game for the Xbox. The game was based on H.P. Lovecraft’s “The Shadow Over Innsmouth.” (ESRB: M)

Electronic Arts released the The Sims 2 simulation game or the Game Boy Advance, GameCube, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable (PSP), and Xbox. It was the fourth title in The Sims console series. (ESRB: T)

Club Neverdie

Jon “NEVERDIE” Jacobs or Miami, Florida made headlines by purchasing an in-game Space Resort in the MMORPG Project Entropia for US$100,000 in real-world currency, for which he had to mortgage his home. The purchase sets a world record for the most expensive virtual purchase in history, and attracted hordes of North American players to the largely European Entropia community. Jacobs named the resort “Club NEVERDIE” after his own avatar, and immediately began expanding it. Eventually the resort would include a thousand apartment complex with twenty hunting areas, its own space dock, a shopping mall, and a stadium for sporting events. Jacobs explained in press releases and interviews that he hopes to parlay the resort into a viable business, and as the years pass, his success would continue to be one of the game’s largest draws.

Nintendo released Metroid Prime Pinball for the Nintendo DS in the U.S. The game was also available in a bundle with a Rumble Pak accessory for the DS. (ESRB: E)

Nintendo released the Best Friends version of the Nintendogs pet simulation game for the Nintendo DS in North America. (ESRB: E)

Nintendo released Dance Dance Revolution: Mario Mix for the GameCube in the U.S. It included the Action Pad or Dance Pad in the bundle. (ESRB: E)

Sega released Spartan: Total Warrior for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox. The game was structured like a five-act, three-scene Greek play. (ESRB: M)

2006

Ultimate Alliance

Activision released the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance arcade-style fighting game for Windows, the Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox, and Xbox 360 in the U.S. It featured 140 classic Marvel Comic characters. It was well received and topped sales charts, but it would be widely criticized for its repetitious gameplay. (ESRB: T)

Bandai released Eureka Seven Vol.1: New Wave for the PlayStation 2 in North America. (ESRB: T)

Bethesda Softworks released the Star Trek: Tactical Assault real-time tactics game for the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable in North America. (ESRB: E)

Capcom released the game compilation Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) in the U.S. It included fifteen games: 1942, 1943, Commando, Ghosts ‘N Goblins, Knights of The Round, Street Fighter II, Street Fighter II: Championship Edition, and Street Fighter II: Hyper Fightiung. (ESRB: T)

LucasArts released the expansion pack Star Wars: Empire at War: Forces of Corruption for the Star Wars: Empire at War real-time strategy game (RTS) for Windows. The expansion included: a new faction, the Zann Consortium, thirteen new planets, higher resolution textures for better graphics, and a several new gameplay features, such as the ability to transport units in vehicles during ground assaults. (ESRB: T)

Majesco released the Nacho Libre wrestling game, based upon the film of the same name, for the Nintendo DS in the U.S. It was notable for its “Photo Puppety” character design, in which photos of the film’s characters are used on 3D models. (ESRB: E10+)

Namco released the Ace Combat X: Skies of Deception flight simulation game for the PlayStation Portable in the U.S. (ESRB: T)

Ubisoft released Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Double Agent GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox in the U.S. It was the fourth installment in the Splinter Cell series. (ESRB: M)

2007

Midway announced that its John Woo Presents Stranglehold game for the PlayStation 3 had officially gone gold.