A common stereotype about gamers is that they have short attention spans. As announcements for new games and hardware come and go, it’s easy to lose sight of the momentous events that shaped the gaming world. This Week in PlayStation highlights Sony’s rich videogame heritage, which dates back to the 1980’s. Step back in time with us as we put the spotlight on events big and small that have significantly altered the gaming culture.
This Week in PlayStation April 3th – April 9th
April 3th
- 1997 – Sony’s announces a release date for their first “Dual Analog” controller. It will hit the Japanese market the 25th, and will retail for 3000 yen (~$32).
- 2006 – 2k Sports’ MLB 2k6 hits North American shelves.
April 4th 
- 2006 – Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Vice President Georges Fornay accidentally let the cat out of the bag. In a radio interview, Fornay told the gaming world that the PS3, which was to hit the world later in the year, would cost around $500. “Well, listen, if we take into account Blu-ray, HD, we see Blu-ray players at 1000 euros or more, [the PS3] will be extremely cheap when compared to that. When we look at the gaming aspect, it is true that today consoles were generally well below 500 euros (roughly $614 U.S.), and I would say that we will be in this price range.” SCEE representatives quickly denied this slip, revealing it was only personal observations.
- 2006 – Electronic Arts’ from Russia with Love ships to the PlayStation Portable. The title, based on the classic movie, is the first James Bond game to grace Sony’s PSP.
- 2008 – Take-Two announces the acquisition of Massachusetts-based Mad Doc Software. The studio is renamed Rockstar New England. The only title to come out of the studio is Bully: Scholarship Edition, which headed only to the PC.
April 5th
- 2004 – Acclaim’s take on the popular TV show, Alias, hits North American PS2’s.
- 2005 – BottleRocket Entertainment’s Rise of the Kasai hits North American retailers. This bloody hack-n-slash is a follow-up to the 2002 title, The Mark of Kri.
April 6th
- 2006 – Ubisoft comes to an agreement with TV TOKYO Corporation and SHUEISHA Inc., to secure exclusive publishing rights for the Naruto franchise.
April 7th 
- 2005 – Japanese PS2 gamers could now unleash their pent-up backyard wrestling energy with the release of Paradox Development’s Backyard Wrestling 2: There Goes the Neighborhood.
- 2009 – North American gamers get a taste of the good life – The Godfather II hits retailers. Almost instantaneously, gamers are given offers they cannot refuse.
- 2009 – Prince Fielder is announced as the cover athlete for 2k Sports’ The Bigs 2.
April 8th
- 2003 – Take-Two’s Midnight Club II zooms to North American PlayStation 2’s. Anticipation is sky-high, as the Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine gave the game its “Game of the Month” award.
- 2004 – Take-Two Interactive Software acquires Mobius Entertainment Ltd. Mobius is renamed Rockstar Leeds. The renamed studio is best known for their work on PSP titles such as Manhunt 2, Beaterator, The Warriors and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City and Vice City stories.
- 2004 – Ubisoft confirms what gamers had been guessing for some time: the studio is indeed working on Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 2. Up until the announcement, the Ghost Recon series had sold 5 million copies across all platforms, worldwide.
- 2008 – EA announces a modified agreement with Epic Games’, that will alow Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 to be used for five undisclosed, but upcoming EA titles.
- 2009 – Harmonix officially announces the release date for their highly anticipated traveling rock band experience, Rock Band Unplugged. The PSP iteration of the popular series is set to hit North American and European retailers in June.
April 9th
- 2007 – Take-Two’s Chief Financial Officer, Karl Winters, resigns. Lainie Goldstein becomes the interim CFO.
- 2009 – Electronic Arts reveal that John McEnroe, Roger Federer and Serena Williams will grace the North American cover of their tennis title, EA SPORTS Grand Slam Tennis.
