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 10th – April 16th
April 10th
- 1999 – The arcade game sweeping Japan gets a PS1 release. Dance Dance Revolution challenges gamers’ dancing skills.
- 2003 – CyberConnect2’s newest entry into the long-standing .hack// series, .hack//Quarantine hits Japanese PlayStation 2s.
April 11th
- 1997 – Gremlin Interactive’s Actua Golf drives to British PS1s.
- 2006 – Electronic Arts reveals the soundtrack for Fifa 2006 World Cup. The soundtrack features songs from over 15 countries, which truly represents the worldwide participation the World Cup stands for.
April 12th
- 2001 – From Software’s Armored Core 2: Another Age hits Japanese PlayStation 2s.
April 13th 
- 2004 – Ubisoft significantly increases its stake in Gameloft by roughly 10%
- 2004 – Gearbox Software and Ubisoft announce details of a long term deal that also starts development on the first Brothers in Arms game.
April 14th
- 2004 – The United States Army and Ubisoft come to an agreement that allows Ubisoft to exclusively develop and publish games under the America’s Army name.
- 2006 – TDK, one of the biggest producers of Blu-Ray discs, announces shipment of the company’s first cartridge-free 25GB and 50GB discs. This comes just months away from the launch of the PlayStation 3, which is the first strong supporter of the disc.
- 2009 – Stone Librande, lead designer for Maxis, announces that he is embarking on a nation-wide college speaking tour. His goal is to talk to and inspire the nation’s leading game designers and artists.
April 15th
- 2003 – Ubisoft announces its killer lineup for the E3 convention taking place in 2003. Notables in their lineup include Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon 2 and Prince of Persia 2.
- 2008 – In a bizarre move, Ubisoft announces its acquisition of India-based development company, Gameloft.
- 2008 – EA Dice announces the release date for their highly anticipated shooter, Battlefield: Bad Company. The title, set for a June 23rd release, certainly is the first true competitor to Call of Duty 4, which released in late 2007.
April 16th 
- 2009 – In an unsurprising move, Ubisoft announces development on the follow-up to their highly successful title, Assassin’s Creed. Assassin’s Creed 2 will hit consoles and the PC later in 2009.
