List of years in video games

Part of a series on:
History of video games
General Golden age of video arcade games History of video games North American video game crash of 1983
Consoles First generation (1972–1977) Second generation (1976–1984) Third generation (1983–1992) Fourth generation (1987–1996) Fifth generation (1993–2006) Sixth generation (1998–) Seventh generation (2005–) Eighth generation (2012–)
Genres History of massively multiplayer online games History of online games History of role-playing video games
Lists Early history of video games First video game List of video games in development List of years in video games Timeline of video arcade game history

2010s - 2000s - 1990s - 1980s - 1970s

2010s

• 2011 in video gaming — Nintendo releases the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo announces the successor to Wii; Wii U. Sony announces the successor to PSP; the PS Vita.
• 2010 in video gaming — Nintendo releases the Nintendo DSi XL and announces the Nintendo 3DS. PlayStation Move releases for the PS3. LittleBigPlanet2 is released for PS3. New Xbox 360 console releases for Kinect (Xbox 360 Slim)

2000s

• 2009 in video gaming — Nintendo releases the Nintendo DSi. Motion controllers for the PS3 is announced. Project Natal for the Xbox 360 is announced.
• 2008 in video gaming — Grand Theft Auto IV is released across Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is released on PlayStation 3. Blizzard Entertainment announces Diablo III.
• 2007 in video gaming — Microsoft releases Windows Vista with DirectX 10. Halo 3 releases on Xbox 360 console. Nintendo releases much-anticipated Super Mario Galaxy. Crysis is released, pushing 3D graphics into DX10.
• 2006 in video gaming — Sony releases the PlayStation 3. Nintendo releases its Wii console. Nintendo releases long-awaited The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
• 2005 in video gaming — Sony releases the PlayStation Portable handheld gaming system. Microsoft releases the Xbox 360.
• 2004 in video gaming — Halo 2 makes $125 million U.S, one of the biggest commercial entertainment opening days ever. Nintendo releases Nintendo DS. Golden Age of the PlayStation 2.
• 2003 in video gaming — Nintendo releases The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker featuring cel-shading.
• 2002 in video gaming — Blizzard Entertainment releases Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos.
• 2001 in video gaming — Nintendo releases the Nintendo GameCube. Microsoft releases the Xbox. Rockstar Games releases Grand Theft Auto III on the PlayStation 2. Blizzard Entertainment releases Diablo II: Lord of Destruction.
• 2000 in video gaming — Blizzard Entertainment releases Diablo II. Sony releases the PlayStation 2. Electronic Arts releases The Sims, best-selling PC game in history.

1990s

• 1999 in video gaming — Sega releases Sonic Adventure for the Dreamcast and Counter-Strike, a mod for Half-Life is released.
• 1998 in video gaming — Blizzard Entertainment launches their biggest release StarCraft, Nintendo releases The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and the first Pokémon games, Konami releases Metal Gear Solid.
• 1997 in video gaming — Sega releases their last console before console making retirement, the Dreamcast with its first game Sega Bass Fishing, Square releases Final Fantasy VII and Ensemble Studios releases Age of Empires.
• 1996 in video gaming — Nintendo releases the Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64. Eidos Interactive releases Tomb Raider for the PC, PlayStation, and the Sega Saturn.
• 1995 in video gaming — The first E3 is held. Sony releases the PlayStation in North America. Nintendo releases the Virtual Boy.
• 1994 in video gaming — Sony releases the PlayStation in Japan.
• 1993 in video gaming — Brøderbund releases Myst, and id Software releases Doom.
• 1992 in video gaming — Midway Manufacturing releases Mortal Kombat. Nintendo releases The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Super Mario Kart.
• 1991 in video gaming — Nintendo releases the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega releases Sonic the Hedgehog (16-bit) (by AM8, later Sonic Team) for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive and Sonic the Hedgehog (8-bit) (by AM8, later Sonic Team) for the Sega Master System and Sega Game Gear. It introduced the eponymous character - Sonic the Hedgehog -, who would go on to become Sega's mascot along with Alex Kidd and Opa-Opa.
• 1990 in video gaming — Nintendo releases Super Mario Bros. 3 in North America.

1980s

• 1989 in video gaming — Maxis releases Will Wright's SimCity. Robert Donner writes Minesweeper, which would later be bundled with Microsoft Windows. Nintendo releases the Game Boy handheld console, first handheld with cartridges. Sega releases the Sega Genesis in the United States.
• 1988 in video gaming — Sega releases the Sega Mega Drive in the Japan. SSI releases the AD&D licensed Pool of Radiance.
• 1987 in video gaming — Dungeon Master is released by FTL Games. Sega Master System is released in Japan. Final Fantasy is released in Japan.
• 1986 in video gaming — The Legend of Zelda is released by Nintendo (in Japan). Enix releases Dragon Quest in Japan. Sega Master System is released in the US. Atari Corp. releases the Atari 7800.
• 1985 in video gaming — The Nintendo Entertainment System is released in the United States. Alexey Pajitnov creates the Tetris video game in the Soviet Union. Commodore International releases the Amiga 1000, and Atari Corp. releases the 520ST personal computer.
• 1984 in video gaming — Sierra On-Line releases King's Quest. Acornsoft releases Elite.
• 1983 in video gaming — The Video game crash of 1983 occurs. The Nintendo Family Computer, the Japanese version of the Nintendo NES, is released in Japan. Origin Systems publishes Ultima III: Exodus by Richard Garriott, better known as Lord British.
• 1982 in video gaming — Atari Inc. releases E.T., one of the most infamous commercial failures in video game history, for the Atari 2600. It also releases the Atari 5200. Commodore Business Machines releases the Commodore 64. Sinclair Research releases the ZX Spectrum microcomputer. Coleco releases the ColecoVision home console.
• 1981 in video gaming — Nintendo releases Donkey Kong. Sega releases the Turbo and the Frogger video game, which was developed by Konami. Namco releases Ms. Pac-Man and Galaga. Richard Garriot releases Ultima I. Sir-Tech releases Wizardry I.
• 1980 in video gaming — Infocom releases Zork I. Williams Electronics releases Defender. Namco releases Pac-Man.

1970s

• 1979 in video gaming — Mattel Electronics releases the Intellivision. The Golden Age of Arcade Games begins around this time. Namco releases Galaxian. Atari Inc. releases the Lunar Lander and Ed Logg & Lyle Rains' Asteroids arcade games. Richard Bartle and Roy Trubshaw create the first MUD. ([1])
• 1978 in video gaming — Taito releases Space Invaders.
• 1977 in video gaming — The Atari 2600, the first cartridge-based home video game system, is released under the name Atari VCS. Tim Anderson, Marc Blank, Bruce Daniels, and Dave Lebling, the future founders of Infocom, develop the first version of Zork on a PDP-10 at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
• 1976 in video gaming — Don Woods extends Colossal Cave Adventure.
• 1975 in video gaming — dnd is written (possibly in 1974 instead), William Crowther writes Colossal Cave Adventure. Don Daglow writes Dungeon (possibly in 1976 instead).
• 1974 in video gaming — Rusty Rutherford develops pedit5.
• 1973 in video gaming — John Daleske develops Empire for PLATO.
• 1972 in video gaming — Atari Inc. releases Pong.
• 1971 in video gaming — Nutting Associates releases Computer Space, a coin-operated remake of Spacewar!.