2007 in video games
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2007 has seen many sequels and prequels in video games. New intellectual properties include Assassin's Creed, BioShock, Crackdown, Crysis, Mass Effect, Portal, Rock Band, Skate, The Darkness, and Uncharted.
Events
| Month | Date(s) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| March | 14 | Microsoft announces Games for Windows – Live, a version of Xbox Live for the Windows platform. The service launched on May 8.[1] |
| 27 | Microsoft announces the new "Xbox 360 Elite" stock-keeping unit (SKU). The revision comes with a bigger hard drive and the ability to output HDMI. It went on sale in April.[2] | |
| 28 | Nintendo and Sega announce Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games for the Nintendo DS and Wii. This marks the first time Sonic and Mario have ever appeared in a video game together. | |
| April | 11 | Sony announces that they are discontinuing the 20 GB PlayStation 3 SKU, one of two SKUs available at the systems launch, leaving only the 60 GB SKU available for consumer purchase.[3] |
| May | 19 | Blizzard Entertainment announces StarCraft II at Seoul, South Korea.[4] |
| June | 27 | Nintendo announces WiiWare, a service similar to Xbox Live Arcade, that will allow developers to release original downloadable games for the Wii. Previously the only downloadable games available on the Wii have been limited to its Virtual Console program.[5] |
| July | 5 | After an outpouring of complaints over faulty Xbox 360 hardware, Microsoft announces an extension for the Xbox 360's warranty that applies retroactively to all consumers who have purchased the console since launch.[6] |
| August | 29 | Nokia reveals plans to revive its failing N-Gage brand in November; however, this time the line will not be a console, but rather a service players can download onto Nokia phones and/or PCs.[7] |
| September | 25 | Halo 3 is released and grosses US$170 million in a 24-hour period, a record for the highest grossing opening day in video game history.[8] |
| 26 | Activision buys Bizarre Creations, developer of the Project Gotham Racing series.[9] | |
| October | 1 | Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels is released in the United States on the Wii's Virtual Console, twenty-one years after it was released in Japan. |
| 5 | Bungie announces its split with Microsoft to become an independent studio.[10] | |
| 10 | The Orange Box (a video game compilation that includes Half-Life 2, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal & Team Fortress 2) is officially released in North America on PC and Xbox 360. | |
| 11 | Electronic Arts (EA) announces plans to buy VG Holding Corp., which owns both Pandemic Studios and BioWare, effectively making both companies subsidiaries.[11] | |
| November | 6 | EA closes down its EA Chicago studios.[12] |
| December | 19 | 3D Realms releases a teaser trailer for Duke Nukem Forever[13] after six years since the last trailer and eleven years since announcing the game.[citation needed] It was not released until 2011, 4 years later. |
Business
| Month | Date(s) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| July | 11 - 13 | E3 Media & Business Summit at several hotels and the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, United States.[14] |
| August | 23 - 26 | The Leipzig Games Developers Convention in Leipzig, Germany. |
| 24 - 26 | Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington, United States. | |
| September | 20 - 23 | Tokyo Game Show at the Makuhari Messe International Convention complex in Mihama-ku, Chiba, Japan. |
| 28 - 30 | Digital Life at New York's Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York, New York, United States. | |
| October | 18 - 20 | E for All Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California, United States. |
| November | 2 - 4 | Videogames Expo (VGXPO) at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. |
| 27 - 28 | Montreal Games Summit at the Palais de Congress international convention. |
Game releases
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Hardware and software sales
Europe
- Based on estimates from Electronic Arts:
Video game console sales of 2007 in Europe[15][16]
| Place | Console | Units sold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nintendo DS | 8.7 million |
| 2 | Wii | 4.8 million |
| 3 | PlayStation 2 | 3.8 million |
| 4 | PlayStation Portable | 3.1 million |
| 5 | PlayStation 3 | 2.8 million |
| 6 | Xbox 360 | 1.9 million |
Japan
- Based on figures from Enterbrain:
Video game console sales of 2007 in Japan[17][18][19][20]
| Place | Console | Units sold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nintendo DS | 7,143,702 |
| 2 | Wii | 3,629,361 |
| 3 | PSP | 3,022,659 |
| 4 | PlayStation 3 | 1,206,347 |
| 5 | PlayStation 2 | 816,419[21] |
| 6 | Xbox 360 | 257,841 |
Best-selling video games of 2007 in Japan[18][22][23]
| Place | Title | Console | Units sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wii Sports | Wii | 1,911,520 |
| 2 | Monster Hunter Portable 2 | PSP | 1,489,898 |
| 3 | Wii Play | Wii | 1,487,484 |
| 4 | Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time and Explorers of Darkness | NDS | 1,256,516 |
| 5 | Mario Party DS | NDS | 1,232,644 |
| 6 | New Super Mario Bros. | NDS | 1,176,939 |
| 7 | Pokémon Diamond and Pearl | NDS | 1,094,389 |
| 8 | Mario Party 8 | Wii | 1,053,934 |
| 9 | Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen | NDS | 1,052,827 |
| 10 | Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day! | NDS | 1,033,933 |
North America
Best-selling video games of 2007 in North America (by platform)
| Place | Wii[31] | Xbox 360[25] |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wii Play (Nintendo) |
Halo 3 (Microsoft) |
| 2 | Mario Party 8 (Nintendo) |
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Activision) |
| 3 | Super Mario Galaxy (Nintendo) |
Guitar Hero II (RedOctane) |
| 4 | Super Paper Mario (Nintendo) |
Madden NFL 08 (Electronic Arts) |
| 5 | Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (RedOctane) |
Assassin's Creed (Ubisoft) |
| 6 | WarioWare: Smooth Moves (Nintendo) |
BioShock (2K Games) |
| 7 | Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Nintendo) |
Crackdown (Microsoft) |
| 8 | Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition (Capcom) |
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock (RedOctane) |
| 9 | Mario Strikers Charged (Nintendo) |
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 (Ubisoft) |
| 10 | Pokémon Battle Revolution (Nintendo) |
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition (Capcom) |
United Kingdom
- Based on figures from Chart-Track:
Best-selling video games of 2007 in the UK[32][33][34][35]
| Place | Title | Publisher | Units sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | FIFA 08 | Electronic Arts | 1,391,435 |
| 2 | Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old is Your Brain? | Nintendo | 1,016,558 |
| 3 | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | Activision | 935,044 |
| 4 | Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 | Konami | 787,382 |
| 5 | More Brain Training from Dr Kawashima | Nintendo | 760,225 |
| 6 | Halo 3 | Microsoft | 735,176 |
| 7 | The Simpsons Game | Electronic Arts | 734,595 |
| 8 | Wii Play | Nintendo | 688,002 |
| 9 | Assassin's Creed | Ubisoft | 670,286 |
| 10 | WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 | THQ | 563,121 |
Best-selling video games of 2007 in the UK (by platform)[36]
The games' publishers are listed in brackets:
United States
- Based on figures from the NPD Group:
Video game console sales of 2007 in the US[37][38][39]
| Place | Console | Units sold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nintendo DS | 8.50 million |
| 2 | Wii | 6.29 million |
| 3 | Xbox 360 | 4.62 million |
| 4 | PlayStation 2 | 3.97 million |
| 5 | PSP | 3.82 million |
| 6 | PlayStation 3 | 2.56 million |
Best-selling video games of 2007 in the US[38][39][40]
| Place | Title | Console | Units sold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Halo 3 | X360 | 4.82 million |
| 2 | Wii Play | Wii | 4.12 million |
| 3 | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | X360 | 3.04 million |
| 4 | Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock with guitar | PS2 | 2.72 million |
| 5 | Super Mario Galaxy | Wii | 2.52 million |
| 6 | Pokémon Diamond | NDS | 2.48 million |
| 7 | Madden NFL 08 | PS2 | 1.90 million |
| 8 | Guitar Hero II with guitar | PS2 | 1.89 million |
| 9 | Assassin's Creed | X360 | 1.87 million |
| 10 | Mario Party 8 | Wii | 1.82 million |
Best-selling video games of all time in the US (as of September 25, 2007)[41]
Note: This list only includes games that were released after NPD started tracking video game sales data.| Place | Title | Units sold |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | 8.6 million |
| 2 | Madden NFL 07 | 7.4 million |
| 3 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | 6.8 million |
| 4 | Madden NFL 06 | 6.5 million |
| 5 | Halo 2 | 6.3 million |
| 6 | Namco Museum | 6.2 million |
| 7 | Super Mario 64 | 6.0 million |
| 8 | Madden NFL 2005 | 5.9 million |
| 9 | Grand Theft Auto III | 5.7 million |
| 10 | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 | 5.3 million |
Success
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Both GameTrailers and ScrewAttack have called and listed 2007 as the best year in gaming history due to so many memorable releases of well received games.
Highest critically reviewed games (Metacritic)
| Number | Video Game | Developer | Publisher | Platform | Release Date | Average score | Number of reviews | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Super Mario Galaxy | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | Wii | November 12 | 97 | 73 reviews | [42] |
| 2 | BioShock | Irrational Games | 2K Games | Xbox 360 | August 21 | 96 | 88 reviews | [43] |
| 3 | Halo 3 | Bungie | Microsoft Game Studios | Xbox 360 | September 25 | 94 | 86 reviews | [44] |
| 4 | Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare | Infinity Ward | Activision | Xbox 360 | November 5 | 94 | 70 reviews | [45] |
| 5 | God of War II | SCE Santa Monica Studio | Sony Computer Entertainment | PlayStation 2 | March 13 | 93 | 70 reviews | [46] |
| 6 | Rock Band | Harmonix | Electronic Arts/MTV Games | Xbox 360 | November 20 | 92 | 72 reviews | [47] |
| 7 | Mass Effect | BioWare | Electronic Arts | Xbox 360 | November 20 | 91 | 74 reviews | [48] |
| 8 | Crysis | Crytek | Electronic Arts | PC | November 13 | 91 | 56 reviews | [49] |
| 9 | Forza Motorsport 2 | Turn 10 Studios | Microsoft Game Studios | Xbox 360 | May 29 | 90 | 66 reviews | [50] |
| 10 | Metroid Prime 3: Corruption | Retro Studios | Nintendo | Wii | August 27 | 90 | 62 reviews | [51] |
References
- ^ Vista gets Live-wired in May - Xbox 360 News at GameSpot
- ^ Xbox 360 promoted to Elite - News at GameSpot
- ^ 20GB PS3 officially discontinued in North America - News at GameSpot
- ^ Blizzard's Worldwide Invitational -- The StarCraft 2 Announcement
- ^ Wii to receive original downloadable games - News at GameSpot
- ^ Q&A: Peter Moore on new 360 warranty - Xbox 360 News at GameSpot
- ^ N-Gage to game again - News at GameSpot
- ^ Blake Snow (September 26, 2007). "Analyst: Halo 3 shatters retail record; sells $170M in 24 hrs". GamePro. Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2007.
- ^ Activision makes Bizarre acquisition - Xbox 360 News at GameSpot
- ^ Bungie and Microsoft officially split - Xbox 360 News at GameSpot
- ^ EA buying BioWare/Pandemic for $860M - Xbox 360 News at GameSpot
- ^ Breaking: EA Confirms EA Chicago is Closing
- ^ Teaser Video Coming 12/19/07, Noon CST - 3D Realms Forums
- ^ "Attendance and Stats". IGN. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ^ Electronic Arts (January 31, 2008). "Supplemental Segment Information" (PDF). Thomson Financial. pp. 4–5. Retrieved February 9, 2008.
- ^ David Jenkins (February 1, 2008). "EA Reveals European Hardware Estimates". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on February 2, 2008. Retrieved February 9, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Neil Long (January 7, 2008). "SPECIAL REPORT: Japan's 2007 market stats in full". Market for Home Computing and Video Games. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b David Jenkins (January 11, 2008). "Wii Sports Named Best Selling Game Of 2007 In Japan". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on February 18, 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ David Jenkins (January 7, 2008). "Enterbrain: Wii Lead Over PS3 Rises To 3:1". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on January 13, 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Kiyoshi Takenaka; Hugh Lawson (January 7, 2008). "Nintendo Wii outsells PS3 3-to-1 in Japan". Reuters. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
- ^ "Japanese 2008 Market Report". Market for Home Computing and Video Games. January 9, 2009. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved January 15, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Neil Long (January 11, 2008). "JAPAN 2007: Nintendo dominates software sales". Market for Home Computing and Video Games. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Data Collected by Famitsu: from January 1 to December 30, 2007". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
- ^ Dan Adams; Steve Butts; Charles Onyett (December 20, 2007). "PC Year in Review 2007". IGN. p. 1. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b IGN Xbox 360 Team (December 20, 2007). "Xbox 360 2007 Year in Review". IGN. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ IGN Staff (December 20, 2007). "Nintendo DS 2007 Year in Review". IGN. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
- ^ Dan Adams; Steve Butts; Charles Onyett (December 20, 2007). "PC Year in Review 2007". IGN. p. 2. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
- ^ IGN PlayStation Team (December 20, 2007). "PS2 2007 Year in Review". IGN. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
- ^ IGN PlayStation Team (December 20, 2007). "PS3 2007 Year in Review". IGN. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
- ^ IGN PlayStation Team (December 20, 2007). "PSP 2007 Year in Review". IGN. Archived from the original on March 24, 2009. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Mark Bozon; Lucas M. Thomas (December 20, 2007). "Nintendo Wii 2007 Year in Review". IGN. Retrieved February 15, 2009.
- ^ Luke Plunkett (January 9, 2008). "The Top-Selling Games In Britain For 2007 Were..." Kotaku. Archived from the original on February 2, 2008. Retrieved February 9, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Phil Elliott (January 9, 2008). "FIFA 08 ranks top of 2007 UK sales". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on February 11, 2008. Retrieved February 9, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Top 50". Market for Home Computing and Video Games. January 30, 2008. Archived from the original on February 3, 2008. Retrieved February 9, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Neil Long (January 10, 2008). "UK GAMES MARKET 2007". Market for Home Computing and Video Games. Archived from the original on February 18, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Format breakdown". Market for Home Computing and Video Games. January 30, 2008. Archived from the original on January 22, 2009. Retrieved February 14, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Michael McWhertor (January 18, 2008). "Who's Winning The Console War In The US?". Kotaku. Archived from the original on January 20, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b James Brightman (January 17, 2008). "NPD: U.S. Video Game Industry Totals $17.94 Billion, Halo 3 Tops All". GameDaily. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Brandon Boyer (January 18, 2008). "NPD: 2007 U.S. Game Industry Growth Up 43% To $17.9 Billion". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on January 18, 2008. Retrieved January 19, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Michael McWhertor (January 17, 2008). "Halo 3 Beats Out Wii Play For Best Selling Video Game of 2007". Kotaku. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Sidener, Jonathan (September 25, 2007). "Microsoft pins Xbox 360 hopes on 'Halo 3' sales". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Archived from the original on May 21, 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Reviews for Super Mario Galaxy". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ "Reviews for BioShock". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ "Reviews for Halo 3". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ "Reviews for Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ "Reviews for God of War II". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ "Reviews for Rock Band". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ "Reviews for Mass Effect". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ "Reviews for Crysis". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ "Reviews for Forza Motorsport 2". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
- ^ "Reviews for Metroid Prime 3: Corruption". Metacritic. Retrieved January 13, 2015.
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52 Ocean of Games Metacritic. Retrieved June 6, 2016.