References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2023 October 25.

2002

January 1

• Sony CEI releases the Gran Turismo Concept Tokyo 2001 video game for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. This is a scaled down version of Gran Turismo 3, with only Arcade mode, 20 Japanese concept cars, and five tracks. Price is 3200 yen (about US$26). [304.56,72] [345.72] [812.9]

January 6

• The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. A "what if" scenario is shown: "what if life were more like a video game".
  • The space ship in Asteroids shoots some asteroids, then lands in the main building.
  • The president of the Earth signs peace with Ambassador Kong (Donkey Kong) of planet Nintendo 64.
  • The Donkey Kong character throws barrels, climbs ladders, and the sounds of the Donkey Kong video game can be heard.
  • The Mario character also appears, as the representative of Italy.
  • A green wireframe tank from Battle Zone roams the street.
  • Doors in a military building are labelled Missile Command, Secretary of Defender, and Moon Patrol.
  • To enter the War Room, a message is displayed "You need the blue key", like in games like Doom.
  • Monitors in the War Room show Centipede playing.
  • The main general is Pac-Man.
  • One sequence takes place on a full-screen Pac-Man board, complete with ghosts, pellets, and power pills.
  • A group of people escape out of a Warp Pipe from Super Mario Bros..
  • Above the city, a real game of Space Invaders takes place, with the familiar alien ships advancing left, right, and down.
  • One of the main characters plays Space Invaders on an arcade machine, shooting the ships above the city.
  • When General Pac-Man is killed, Ms. Pac-man mourns his loss.
  • When the last space ship lands on Earth, out steps Donkey Kong, an egg from Burger Time, Q*Bert, the main Robotron character and one of the brain people.
  • A character says "All your base are belong to us", a reference to an English translation of the 1989 Japanese video game Zero Wing by Toaplan.
  [863]

January 10

• Sega releases the Rez video game for the PlayStation 2 in the US. [304.188] [479.98] [619.134] [628.34] [960.62]

January

• Sony releases the PlayStation 2 Hard Disk Drive for the PlayStation 2 in the US. [296.50]

January 23

• Sony begins selling a PS One with plug-in LCD screen, for US$200. [597]

January

• Unit sales of the Final Fantasy X video game in the world to date: 4 million. This is the first PlayStation 2 title to reach sales of 4 million. [321.30]
• Nintendo drops the world price of the Game Boy Advance from US$99.99 to US$79.99. [321.30] [396.16]

January 30

• Sega officially announces the discontinuance of the Dreamcast video game system. [482.41] (January 27 [1460.588])

(month unknown)

• In Japan, Sony announces the PlayStation BB broadband network, with thirty compatible software titles. [632.14]

February 4

• Sega releases the Sonic Advance video game for the Game Boy Advance in the US. (This is the first Sonic title on any Nintendo system.) [298.76] [304.72] [779.40] (February 5 [401] [645])

February 11

• Nintendo releases the Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 for the Game Boy Advance in the US. [392.10] [401] [411]

February 12

• Sega releases the Sonic Adventure 2 Battle video game for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 in the US. [320.64] [387.20] [401] [551.102]

February 13

• Immersion files a lawsuit against Microsoft and Sony for patent infringement of joystick force-feedback technology in the Xbox and PlayStation 2 controllers. [597]

February 14

• Capcom releases the Maximo: Ghosts to Glory video game for the PlayStation 2 in the US. [296.60,76] [307.116] [633] [740.26] [741.26] [742.26]

February

• Infogrames releases the Sonic Advance video game for the Game Boy Advance in England. [403.34]
• Shipments of PlayStation 2 systems worldwide to date: 26 million. [321.30]
  vvv advertisement vvv
  
  ^^^ advertisement ^^^
  
• Sega releases the NHL 2K2 video game for the Dreamcast in the USA. This is the last official game release for the Dreamcast. [298.142] [1183.133]
• Sega, Namco, and Nintendo announce an agreement to jointly produce a 3D arcade graphics board called Triforce, based on GameCube technology. [321.30]

February 22

• In Japan, Microsoft releases the Xbox game system. Price is 34,800 yen (about US$263). A special edition with distinct color, adapter for HDTV video and Dolby 5.1 audio, and key chain signed by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates is priced at 38,800 yen. Bill Gates hands the first Xbox sold to Atsushi Ishizaka. (In the first three days, about 125,000 systems are sold.) [297.26] [304.38] [346.38] [597] [752.54] [815.60] [1466.72]
• Microsoft releases a Special-Edition Xbox video game system in Japan. The system features smoke-black translucent case, High Definition A/V Pack, and a keychain embossed with Bill Gates signature. Price is 39,800 yen (about US$300). [308.51]
• Microsoft releases the Nezumix video game for the Xbox in Japan. [346.38]
• Microsoft releases the Project Gotham: World Street Racer video game for the Xbox in Japan. [346.38] [597]
• Microsoft releases the Tenku: Freestyle Snowboarding video game for the Xbox in Japan. [346.38]
• Konami releases the Air Force Delta II video game for the Xbox in Japan. [346.38]
• Konami releases the ESPN Winter X-Games Showboarding 2002 video game for the Xbox in Japan. [346.38]
• Konami releases the Hyper Sports 2002 Winter video game for the Xbox in Japan. [346.38]
• Konami releases the Silent Hill 2: Saigo no Uta video game for the Xbox in Japan. [346.38]
• Tecmo releases the Dead or Alive 3 video game for the Xbox in Japan. [346.38] [597]
• Bunkasha Games releases the Double-S.T.E.A.L video game for the Xbox in Japan. [346.38]
• Capcom releases the Genma Onimusha video game for the Xbox in Japan. [346.38]
• Sega releases the Jet Set Radio Future video game for the Xbox in Japan. [346.38] [597]
• Koei releases the Nobunaga's Ambition: Chronicles of Chaos video game for the Xbox in Japan. [346.38]

February 26

• Sony announces it is releasing a new line of discounted "Greatest hits" titles for the PlayStation 2 for US$25 each. Titles are eligible when they have been out for eight months and have sold over 400,000 copies. First releases will be on April 1. [597] [632.16] [745.16]

(month unknown)

• Sony announces it will reduce the unit price charged to developers to produce PlayStation 2 games from US$2.25 to US$1.50. [752.54]
• The D.I.C.E. awards are presented for video and computer games. The Innovation in Console Gaming award is won by Nintendo for the Pikmin game. The Handheld Game of the Year award is won by Nintendo for the Advance Wars game. The Console Children's Game of the Year award is won by Nintendo for the Mario Party 3 game. [412.16]

March

• Nintendo announces that Square will produce games for the GameCube and Game Boy Advance systems. (Square had shifted its games to the PlayStation in 1996.) [322.24]
• Sony CEA announces it will launch a PlayStation 2 online service in August in the US. [322.24]

March 4

• Activision releases the Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 video game for the Game Boy Advance in the USA. [1149.64]

March 5

• Midway releases the Gauntlet: Dark Legacy video game for the GameCube in the US. [396.16] [401]

March 7

• Sony announces it will release a Linux development kit for the PlayStation 2 on May 22. The US$200 kit will include a 40 GB hard drive, Ethernet adapter, mouse, and keyboard. [597] [648.8]

March 8

• The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A department store has a "Video Games" section. [887]

March 14

• Microsoft releases the Xbox video game system in Europe. Prices in England: Xbox system 299 pounds, games 44.99 pounds, controller 24.99 pounds, DVD remote controller 29.99 pounds, memory unit 29.99 pounds. Price for the Xbox in the rest of Europe: 479 euros (about US$430). [469.58] [597] [752.54] [812.8] [815.60]
• Microsoft releases the Halo: Combat Evolved video game for the Xbox in the UK. [1447.13]

March 15

• Screen Gems releases the film Resident Evil to theaters in the US. The film is based on the video game of the same title. (Gross theater revenue: US$17 million.) [308.34] [501.15] [636.30] [743.18] [828.24] [1292.26]

March 17

• The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. A video arcade machine is used on board a space ship for blasting other ships. [875]

March 19

• Sega releases the Virtua Fighter 4 video game for the PlayStation 2 in the US. [304.186] [307.76] [308.68] [551.77] [636.34]

March

• In San Jose, California, the International Game Developers Association holds its 16th annual Game Developers Conference. Sega producer Yuji Naka, creator of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, is given the Lifetime Achievement Award. [412.46] [597]

March 19

• EA Games releases the James Bond 007 in Agent Under Fire for the GameCube in the US. [396.18] [401]

March 22

• The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. Two characters play "Crash Nebula" on a home video game system. The final question in a Brain-a-Thon competition is about the propulsion system of a spaceship in a video game. [888]

March 26

• Eidos releases the Legacy of Kain: Blood Omen 2 video game for the Xbox and PlayStation 2 in the US. [296.60,140] [297.56] [298.76,175] [308.114] [636.34] [741.26] [742.26] [743.20]

March 31

• Nintendo reports it has sold 3.8 million GameCube systems to date. [597]
• Worldwide shipments of the Dreamcast system: about 10 million. [551.30]

March (month)

• Top selling video game in the USA for the month: Super Mario Advance 2 for the Game Boy Advance. [744.29] [980.56]

(month unknown)

• Total sales to date of video game systems in Japan: PlayStation 2 8 million; GameCube 1.5 million; Xbox 190,000. [815.60]
• Total sales to date of video game systems in the US: PlayStation 2 8.3 million; GameCube 1.5 million; Xbox 1.8 million. [815.60]
• Total sales to date of video game systems in the UK: PlayStation 2 2.3 million; Xbox 73,294. [815.60]

April 1

• Sony reduces the price of several PlayStation 2 video game titles in the US, releasing them as "Greatest Hits" for US$24.99 each. First titles are: ATV Offroad Fury, Dark Clouds, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, Twisted Metal: Black. [745.16]

April 15

• Capcom releases the Breath of Fire II video game for the Game Boy Advance in the US. Price is US$39.99. [321.58] [401]

April

• Microsoft drops the price of the Xbox in Europe to 299 euros, in Great Britain to 199 pounds (US$285), and in Australia to AU$399 (US$215). [330.24] [1287.18]
• IBM, Toshiba, and Sony announce an agreement to develop a new computer chip, code named "Cell", likely to be the heart of the next Sony video game system. [330.24]

April 18

• Microsoft announces a price drop on the Xbox in the United Kingdom from 299 pounds to 199.99 pounds as of April 26. [815.8]

April 19

• Nintendo releases a black-cased Game Boy Advance in the United Kingdom. [813.9] [814.8]
• Nintendo releases the Super Mario Advance 2 video game in the United Kingdom. [813.9]
• US District Judge Stephen Limbaugh rejects a request against a St. Louis ordinance of 2000 limiting access of minors to video game arcades. The judge rules that video games are not protected by freedom of speech. [960.225]

April 22

• Nintendo announces that the launch price for the GameCube in the United Kingdom will be 129 pounds. [815.8]

April 26

• Microsoft reduces the price of the Xbox in Europe. [597]
• The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A handheld video game system appears, looking like the Game Boy Color. [889]

April 28

• The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. An arcade video game Shark Bait appears. [918]

April

• Charles Hirschhorn creates G4 Television in the USA, a cable channel devoted entirely to video games. [683.34] [980.26]

April 30

• Capcom releases the Resident Evil video game for the GameCube in the US. [298.30] [304.107] [322.60] [346.28] [532.18] [577.103] [834.17]

(month unknown)

• Activision acquires the Z-Axis company. [441.24]
• Interplay sells the Shiny Entertainment company to Infogrames for about US$47 million. [441.24] [744.18]

May 3

• Nintendo launches the GameCube in Europe. [403.90] [426.28] [597] [813.123] [814.8] [815.60] [980.36]

May 9

• Sony announces that as of May 5, it has shipped 30 million PlayStation 2 systems worldwide: 11.3 million in North America, 9.9 million in Japan, and 8.8 million in Europe. [597] [985.12] (May 14 [441.24])

May 10

• Triton Labs ships the Afterburner lighted flat-panel display kit for the Game Boy Advance in the US. Price is U$35. [310.46]

May 13

• Nintendo announces it will begin selling a network adaptor for the GameCube this fall, as well as a dial-up modem. Each will be priced at US$35. [597]

May 14

• Sony CEA announces new US prices on the PS one (US$49) and PlayStation 2 (US$199). [441.24] [597]
• Sony reduces the price of the PlayStation 2 in Japan to 29,000 yen (about US$235). [441.24] [597]

May 15

• Microsoft reduces the price of the Xbox video game system to US$199 in the US, CDN$299 in Canada, and 24,800 yen in Japan (about US$195). [310.30] [441.24] [597]

May

• Microsoft begins selling a smaller controller for the Xbox in the US, for US$29. [597]

May 16

• Square releases the Final Fantasy XI video game for the PlayStation 2 in Japan. Price is 7800 yen (about US$61). [309.48] [322.97] [632.14]

May 21

• Take Two Interactive Software announces the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City video game for the PlayStation 2. Release date is set for October 22. [597]
• Nintendo reduces the price of the GameCube from US$199.95 to US$149.95 in the United States. [310.32] [412.26] [441.24] [533.20] [597]

May 22

• In Los Angeles, California, the Electronic Entertainment Expo show is held, over three days. Total attendance is 60,000. [308.38] [309.38] [322.24] [412.26] [633.101] [1028.38]
• At the Electronic Entertainment Expo, the Game Critics Awards are presented:
  • Best Original Game: Psychonauts.
  [1288.68]

May

• Unit shipments of GameCube systems worldwide to date: 4-5 million. [441.24]

May (month)

• Top selling video game in the USA for the month: Spider-Man: The Movie for the PlayStation 2. [954.16]

June 6

• Electronic Arts releases the Medal of Honor: Frontline video game for the PlayStation 2 in the US. [298.124] [321.41] [330.71] [743.20]

June 7

• The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A scene takes place in a videogame arcade. [847]

June

• THQ and Microsoft announce an exclusive deal for THQ to port Microsoft Xbox titles to the Game Boy Advance. [331.30]
• Sony announces it has shipped 10 million PlayStation 2 systems in Japan in 27 months. [331.30]

June 24

• Nintendo releases the Eternal Darkness video game for the GameCube in the US. [297.25,56,150] [298.76,208] [309.73] [330.58] [346.28] [980.80]

June 30

• Microsoft reports worldwide sales of the Xbox to date as 4 million. Unit sales of video games worldwide for the Xbox are about 20 million. [597]

June (month)

• Top selling video game in the USA for the month: Medal of Honor: Frontline for the PlayStation 2. [1004.28] [1403.84]

(month unknown)

• The Free Expression Policy Project presents a legal brief in the St. Louis Video Game Case, reporting that most studies of the effects of violent video games found no evidence of adverse effects on players. [480.50]
• Crystal Sky announces it has purchased the rights to produce a Pac-Man movie. [682.77]
• William Morris Agency creates the World Series of Video Gaming. [940.31]
• Laszlo Takac in New Hampshire, USA sets new world record score in Tempest arcade video game: 1,491,910. [1482.41]

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