20TH ANNIVERSARY HARDWARE
Sony launches the PlayStation 3 – backed by a £6m ‘This is Living’ marketing campaign.
Microsoft is plagued by the Xbox 360’s Red Ring of Death (RROD) controversy – but puts a new warranty scheme in place to assuage consumer fears.
SOFTWARE Activision acquires Bizarre Creations.
The BBFC refuses to grant Rockstar Games’ Manhunt 2a UK age rating – the row rumbles on for a year and an edited version finally sees the light of day in 2008.
The biggest – and most surprising – announcement of the year sees the merger of Activision and Vivendi.
Sega and Nintendo announce that both Mario and Sonic will appear in a video game together for the very first time (see ‘Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games’).
EA switches distributors, ditching Pinnacle for CentreSoft.
The Wii, launched in December 2006, hits a million sales in the UK.
All three
manufacturers suffer stock shortages during the Q4 period.
IN OTHER NEWS
Microsoft releases Halo 3.
John Riccitiello re-joins Elecronic Arts as CEO. He immediately and very honestly admits the firm’s games aren’t good enough – and sets about making them a whole lot better.
Activision’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfareis a huge commercial and critical success – and heralds the re- birth of a franchise that would go on to achieve blockbuster status.
Warner Bros launches a UK games division – and later buys top British developer TT Games.
Ubisoft introduces the Assassin’s Creedfranchise.
CHARTS
The All Formats Console Top 10 1. FIFA 08 Electronic Arts
2 Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training Nintendo
3 COD 4: Modern Warfare Activision
BIGGEST SELLING SINGLE: ‘Bleeding Love’ Leona Lewis
4 Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 Konami
5 More Brain Training Nintendo
6 Halo 3 Microsoft
7 The Simpsons Game EA
8 Wii Play Nintendo
HIGHEST GROSSING FILM: Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix
www.mcvuk.com
9 Assassin’s Creed Ubisoft
10 WWE Smackdown vs Raw 2008 THQ
September 2nd 2011 25
The Government loses two computer discs with the personal details of 25 million people. Oops.
Retired chess champion Gary Kasparov is detained in Moscow for participating in a banned match.
England are whitewashed in the Ashes series in Australia.
The News of the World’s royal editor, Clive Goodman, is jailed for phone hacking. We’ll probably hear no more about it…
Grandstandis taken off the air – largely because the BBC has no sport with which to fill its six- hour slot.
A 2,100-year-old melon is discovered in Japan.
AC Milan gain revenge on Liverpool by beating them in the Champions League final. At home, Man United win the league – but lose the FA Cup final to Chelsea.
The final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, is published. It sells 11 million copies in the first hour.
The new Wembley Stadium opens.
Ford launches the fourth generation Mondeo.
Gordon Brown replaces Tony Blair as Prime Minister.
Smoking is banned in all enclosed public spaces in England.
England lose the Rugby World Cup final to South Africa.
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