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MCV 11/12/09 15
NOUGHTIES RETROSPECTIVE: 2005
[HANDHELD MADNESS] THE HANDHELD MARKET exploded in 2005 with the arrival of Nintendo DS in Europe on March 11th. The machine stole a six-month lead over PSP, which hit shelves in September, and was released at a walletfriendly £100. But it wasn’t until 2006 (see overleaf) before it began to pull away from Sony’s portable. But there was more. The controversial Gizmondo appeared on March 13th, the GBA Micro landed in September, and when Gamepark announced the GP2X for October, we asked: ‘Is there room for one more?’ No, was the answer.
[TALKIN’ ‘BOUT A REVOLUTION]
[UK EVENTS IN CRISIS]
NINTENDO AND Sony revealed their own next-gen consoles at E3 2005. The PS3 was shown off in all its sleek, high-definition glory, and the firm also announced Metal Gear Solid 4, GT5, Devil May Cry 4, Killzone 2 and Warhawk. Nintendo’s ‘Revolution’ appeared at E3 too, but the all-important controller wasn’t shown until the Tokyo Games Show later that year. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed the device and told the press: “The feeling is so natural, as soon as players use the controller, their minds will spin with the possibilities.”
[SCI SWOOPS FOR EIDOS] THE LOSSES were piling up for Tomb Raider publisher Eidos as we headed into 2005, and a buy-out was soon on the table. Elevation Partners, which is part-owned by U2 frontman Bono, tabled a bid of £71 million. Yet hours later stakeholder SCi swooped in with an offer of £76.1 million, and bought the firm. Costs were cut and redunancies were made as SCi attempted to bring Eidos back to profitability. However, it was only a short-term fix and Square Enix eventually bought the company in 2009.
THE CONSUMER and trade show war that blighted 2004 caused the collapse of several major video game events, including Game Zone Live and the long-running ECTS. Later in the year, another consumer games show set to take place in Birmingham – State of Play – also fell through. At the time Nintendo’s UK boss David Yarnton told MCV: “I just can’t understand it. It’s a poor reflection on the UK.” A viable alternative to ECTS never surfaced and the UK trade now use Germany for all their event needs.
[2005: UK’S BEST-SELLING GAMES] Title
Publisher
1 FIFA 06
EA
2 Pro Evolution Soccer 5
Konami
3 Need for Speed: Most Wanted EA
[HOT COFFEE CONTROVERSY] HOT ON the heels of Manhunt, Rockstar hit the headlines again after a PC mod unlocked a sex mini game in GTA: San Andreas. The game was re-classified Adults Only in the US and Take-Two was taken to court, after the firm came under heavy fire from politicians including senator Hillary Clinton.
Format
PS2, PSP, Xbox, 360, DS, GBA, PC, GC PS2, PSP, XBOX, PC PS2, PSP, Xbox, 360, DS, GBA, PC, GC
4 Gran Turismo 4
EA
5 Star Wars III: Sith
LucasArts
6 FIFA Street
EA
7 Star Wars: Battlefront II
LucasArts
8 GTA: San Andreas
Rockstar
9 King Kong
Ubisoft PS2, XBOX, PSP, DS, 360, GBA, PC, GC
10 The Sims 2
EA
[SOURCE]
PS2 PS2, Xbox, DS, GBA PS2, XBOX, GC PS2, XBOX, PSP, PC PS2, XBOX, PC
PS2, PC, DS, GBA, GC, AC (c) ELSPA, Compiled by ChartTrack