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2001 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Madden NFL 2002, NBA Live 2002, NBA 2K2, WWF Smackdown! Just Bring It, Capcom vs. SNK 2, Dead or Alive 3, Final Fantasy X, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec, Grand Theft Auto III, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Myst III: Exile, Crazy Taxi 2, SSX Tricky, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Sonic Adventure 2, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3, and Virtua Fighter 4. New intellectual properties include Ace Attorney, Advance Wars, Animal Crossing, Burnout, Gothic, Black & White, Devil May Cry, Fatal Frame, Ghost Recon, Halo, Jak and Daxter, Max Payne, Oni, Onimusha: Warlords, Operation Flashpoint, Pikmin, Pro Evolution Soccer, Red Faction, Serious Sam, and Tropico.
Three major video game systems were released in 2001: the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance by Nintendo, and the Xbox by Microsoft.[1] Sega, which had been a major competitor in the video game hardware market to this point, ended its involvement in the market after the failure of the Dreamcast.[2] The year 2001 is remembered for its influence on the video game industry with the release of many games recognized as classics.[3][4] Many video games released in 2001 defined or redefined their respective genres, including hack and slash game Devil May Cry,[5][6] first-person shooter game Halo: Combat Evolved,[7][8] and open world action-adventure game Grand Theft Auto III, which is regarded as an industry-defining work.[9][10]
The year has been retrospectively considered one of the best and most important in video game history due to the release of numerous critically acclaimed, commercially successful and influential titles across all platforms and genres at the time. It was the peak year for the sixth generation of video game consoles, with the launch of the GameCube and Xbox, the latter focusing on online games (following SegaNet the previous year), and the Dreamcast's last year of production with Sega's exit from console manufacturing. Storytelling and mature themes also became a more mainstream trend.[11][12] The year's best-selling video game worldwide was Pokémon Gold/Silver/Crystal, the fourth year in a row for the Pokémon series (since 1998). The year's most critically acclaimed titles were Gran Turismo 3 and Final Fantasy X in Japan, and Halo and Grand Theft Auto III in the West.
Hardware releases
Game Boy Advance
| Month | Day | Console |
|---|---|---|
| March | 21 | Game Boy Advance |
| September | 14 | GameCube |
| November | 15 | Xbox |
Top-rated games
Major awards
Critically acclaimed titles
Famitsu Platinum Hall of Fame
In Japan, the following video game releases in 2001 entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" for receiving Famitsu scores of at least 35 out of 40.[13]
Metacritic and GameRankings
In the West, Metacritic (MC) and GameRankings (GR) are aggregators of video game journalism reviews.
Financial performance
Best-selling home video games
| Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher | Sales | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | United States[18] | Combined | ||||
| 1 | Pokémon Gold / Silver / Crystal | Game Boy Color | Nintendo | 826,125[lower-alpha 1] | 3,127,659 | 3,953,784 |
| 2 | Final Fantasy X | PlayStation 2 | Squaresoft | 2,434,015[19] | 746,632[20] | 3,180,647 |
| 3 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PlayStation 2 | Sony | 1,656,959[19] | 1,172,322 | 2,829,281 |
| 4 | Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | PlayStation 2 | Konami | 750,560[19] | 1,800,000+[21] | 2,550,560+ |
| 5 | Madden NFL 2002 | PS2, PlayStation | EA Sports | — | 2,220,112 | 2,220,112 |
| 6 | The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages | Game Boy Color | Nintendo | 772,858[19] | 1,248,191 | 2,021,049 |
| 7 | Grand Theft Auto III | PlayStation 2 | Rockstar | — | 1,965,832 | 1,965,832 |
| 8 | Super Mario Advance | Game Boy Advance | Nintendo | 777,899[22] | 1,172,323+[23][18] | 1,950,222+ |
| 9 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | PlayStation, PC | EA | 83,954[22] | 1,628,744[18][24] | 1,712,698 |
| 10 | The Sims | PC | EA | — | 1,482,182[24] | 1,482,182 |
| Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Sales revenue | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA[18][23][25] | Europe[26] | Combined | Inflation | |||
| 1 | Pokémon Gold / Silver / Crystal | GBC | $91,038,324 | €221,000,000 ($198,000,000) | $289,038,324 | $478,000,000 |
| 2 | Grand Theft Auto III | PlayStation 2 | $98,940,325 | €54,000,000 ($48,000,000) | $146,940,325 | $243,000,000 |
| 3 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Multi-platform | $55,148,445[18][23][24] | €92,000,000 ($82,000,000) | $137,148,445 | $227,000,000 |
| 4 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PlayStation 2 | $58,264,403 | €64,000,000 ($57,000,000) | $115,264,403 | $190,000,000 |
| 5 | Madden NFL 2002 | PS2, PS1 | $110,000,000 | Unknown | $110,000,000+ | $180,000,000+ |
| 6 | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 | Multi-platform | $81,000,000 | €24,000,000 ($21,000,000) | $102,000,000 | $169,000,000 |
| 7 | Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | PlayStation 2 | $87,000,000+ | — | $87,000,000+ | $144,000,000+ |
| 8 | The Sims | PC | $60,499,079[24] | €25,000,000 ($22,000,000) | $82,499,079 | $136,000,000 |
| 9 | Super Mario Advance | GBA | $37,000,000+ | €23,000,000 ($21,000,000) | $56,000,000+ | $93,000,000+ |
| 10 | FIFA Football 2002 | Multi-platform | Unknown | €52,000,000 ($47,000,000) | $47,000,000+ | $78,000,000+ |
Japan
| Rank | Title | Platform | Sales | Sales revenue | Inflation | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Final Fantasy X | PS2 | 2,434,015 | ¥17,600,000,000+ ($145,000,000+) | $240,000,000+ | [19][27] |
| 2 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PS2 | 1,656,959 | Unknown | [19] | |
| 3 | Dragon Quest Monsters 2 | PlayStation | 1,138,756 | Unknown | [22] | |
| 4 | Dragon Quest IV: Michibikareshi Monotachi | PlayStation | 1,039,443 | Unknown | [19] | |
| 5 | Onimusha (Onimusha: Warlords) | PS2 | 1,000,000+ | Unknown | [28][29] | |
| 6 | Minna no Golf 3 (Everybody's Golf 3) | PS2 | 871,167 | Unknown | [19] | |
| 7 | Dai Rantō Smash Brothers DX (Smash Bros. Melee) | GameCube | 838,237 | |||
| 8 | Pocket Monsters: Gold / Silver / Crystal (Pokémon) | GBC | 826,125 | Unknown | [lower-alpha 1] | |
| 9 | Winning Eleven 5 (Pro Evolution Soccer) | PS2 | 789,515 | Unknown | [19] | |
| 10 | Super Mario Advance | GBA | 777,899 | Unknown | [22] | |
United States
| Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Sales | Revenue | Inflation | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokémon Gold / Silver / Crystal | Game Boy Color | 3,127,659 | $91,038,324 | $150,000,000 | [18][23][25] |
| 2 | Madden NFL 2002 | PlayStation 2, PlayStation | 2,220,112 | $110,000,000 | $180,000,000 | [23][18] |
| 3 | Grand Theft Auto III | PlayStation 2 | 1,965,832 | $98,940,325 | $160,000,000 | [23][18] |
| 4 | Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | PlayStation 2 | 1,800,000+ | $87,000,000+ | $140,000,000+ | [21][23] |
| 5 | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 | PlayStation 2, PlayStation | 1,693,037 | $81,000,000 | $134,000,000 | [23][18] |
| 6 | Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone | PlayStation, PC | 1,628,744 | $55,148,445 | $91,000,000 | [18][23][24] |
| 7 | The Sims | PC | 1,482,182 | $60,499,079 | $100,000,000 | [24] |
| 8 | The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons / Oracle of Ages | Game Boy Color | 1,248,191 | $39,000,000 | $64,000,000 | [23][18] |
| 9 | Super Mario Advance | Game Boy Advance | 1,172,323+ | $35,000,000+ | $58,000,000+ | [23][18] |
| 10 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PlayStation 2 | 1,172,322 | $58,264,403 | $96,000,000 | [23][18] |
PAL regions
| Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher | Genre | Sales revenue | Inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokémon Gold / Silver / Crystal | Game Boy Color | Nintendo | Role-playing | €221,000,000 ($198,000,000) | $327,000,000 |
| 2 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Multi-platform | Electronic Arts | Action-adventure | €92,000,000 ($82,000,000) | $140,000,000 |
| 3 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PlayStation 2 | Sony | Racing sim | €64,000,000 ($57,000,000) | $94,000,000 |
| 4 | Grand Theft Auto III | PlayStation 2 | Rockstar Games | Action-adventure | €54,000,000 ($48,000,000) | $79,000,000 |
| 5 | FIFA Football 2002 | Multi-platform | EA Sports | Sports | €52,000,000 ($47,000,000) | $78,000,000 |
| 6 | Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? | Multi-platform | Eidos Interactive | Quiz | €33,000,000 ($30,000,000) | $50,000,000 |
| 7 | FIFA 2001 | Multi-platform | EA Sports | Sports | €31,000,000 ($28,000,000) | $46,000,000 |
| 8 | Final Fantasy IX | PlayStation | Squaresoft | Role-playing | €30,000,000 ($27,000,000) | $45,000,000 |
| 9 | Black & White | PC | Electronic Arts | God game | €28,000,000 ($25,000,000) | $41,000,000 |
| 10 | The Sims | PC | Electronic Arts | Life simulation | €25,000,000 ($22,000,000) | $36,000,000 |
| Rank | Title | Platform | Developer | Publisher | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pokémon Crystal | Game Boy Color | Game Freak | Nintendo | Role-playing |
| 2 | Pokémon Gold | ||||
| 3 | Pokémon Silver | ||||
| 4 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | PlayStation | Argonaut Games | Electronic Arts | Action-adventure |
| 5 | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone | Game Boy Color | Griptonite Games | Role-playing | |
| 6 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PlayStation 2 | Polyphony Digital | Sony | Racing simulation |
| 7 | Gran Turismo 2 | PlayStation | |||
| 8 | Pokémon Stadium 2 | Nintendo 64 | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | Turn-based strategy |
| 9 | Super Mario Advance | Game Boy Advance | Nintendo R&D2 | Platformer | |
| 10 | Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped | PlayStation | Naughty Dog | Sony |
Highest-grossing arcade games in Japan
| Rank | Title | Developer | Manufacturer | Type | Genre | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Canvas Shot / Flash Shot / Chaopi | Omron | Omron | Other | Purikura | 8712 |
| 2 | Derby Owners Club | Sega AM3 | Sega | Dedicated | Simulation | 3837 |
| 3 | Battle Gear 2 | Taito | Taito | Dedicated | Racing | 2601 |
| 4 | Tekken Tag Tournament | Namco | Namco | Software | Fighting | 2568 |
| 5 | Shakatto Tambourine (Samba de Amigo) | Sega | Sega | Dedicated | Rhythm | 2523 |
| 6 | Time Crisis 2 | Namco | Namco | Dedicated | Light gun shooter | 2400 |
| 7 | The King of Fighters 2000 | SNK | SNK | Software | Fighting | 2382 |
| 8 | Virtua Striker 2 ver. 2000 | Sega AM2 | Sega | Software | Sports | 2345 |
| 9 | Street Snap EG | Hitachi | Hitachi | Other | Purikura | 2291 |
| 10 | Kidō Senshi Gundam: Renpō vs. Zeon (Federation vs. Zeon) | Capcom | Banpresto | Software | Third-person shooter | 2280 |
Major events
| Month | Day(s) | Event |
|---|---|---|
| January | 29 | Infogrames acquired Hasbro Interactive, including the Game.com division, the MicroProse and Atari labels, and a right to publish and develop games based on Hasbro properties. Paradigm Entertainment was also acquired.[32] |
| 31 | Sega announced it would be departing from the console market[33] and discontinuing the Dreamcast, and develop and publish games for the GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.[34] |
Events
- Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the 4th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts John Carmack of id Software to the AIAS Hall of Fame.
- British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) hosts the 4th annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards for multimedia technologies; 15 of 21 awards go to video games.
- March 21 – The Game Boy Advance handheld is released by Nintendo. Also to back-up the GBA's identical graphics to the SNES an enhanced remake of Super Mario Bros. 2 was launched.
- May 17–19 – 7th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3);[35] the 4th annual Game Critics Awards For The Best Of E3
- June 23 – Sonic the Hedgehog celebrates its 10th anniversary.
- July – IEMA (Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association) hosts 2nd annual Executive Summit.
- Gama Network hosts the 3rd annual Independent Games Festival (IGF).
- Game Developers Conference hosts the 1st annual Game Developers Choice Awards.
- Spring – Reuters reports that the Dreamcast console has an estimated 800,000 online users playing its various online games already by midyear.
- Sony cooperates with AOL to incorporate Internet features with the PlayStation 2 console; which include a browser, email, and instant messaging capabilities.
- August – 2nd annual Dreamcast Championships (featuring the Crazy Taxi 2 video game).
- Nikkei News reports that the video game Phantasy Star Online (for Dreamcast) has had 300,000 worldwide users login already by midyear.
- September 14 – Nintendo releases the GameCube and its launch titles Luigi's Mansion and Wave Race: Blue Storm.
- November 15 – The Microsoft Xbox is introduced.
- November 18 – Nintendo releases the GameCube in North America with launch titles Luigi's Mansion and Wave Race: Blue Storm.
- November 23 – Game Park releases the GP32 wireless-multiplayer multimedia handheld console in South Korea.
- December 31 – Jez San is awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours, becoming the first person awarded specifically for services to video games.
- December – Panasonic releases the GameCube-based Q multimedia console.
Business
- Defunct companies: Bullfrog Productions, Indrema, Dynamix, Sanctuary Woods, SNK.
- After Dynamix (1984–2001) is closed as part of Sierra's restructuring under Vivendi Universal, several veterans of the studio found GarageGames.
- Sega announces that it will no longer develop home consoles, to focus on game development. The Dreamcast is discontinued in May, but games including Sonic the Hedgehog will continue to be released.
- Activision acquires Treyarch Invention LLC.
- PCCW Japan (Pacific Century CyberWorks Japan Co., Ltd.) acquires VR1 Entertainment.
- Long-time arcade developer Midway Games announces that it will no longer manufacture arcade games.
- August – Loki Software declares Chapter 11 Bankruptcy over internal financial troubles, before going defunct next January. In response Michael Simms of the Tux Games retailer and former Loki game tester founds Linux Game Publishing alongside ex-Loki employee Mike Philips on October 15 to keep games coming to Linux.
- October – Infogrames announces to revive Atari as a sub-brand of Infogrames. Splashdown, MX Rider and TransWorld Surf were the first 3 games to receive this treatment.
Lawsuits
- Sega of America Inc. v. Kmart Corporation; Sega sues Kmart over an unpaid debt of over US$2 million
- Uri Geller v. Nintendo; Geller sues Nintendo over his resemblance to a Pokémon character. The suit is dismissed.
Notable releases
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Trends
Video game consoles
The dominant video game console in 2001 was Sony's PlayStation 2.
Nintendo released the GameCube on September 14 in Japan (North America on November 18 and in Europe on May 3, 2002). Microsoft released the Xbox in North America on November 15 (in Europe on March 14, 2002).
Handheld game systems
The dominant handheld system in 2001 was Nintendo's Game Boy Color.
Nintendo released the Game Boy Advance in Japan on March 21 (in North America on June 11 and Europe on June 22).
- The Game Boy Advance
Births
Deaths
- March 16 – Isao Okawa, 74, chairman of Sega.[36]
See also
Notes
References
- ↑ Hu, Jim. "Video game sales set record in 2001". CNET. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ↑ Watts, Jonathan (February 1, 2001). "Sega to end production of Dreamcast console". The Guardian. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- ↑ Kelly, Andy (September 30, 2021). "2001 Was The Best Year Ever For Video Games". TheGamer. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ↑ Fillari, Alessandro (February 6, 2021). "Remembering 2001: The Biggest Games That Turn 20 This Year". GameSpot. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ↑ Madsen, Hayes (October 17, 2022). "21 years ago, Capcom changed action games forever". Inverse. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- ↑ Figueiredo, Erick Duarte (October 2, 2022). "Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden: The Two Extremes of the Hack-and-Slash Genre". Superjump. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- ↑ Carnley, Zackery Van (April 19, 2021). "How Halo Has Defined the Shooter Genre". Game Rant. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- ↑ Plant, Mike. "In the loop: how Halo defined a new decade of first-person shooters". The Register. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
- ↑ Kelly, Andy (October 27, 2021). "Grand Theft Auto 3 Changed Video Games Forever". TheGamer. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ↑ Gordon, Jeremy (October 22, 2021). "After 'Grand Theft Auto III,' Open-World Games Were Never (and Always) the Same". The Ringer. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ↑ Kelly, Andy (September 30, 2021). "2001 Was The Best Year Ever For Video Games". TheGamer. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ↑ Fillari, Alessandro. "Remembering 2001: The Biggest Games That Turn 20 This Year". GameSpot. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
- ↑ "週刊ファミ通クロスレビュープラチナ殿堂入りソフト一覧" [Weekly Famitsu Cross Review Platinum Hall of Fame Software List]. Geimin (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 27, 2008. Retrieved February 24, 2021.
- ↑ "Best Video Games for 2001". Metacritic. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- ↑ "Highest-Ranking Games of 2001 (with at least 10 reviews)". GameRankings. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
- 1 2 "Best Video Games for 2002". Metacritic. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- 1 2 "Highest-Ranking Games of 2002 (with at least 10 reviews)". GameRankings. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "The top five selling videogame software titles sold in the United States for 2001" (PDF). WIPO Guide on the Licensing of Copyright and Related Rights. World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). 2004. p. 72.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "2001 Top 100 Japanese Console Game Chart". The Magic Box. Archived from the original on January 24, 2004. Retrieved October 26, 2021.
- ↑ "August sales data". The Motley Fool. The NPD Group. September 23, 2002. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
- 1 2 "Metal Gear Solid 2 hits the 1.8 million mark". Gaming Intelligence Agency. November 28, 2001. Archived from the original on November 8, 2021. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "2001年ゲームソフト年間売上TOP300" [2001 Game Software Annual Sales Top 300]. Famitsū Gēmu Hakusho 2002 ファミ通ゲーム白書2002 [Famitsu Game Whitebook 2002] (in Japanese). Tokyo: Enterbrain. 2002. Archived from the original on June 27, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "NPD REPORTS ANNUAL 2001 U.S. INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT SALES SHATTER INDUSTRY RECORD" (Press release). Port Washington, New York: NPD Group. February 7, 2002. Archived from the original on August 14, 2004. Retrieved January 27, 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bradshaw, Lucy (January 31, 2002). "Markle Forum on Children and Media" (PDF). New York University. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 19, 2004. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
- 1 2 Schilling, Melissa (January 2005). "Game Not Over: Competitive Dynamics in the Video Game Industry". In Lampel, Joseph; Shamsie, Jamal; Lant, Theresa K. (eds.). The Business of Culture: Strategic Perspectives on Entertainment and Media. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. pp. 75–103.
- 1 2 "Europäische Verkaufsawards" [European Sales Awards]. GameStar (in German). February 7, 2002. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
- ↑ Nicholson, Zy (September 2001). "Final Reality" (PDF). Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine. No. 11. Future Publishing. pp. 49–50.
- ↑ "First PlayStation 2 videogame to sell one million units". Guinness World Records. February 2001. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ↑ Nicholson, Zy (September 2001). "Final Reality" (PDF). Official UK PlayStation 2 Magazine. No. 11. Future Publishing. pp. 49–50.
- ↑ "Top 20 Console Games Ranked by Units Sold, 1998–2013". Screen Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ↑ Akagi, Masumi, ed. (January 15, 2002). ""Tekken TT", "DOC 2000" Top Game Charts" (PDF). Game Machine. No. 650. Amusement Press, Inc. p. 18.
- ↑ "Infogrames to Acquire Hasbro Interactive". IGN. December 6, 2000. Archived from the original on November 19, 2001. Retrieved September 30, 2019.
- ↑ "CNN.com - Game over for Sega's Dreamcast - January 31, 2001". www.cnn.com. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ↑ I. G. N. Staff (February 3, 2001). "Sega Goes Third-Party, Nintendo Ties Announced". IGN. Retrieved December 25, 2023.
- ↑ "Attendance and Stats". IGN. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ↑ John Chartier (May 18, 2001). "Sega's gaming gambit". CNN. Retrieved July 5, 2020.
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