2006 in video gaming

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Events

• January 26 2006 -- Nintendo
  Nintendo
  
  is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
   announces its newly redesigned handheld, the Nintendo DS Lite
  Nintendo DS Lite
  
  The is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It is a slimmer, brighter, and more lightweight redesign of the Nintendo DS, designed to be aesthetically sleeker while taking styling cues from the Game Boy Advance SP, and to appeal to broader commercial audiences....
  . The new model is lighter, smaller, has configurable brightness and features an improved user interface
  User interface
  
  The user interface is the aggregate of means by which people—the User s—Interaction with the system—a particular machine, device, computer program or other complex tools....
  .
• January 26 2006 -- Konami
  Konami
  
  is a leading video game developer and video game publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, Japanese arcade cabinetss and video games....
   Corp. announces the list of titles it expects to ship in 2006, ranging from Beatmania
  Beatmania (North America)
  
  beatmania, also known colloquially as beatmania or BMUS to distinguish it from the original arcade game beatmania, is the first version of the music video game beatmania IIDX to be released in the United States....
   to Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
  Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
  
  is a stealth game video game directed by Hideo Kojima. Snake Eater was video game developer by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and video game publisher by Konami for the PlayStation 2, and was released on November 17, 2004 in North America; December 16, 2004 in Japan; March 4, 2005 in Europe; and on March 17, 2005 in Australia....
  , and covering multiple platforms.
• January 26 2006 -- Public schools in West Virginia
  West Virginia
  
  West Virginia is a U.S. state in the Appalachian, Upland South, and Mid-Atlantic States regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia on the southeast, Kentucky on the southwest, Ohio on the northwest, and Pennsylvania and Maryland on the northeast....
   will add Dance Dance Revolution
  Dance Dance Revolution
  
  Dance Dance Revolution, stylized DanceDanceRevolution, abbreviated DDR, and previously known as Dancing Stage in PAL territories until the announcement of Dance Dance Revolution X, is a long-standing music video game series produced by Konami....
   by Konami
  Konami
  
  is a leading video game developer and video game publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, Japanese arcade cabinetss and video games....
   to their curriculum, in an effort to combat obesity
  Obesity
  
  Obesity is a condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to an extent that health may be negatively affected. It is commonly defined as a body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher....
  .
• January 27 2006 -- Players of the Horde clan
  Clan (computer gaming)
  
  In video game, a clan or guild is a group of players who regularly play together in a particular multiplayer games. These games range from groups of a few friends to 1000-person organizations, with a broad range of structures, goals and members....
   from World of Warcraft
  World of Warcraft
  
  World of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game . It is Blizzard Entertainment's fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994 in video gaming....
   start the "Gamers Against No Kash" charity, to pay the subscription fees for valuable players strapped for cash.
• January 27 2006 -- Microsoft of Japan made a statement to Japanese game magazine Famitsu
  Famitsu
  
  is a Japanese video game magazine published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma Shoten. Currently, there are five console-only spin-off versions of Famitsu: Shukan Famitsu, Famitsu PS, Famitsu Xbox, Famitsu Wii+DS, and Famitsu Wave DVD....
   regarding the Xbox 360 launch. "It was a lot more difficult than we had imagined. We couldn't prepare the launch titles that we had promised, and it made an impact," said Microsoft of Japan Xbox chief of operations Yoshihiro Maruyama. At the launch of the first Xbox
  Xbox
  
  The Xbox is a History of video games video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube....
   in Japan, more units were sold in three days than have been sold of the Xbox 360 in one month.
• January 27 2006 -- The PlayStation Portable
  PlayStation Portable
  
  The PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Development of the console was first announced during History of E3#During the Rise of Online Gaming , and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference before E3 2004....
   2.01-2.50 firmware
  Firmware
  
  Firmware is a term sometimes used to denote the fixed, usually rather small, programs that internally control various electronic devices. Typical examples range from end user products such as remote controls or calculators, via computer parts and devices like harddisks, keyboard s, TFT screens or memory cards, all the way to scientific instr...
   versions, previously considered unhackable, are hacked by Fanjita
  PlayStation Portable homebrew
  
  PlayStation Portable homebrew refers to the process of using Exploit s and Hack to execute unsigned code on the PlayStation Portable ....
  .
• January 27 2006 -- The Los Angeles
  Los Ángeles
  
  Los ?ngeles is the Capital of the Biob?o Province, in the municipality of the same name, in Regions of Chile VIII , in the center-south of Chile....
   attorney's office sues Rockstar Games
  Rockstar Games
  
  Rockstar Games is a British-founded video game developer of video game publisher Take-Two Interactive. The brand is most known for the Grand Theft Auto series....
   and Take-Two Interactive
  Take-Two Interactive
  
  Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an United States Video game publisher, Video game developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals....
   over the Hot Coffee mod
  Hot Coffee mod
  
  The Hot Coffee minigame controversy concerns a normally inaccessible minigame in the 2004 video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, developed by Rockstar North....
  .
• January 30 2006 -- A mandatory update for Xbox Live
  Xbox Live
  
  Xbox Live is an Internet Multiplayer video game and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft. It is currently the only online gaming service that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming....
   on the Xbox 360
  Xbox 360
  
  The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles....
   was released. Microsoft claimed the update was for bugfixes and improvements. Members of the modding
  Modding
  
  Modding is a slang expression that is derived from the verb "wiktionary:modify". The term can refer to the act of modifying a piece of hardware or software or anything else for that matter, to perform a function not originally conceived or intended by the designer....
   community claim that "the true purpose of this update was to halt the progress of the modding community".
• January 30 2006 -- Nintendo
  Nintendo
  
  is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
   released a statement regarding the Red Tulip phenomenon on Animal Crossing: Wild World
  Animal Crossing: Wild World
  
  in Japan, is a life simulation game video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, and the follow-up to Animal Crossing for the Nintendo GameCube....
  , stating "We have isolated the problem and determined that there was a temporary error with the upload tool when this letter was posted". Earlier, there had been speculation that the tulips were a result of black hat hackers
  Black hat
  
  A black hat is the villain or bad guy, especially in a Western in which such a character would wear a black hat in contrast to the hero white hat....
  .
• January 31 2006 -- Sony
  Sony
  
  is a multinational corporation list of conglomerates corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding US$99.1 billion ....
   is reportedly building a Xbox Live
  Xbox Live
  
  Xbox Live is an Internet Multiplayer video game and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft. It is currently the only online gaming service that charges users a fee to play multiplayer gaming....
  -killer for the PlayStation 3
  PlayStation 3
  
  The PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation ....
  .
• January 31 2006 -- StarForce
  StarForce
  
  StarForce is a software copy protection mechanism developed by Protection Technology.Protection Technology claims that products protected with StarForce are difficult to Reverse engineering....
  , a DRM
  Digital rights management
  
  Digital rights management refers to access control technologies used by publishers, copyright holders, and hardware manufacturers to limit usage of digital media or devices....
   maker for computer games, threatens to sue popular weblog Boing Boing
  Boing Boing
  
  Boing Boing is a publishing entity, first established as a magazine, later becoming a Collaborative blog....
   for criticising its products.
• January 31 2006 -- Blizzard Entertainment
  Blizzard Entertainment
  
  Blizzard Entertainment is an American video game developer and video game publisher headquartered in Irvine, California. It is a division of Activision Blizzard....
   responds to the LGBT
  LGBT
  
  LGBT is an acronym and initialism referring collectively to Lesbian,Gay, Bisexuality, and Transgender people. In use since the 1990s, the term ?LGBT? is an adaptation of the initialism ?LGBT? which itself started replacing the phrase ?gay community? which many within LGBT communities felt did not represent accurately all those to which it...
   debate happening in World of Warcraft
  World of Warcraft
  
  World of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game . It is Blizzard Entertainment's fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994 in video gaming....
  . The company stated: "To promote a positive game environment for everyone and help prevent such harassment from taking place as best we can, we prohibit mention of topics related to sensitive real-world subjects in open chat within the game, and we do our best to take action whenever we see such topics being broadcast."
• January 31 2006 -- Sony
  Sony
  
  is a multinational corporation list of conglomerates corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding US$99.1 billion ....
   announces that ten servers will be merged with ten others on Everquest 2. Players are cautiously optimistic.
• November 11, 2006 -- Sony releases the PlayStation 3
  PlayStation 3
  
  The PlayStation 3 is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation ....
  .
• November 19, 2006 -- Nintendo releases the Wii
  Wii
  
  The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo. As a History of video game consoles console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3....
  .

Business

• January 5 2006 -- Vivendi Universal Games acquires High Moon Studios
  High Moon Studios
  
  High Moon Studios , part of Sierra Entertainment, is an American video game developer that started out as Sammy Studios and, after a period as independent studio in 2005 under the current studio name, was acquired by Vivendi Games....
   (formerly Sammy Studios, Inc), which gained independence from Sammy
  Sega Sammy Holdings
  
  Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. is a Japanese holding company formed from a merger of Sega and Sammy Corporation. They were both very involved in the Arcade game business , and Sega's main fame comes from their console systems....
   in 2005.
• January 9 2006 -- Take-Two Interactive
  Take-Two Interactive
  
  Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an United States Video game publisher, Video game developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals....
   acquires Irrational Games
  Irrational Games
  
  2K Boston/2K Australia is a video game developer founded in 1997 by three former employees of Looking Glass Studios: Ken Levine, Jonathan Chey, and Robert Fermier as Irrational Games....
  .
• January 26 2006 -- Sony
  Sony
  
  is a multinational corporation list of conglomerates corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding US$99.1 billion ....
   reports that strong sales of the PlayStation Portable
  PlayStation Portable
  
  The PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Development of the console was first announced during History of E3#During the Rise of Online Gaming , and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference before E3 2004....
   helped the company make a profit of 70 billion yen, the first time in 11 years that the company has managed to avoid an annual loss.
• January 26 2006 -- Microsoft
  Microsoft
  
  Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of computer software products for computing devices....
   announces $293 million losses in its Home and Entertainment division, record revenues overall.
• January 26 2006 -- Nintendo
  Nintendo
  
  is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
   reports declining Nintendo GameCube
  Nintendo GameCube
  
  The , is Nintendo's fourth home video game console and is part of the History of video game consoles . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and predecessor to Nintendo's Wii....
   and Game Boy Advance
  Game Boy Advance
  
  The is a 32-bit Handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo; resembling Sega's 8-bit Game Gear. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color....
   sales but increased profits: Yen92.2 billion.
• January 27 2006 -- The Nintendo DS
  Nintendo DS
  
  The is a dual-screen handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in 2004 in video gaming in Canada, the United States, and Japan....
   returns to the top of the weekly Japan
  Japan
  
  Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
  ese charts, with 64,515 units sold compared to 38,271 for the PlayStation Portable
  PlayStation Portable
  
  The PlayStation Portable is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. Development of the console was first announced during History of E3#During the Rise of Online Gaming , and it was unveiled on May 11, 2004 at a Sony press conference before E3 2004....
  . The PlayStation 2
  PlayStation 2
  
  The PlayStation 2 is a History of video game consoles video game console manufactured by Sony. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the PlayStation 2 forms part of the PlayStation of video game consoles....
   is third with 26,135 units sold, while the Xbox 360
  Xbox 360
  
  The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles....
   continues to sell poorly (just 3,616, less than the GameCube
  Nintendo GameCube
  
  The , is Nintendo's fourth home video game console and is part of the History of video game consoles . It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and predecessor to Nintendo's Wii....
  ). The five best-selling games were Brain Training for Adults 2, Animal Crossing: Wild World
  Animal Crossing: Wild World
  
  in Japan, is a life simulation game video game published and developed by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, and the follow-up to Animal Crossing for the Nintendo GameCube....
  , Super Mario Strikers
  Super Mario Strikers
  
  Super Mario Strikers, known as Mario Smash Football in Europe and Australia, is a five-a-side football game developed by Next Level Games for the Nintendo GameCube....
  , Brain Training for Adults and Mario Kart DS
  Mario Kart DS
  
  is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in North America, Australia, and Europe in November 2005, and in Japan in December 2005....
  , all published by Nintendo
  Nintendo
  
  is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
  .
• January 27 2006 -- Microsoft
  Microsoft
  
  Microsoft Corporation is a multinational corporation computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of computer software products for computing devices....
   lowers its estimate of Xbox 360
  Xbox 360
  
  The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the History of video game consoles of video game consoles....
   sales in its first 90 days from 2.75-3.0 million units to 2.5 million due to supply shortage. The yearly estimate (4.5 to 5.5 million) is unchanged since Microsoft plans to increase its console production with the help of a new manufacturer, Celestica
  Celestica
  
  Celestica Inc. is a multinational corporation electronics manufacturing services company headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Celestica operates a global manufacturing network with operations in Asia, Europe and the Americas, providing a broad range of integrated services and solutions to leading OEMs ....
  . Meanwhile, Microsoft postpones the Australia
  Australia
  
  Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
  n 360 launch from March 2 to March 23, 2006 due to a "short term manufacturing challenge"/
• January 30 2006 -- Shares of Take-Two Interactive
  Take-Two Interactive
  
  Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is an United States Video game publisher, Video game developer, and distributor of video games and video game peripherals....
  , the controversial
  Video game controversy
  
  Similar to other forms of media, video games have been the subject of debate and censorship. Such criticism often stems from the inclusion of controversial material such as graphic violence, sex, recreational drug use, nudity, profanity, criminal behavior or other provocative and offensive content....
   creator of the Grand Theft Auto series
  Grand Theft Auto (series)
  
  Grand Theft Auto is an award-winning video game series created by David Jones , later by Dan Houser and Sam Houser, and game designer Zachary Clarke and primarily developed by Scottish company Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games....
  , rose Monday after news that the company was in takeover talks with an unnamed buyer.
• January 31 2006 -- CNET
  CNET
  
  CNET Networks, Inc. was a mass media corporation based in San Francisco, California, United States. The company was co-founded in 1993 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie....
   reports that Cisco Systems
  Cisco Systems
  
  Cisco Systems, Inc. is a multinational corporation with more than 66,000 employees and annual revenue of United States dollar39 billion as of 2008....
   might be interested in buying Nintendo
  Nintendo
  
  is a global company located in Kyoto, Japan founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
  .
• May - IEMA (Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association
  Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association
  
  The Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association was a United States-based non-profit organization dedicated to serving the business interests of leading retailers that sell Interactive entertainment software ....
  ) successfully merged with VSDA (Video Software Dealers Association) to form combined organization EMA (Entertainment Merchants Association
  Entertainment merchants association
  
  The Entertainment Merchants Association is the not-for-profit international trade association dedicated to advancing the interests of the $32 billion home entertainment industry....
  )
• July – ECA
  Entertainment Consumers Association
  
  Entertainment Consumers Association is a United States-based nonpartisan, Non-governmental organization, non-profit organization dedicated to the interests of individuals who play computer and video games in the United States....
   (Entertainment Consumers Association) formed.
• October – ECA
  Entertainment Consumers Association
  
  Entertainment Consumers Association is a United States-based nonpartisan, Non-governmental organization, non-profit organization dedicated to the interests of individuals who play computer and video games in the United States....
   (Entertainment Consumers Association) soft-launched.

Notable software releases

Hardware and software sales

• Based on figures from the NPD Group
  NPD Group
  
  The NPD Group, Inc. is a leading global market research company founded in 1967 and provides consumer and retail information to manufacturers and retailers....
   via IGN
  IGN
  
  IGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games. Its corporate parent is IGN Entertainment, which owns and controls separate sites such as GameSpy, GameStats, Rotten Tomatoes and AskMen....
  ; the games' publishers are listed in brackets:

Europe

• Based on estimates from Electronic Arts
  Electronic Arts
  
  Electronic Arts is an international video game developer, marketer, video game publisher and distributor of video games. Established in 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers responsible for its games....
  :