This Week in Gaming History and Releases 3/22

This week is full of nostalgia! Let’s take a step back through time and look at some notable releases and events that happened this week throughout gaming history.

March 22nd

• 2013 Resident Evil 6 – Steam release – Windows version released. (Worldwide)
• 2011 Crysis 2 – Windows version released. (US)
• 2009 Pokémon Platinum Version – Nintendo DS version released. (US and Canada)
• 2005 The Matrix Online – Windows version released. (US)
• 1996 Resident Evil – PlayStation version released. (Japan)

March 23rd

• 2020 Half-Life: Alyx – Steam release – Windows version released. (Worldwide)
• 2009 Final Fantasy XI Online: A Crystalline Prophecy – Windows, PS2, and Xbox 360 versions released. (Worldwide)
• 2004 – One year after the release of the Game Boy Advance SP in North America, over 6.5 million units have been sold in North America, a record for any game system in history. Total shipments of all Game Boy systems to date worldwide: 160 million.
• 2000 Final Fantasy VIII – Windows version released. (Japan)
• 1993 Kirby’s Adventure – NES version released. (Japan)

March 24th

• 2005 – Sony releases the PlayStation Portable handheld video game system in North America. It includes a 32MB Memory Stick Duo card, battery pack, and the film Spider-Man 2 on UMD. Price is US$249.99 in the US, CDN$299.99 in Canada.
• 2004 – Sony releases the Hard Disk Drive for the PlayStation 2 in the US. Capacity is 40 GB, price is $99.
• 2003 The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker – GameCube version released. (US and Canada)
• 2000 Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation – Dreamcast version released. (US)
• 1998 Quake – Nintendo 64 version released. (US)

March 25th

• 2014 Diablo III: Reaper of Souls – Windows version released. (US and Canada)
• 2011 Nintendo launches the Nintendo 3DS in Europe.
• 2008 Harvest Moon DS: Cute – Nintendo DS version released. (US)
• 2003 The Sims – GameCube  and Xbox versions released. (US and Canada)
• 1999 Final Fantasy III – PlayStation version released. (Japan)

March 26th

• 2015 Pillars of Eternity – Steam release – Windows, Macintosh, Linux versions released. (Worldwide)
• 2013 BioShock Infinite – Retail release – Windows version released. (US)
• 2003 Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell – PlayStation 2 version released. (Italy)
• 1999 – The computer virus “Melissa” attacks about 250,000 PCs worldwide in about three days, using Microsoft Outlook to mail itself to email addresses in the address book. This is the first virus capable of jumping from computer to computer on its own.
• 1997 DOOM – SEGA Saturn version released. (US)

Sources: Ken Polsson, and MobyGames.