| |||
---|---|---|---|
+... |
The year 2002 in video games saw the release of many sequels and prequels in video games, such as Madden NFL 2003, NBA Live 2003, NBA 2K3, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4, WWE SmackDown! Shut Your Mouth, Final Fantasy XI, Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Jet Set Radio Future, Metroid Prime, Onimusha 2, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Pro Evolution Soccer 2, Resident Evil and Zero, Super Mario Sunshine, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, along with new titles and franchises such as Battlefield, Dungeon Siege, Kingdom Hearts, Mafia, Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper, SOCOM, and Splinter Cell. The year's best-selling video game was Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the PlayStation 2, while the year's most critically acclaimed titles were Metroid Prime and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for the GameCube.
Trends
The market research company NPD estimated that video game hardware, software, and accessories sold about US$10.3 billion in 2002. This was a 10% increase over the 2001 figure.
Video game consoles
The dominant video game consoles in 2002 were:
Handheld game systems
The dominant handheld systems in 2002 were Nintendo's Game Boy Advance and Nintendo's Game Boy Color.
Critically acclaimed titles
Famitsu
The following video game releases in 2002 entered Famitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" and received Famitsu scores of at least 36 out of 40.[1]
Metacritic and GameRankings
Metacritic (MC) and GameRankings (GR) are aggregators of video game journalism reviews.
Best-selling video games
Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher | Sales | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan[6][7] | USA[8][9] | Europe | Worldwide | ||||
1 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | PlayStation 2 | Rockstar | — | 4,446,676 | 1,350,000+[10][11] | 5,796,677+ |
2 | 2002 FIFA World Cup | Multi-platform | EA Sports | Unknown | 331,626 | Unknown | 3,500,000+[12] |
3 | Pokémon Ruby / Sapphire | Game Boy Advance | Nintendo | 3,197,762 | — | — | 3,197,762 |
4 | Madden NFL 2003 | PS2, Xbox, GC, PS1 | EA Sports | Unknown | 3,193,545 | Unknown | 3,194,065+ |
5 | Kingdom Hearts | PlayStation 2 | Squaresoft | 838,323 | 1,190,152 | 1,161,677+[13][6] | 3,190,152+ |
6 | FIFA Football 2003 | Multi-platform | EA Sports | — | 261,238 | 2,500,000+[14] | 2,761,238+ |
7 | Grand Theft Auto III | PlayStation 2, PC | Rockstar | — | 2,412,997+ | 300,000+[15][16] | 2,712,997+ |
8 | Pro Evolution Soccer 2 (Winning Eleven 6) | PS2, PlayStation | Konami | 1,693,519 | Unknown | 1,000,000+[17] | 2,693,519+ |
9 | Spider-Man: The Movie | PS2, Xbox, GameCube | Activision | — | 1,987,038 | 300,000+[15][16] | 2,287,038+ |
10 | Super Mario Sunshine | GameCube | Nintendo | 677,440 | 1,495,381[9][18] | 175,000+[19] | 2,172,821+ |
Japan
Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Developer(s) | Publisher | Genre | Sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pokémon Ruby / Sapphire | Game Boy Advance | Game Freak | Nintendo | RPG | 3,197,762 |
2 | Winning Eleven 6 (Pro Evolution Soccer 2) | PlayStation 2, PlayStation | Konami Tokyo | Konami | Sports | 1,693,519 |
3 | Onimusha 2 (Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny) | PlayStation 2 | Capcom | Capcom | Hack and slash | 1,002,968 |
4 | Kingdom Hearts | PlayStation 2 | Squaresoft | Squaresoft | Action RPG | 838,323 |
5 | Shin Sangokumusou 2 (Dynasty Warriors 3) | PlayStation 2 | Omega Force | Koei | Hack and slash | 688,655 |
6 | Mario Party 4 | GameCube | Hudson Soft | Nintendo | Party | 677,890 |
7 | Super Mario Sunshine | GameCube | Nintendo EAD | Nintendo | Platformer | 677,440 |
8 | Tales of Destiny 2 | PlayStation 2 | Wolf Team, Telenet | Namco | Action RPG | 662,699 |
9 | Super Robot Taisen Impact (Super Robot Wars Impact) | PlayStation 2 | TOSE | Banpresto | SRPG | 632,536 |
10 | From TV Animation - One Piece: Grand Battle! 2 | PlayStation | Ganbarion | Bandai | Fighting | 545,506 |
United States
Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher | Genre | Sales | Revenue | Inflation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | PlayStation 2 | Rockstar | Action-adventure | 4,446,676 | $218,000,000 | $355,000,000 |
2 | Madden NFL 2003 | PS2, Xbox, GC, PS1 | EA Sports | Sports | 3,193,545 | $150,000,000 | $244,000,000 |
3 | Grand Theft Auto III | PlayStation 2 | Rockstar | Action-adventure | 2,412,997+ | $121,000,000+ | $197,000,000+ |
4 | Spider-Man: The Movie | PS2, Xbox, GC | Activision | Action-adventure | 1,987,038 | $85,000,000 | $138,000,000 |
5 | Medal of Honor: Frontline | PS2, Xbox, GC | EA Games | FPS | 1,829,628 | $91,000,000 | $148,000,000 |
6 | Super Mario Sunshine | GameCube | Nintendo | Platformer | 1,495,381[9][18] | $144,000,000 | $234,000,000 |
7 | Super Mario Advance 2: Super Mario World | GBA | Nintendo | Platformer | 1,480,275+ | $43,000,000+ | $70,000,000+ |
8 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PlayStation 2 | Sony | Racing sim | 1,480,274+ | $36,000,000+ | $59,000,000+ |
9 | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4 | PS2, Xbox, GC, PS1 | Activision | Sports | 1,510,226 | $69,000,000 | $73,000,000 |
10 | NCAA Football 2003 | PS2, Xbox, GC | EA Sports | Sports | 1,197,404 | $56,000,000 | $91,000,000 |
Europe
Title | Platform(s) | Publisher | Sales | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK[15][16] | Germany[11] | Europe | |||
FIFA Football 2003 | Multi-platform | EA Sports | 300,000+ | Unknown | 2,500,000+[14] |
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | PlayStation 2 | Konami | 300,000+ | 100,000+ | 1,570,000+[21] |
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | PlayStation 2 | Rockstar Games | 1,250,000+[10] | 100,000+ | 1,350,000+ |
Kingdom Hearts | PlayStation 2 | Sony | Unknown | Unknown | 1,161,677+[13][6] |
Pro Evolution Soccer 2 | PlayStation 2 | Konami | Unknown | Unknown | 1,000,000+[17] |
Medal of Honor: Frontline | Multi-platform | EA Games | 300,000+ | 100,000+ | 400,000+ |
Grand Theft Auto III | PS2, PC | Rockstar Games | 300,000+ | Unknown | 300,000+ |
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Multi-platform | EA Games | 300,000+ | Unknown | 300,000+ |
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Multi-platform | EA Games | 300,000+ | Unknown | 300,000+ |
Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PlayStation 2 | Sony | 300,000+ | Unknown | 300,000+ |
Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher | Sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | PlayStation 2 | Rockstar Games | 1,250,000+[10] |
2 | FIFA Football 2003 | Multi-platform | EA Sports | 300,000+ |
3 | Grand Theft Auto III | PS2, PC | Rockstar Games | 300,000+ |
4 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | Multi-platform | EA Games | 300,000+ |
5 | Medal of Honor: Frontline | Multi-platform | EA Games | 300,000+ |
6 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | Multi-platform | EA Games | 300,000+ |
7 | Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | PlayStation 2 | Konami | 300,000+ |
8 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PlayStation 2 | Sony | 300,000+ |
9 | Spider-Man: The Movie | Multi-platform | Activision | 300,000+ |
10 | Monsters, Inc. | GBA, GBC | THQ | 300,000+ |
Title | Publisher | Sales |
---|---|---|
Final Fantasy X | Sony | 100,000+ |
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | Rockstar Games | 100,000+ |
Medal of Honor: Frontline | EA Games | 100,000+ |
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty | Konami | 100,000+ |
Australia
Rank | Australia[22] | ||
---|---|---|---|
Title | Platform | Publisher | |
1 | Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 | PlayStation 2 | Activision |
2 | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PlayStation 2 | Sony |
3 | V8 Supercars: Race Driver | PlayStation 2 | Codemasters |
4 | Gran Turismo 3 | PlayStation 2 | Sony |
5 | Medal of Honor: Frontline | PlayStation 2 | Electronic Arts |
6 | Halo: Combat Evolved | Xbox | Microsoft |
7 | Grand Theft Auto: Vice City | PlayStation 2 | Rockstar |
8 | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | PlayStation | Electronic Arts |
9 | Grand Theft Auto III | PlayStation 2 | Rockstar |
10 | Gran Turismo 2 | PlayStation | Sony |
Events
- Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the 5th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Will Wright of Maxis to the AIAS Hall of Fame.
- BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) holds 5th annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards for multimedia technologies; 10 of 21 awards go to video games; awards Ian Livingstone the BAFTA Interactive Special Award.
- Big Fish Games is founded with Paul Thelen as the only employee.
- Eidos Interactive selects Dutch model Jill De Jong as the new digitized Lara Croft character.
- Gama Network hosts the 4th annual Independent Games Festival (IGF).
- Game Developers Conference hosts the 2nd annual Game Developers Choice Awards.
- SEGA establishes the Sega Mobile division to develop, produce, and distribute video games for mobile phones and PDAs; establishes the Sega.com Business Solutions division to service video game developers and publishers.
- Rockstar Games embroiled in controversy for its Grand Theft Auto III and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City video games.
- Early 2002 – Titus Software buys out Interplay Entertainment's European operations, owning the rights to publish their games in Europe and also owning 100% of Virgin Interactive. They also buy a majority stake in Interplay.
- March 22 – The Sims overtakes Myst as all-time best-selling computer game, having sold 6.3 million units.
- March 25 – GameTrailers, an American video gaming website is launched.
- April 24 – G4 Media, LLC (subsidiary of Comcast Corporation) launches the G4 cable television video game network channel.
- May 14 – Virgin Interactive España is split up from its parent Titus Software and renames to Virgin Play, becoming the first "100% Spanish" game distributor and publisher.
- May 22–24 – 8th annual E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo);[23] the 5th annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of E3.
- July – IEMA (Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association) hosts 3rd annual Executive Summit.
- September 24 – Microsoft purchases Rare for $375 million.[24]
Notable releases
| |||||||||||||||||||||
|
See also
References
- ↑ "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 2002". Metacritic. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- ↑ "Highest-Ranking Games of 2002 (with at least 10 reviews)". GameRankings. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Best Video Games for 2003". Metacritic. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Highest-Ranking Games of 2003 (with at least 10 reviews)". GameRankings. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
- 1 2 3 4 "2002 Top 50 Best Selling Japanese Console Games". The Magic Box. Archived from the original on January 24, 2004. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- 1 2 "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 "NPD Press Release - The NPD Group Reports Annual 2002 U.S. Video Game Sales Break Record". The NPD Group. January 27, 2003. Archived from the original on February 27, 2003. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 "All Titles Released in 2002". The Onion Ring. Toy Retail Survey Tracking (TRST). December 2002. Archived from the original on February 13, 2003. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
- 1 2 3 Bramwell, Tom (January 13, 2003). "Vice City up for design award". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
- 1 2 3 "GOLD-Award: Sony PlayStation 2". Verband der Unterhaltungssoftware Deutschland (in German). Archived from the original on December 21, 2002. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
- ↑ "Video Football bigger and better". Democrat and Chronicle. October 17, 2002. p. 30. Retrieved September 9, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- 1 2 GamePro Staff (April 30, 2003). "Kingdom Hearts sold how many?!". GamePro. Archived from the original on December 3, 2011. Retrieved September 19, 2008.
- 1 2 "FIFA 2003 outselling competition in Europe". GameSpot. December 18, 2002. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 Hebblethwaite, Luke (April 9, 2020). "UK Top Selling Games 2002". Ukie. The Association for UK Interactive Entertainment. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
- 1 2 3 4 Pallesen, Lasse (January 9, 2003). "Record-Breaking Year for the UK Market". Nintendo World Report. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2021.
- 1 2 "Pro Evolution Soccer 2: un milione in Europa". Multiplayer.biz (in Italian). December 5, 2002. Archived from the original on October 13, 2003. Retrieved October 13, 2003.
- 1 2 "01-2003". The Onion Ring. Toy Retail Survey Tracking (TRST). January 2003. Archived from the original on June 25, 2003. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
- ↑ "Super Mario's Million". IGN. October 8, 2002. Archived from the original on December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 11, 2017.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Varanini, Giancarlo (2002). "Metal Gear Solid 2 worldwide sales". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 24, 2015. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ↑ "Top 20 Console Games Ranked by Units Sold, 1998–2013". Screen Australia. Australian Government. Retrieved October 22, 2021.
- ↑ "Attendance and Stats". IGN. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
- ↑ "Microsoft Acquires Video Game Powerhouse Rare Ltd". Stories. September 24, 2002. Retrieved April 13, 2023.