Platinum Hits is a branding used by Microsoft for discounted reprints of Xbox video games. The branding is used for reprints of popular, top-selling games for each console in the Xbox family, which are deliberately sold with a lower MSRP than the original production runs of a game, and feature special branding—colored in platinum since Xbox—on their box art, as well as silver-colored cases on Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S releases (instead of the traditional clear or green-colored casing). The requirement for being a Platinum Hits title was selling at least 400,000 copies and being on the market for at least nine months after release, [1] and have dropped in price from their original MSRP to a lower price, generally that of $19.99, [2] although multi-game packs may sell for $24.99.
A similar budget range in PAL markets is known as Xbox Classics for £19.99 and Best of Classics for £9.99. In Japan, they are known as Platinum Collection games and generally cost ¥2,800, with certain games such as Grand Theft Auto IV and Dynasty Warriors 6 at a higher price point of ¥3,800. Sales requirements may vary by region.
On September 8, 2006, Microsoft announced the Platinum Collection would be extended to the Xbox 360 platform. [3] On September 20, 2006, at Microsoft's Pre-Tokyo Game Show conference, they announced Platinum Hits for the Xbox 360 in North America, priced at $29.99 and Classics in the UK for £24.99. [4] A second wave of titles was released in early 2007, with additional games being added periodically. [5]
Platinum Family Hits are special Platinum Hits that have been designated appropriate for all ages. All current Platinum Family Hits are rated "E" by the ESRB, except for T-rated X-Men Legends and four E10+ rated games – Sonic the Hedgehog , Sonic Unleashed , Lego Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy and Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts . Not all Platinum Hits offerings that receive an E rating are labeled with the Family Hits designation, however. As with Platinum Hits, the new suggested retail (MSRP) is $19.99.
Best of Platinum Hits are select best-selling Platinum Hits that have a suggested retail price of $9.99 and a slightly different "Best of Platinum Hits" logo on the package design. Best of Platinum Family Hits are chosen from the Platinum Family Hits line.
The BAFTA Games Awards or British Academy Games Awards are an annual British awards ceremony honouring "outstanding creative achievement" in the video game industry. First presented in 2004 following the restructuring of the BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards, the awards are presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).
The Game Critics Awards were a set of annual awards held after the E3 video game conference since 1998. The awards were given to products displayed at E3 with the title Best of E3 of their category. The 21st Annual Game Critics Awards was showcased for the final time in 2019, four years before E3 was permanently discontinued.
Essentials is the Sony PlayStation budget range in the PAL region, which covers Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Australia and South Asia. It was launched in 1997 as the Platinum range but was later renamed for PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. After reaching the required level of sales, Sony often dropped the prices of the original title to Platinum pricing levels, as a way to clear inventory for retailers. Similar budget ranges from Sony include the Greatest Hits and The Best labels for the North American and Japanese markets, respectively.
G-Phoria is a former annual video game awards show started in 2003 and ended in 2009, produced by and for the defunct G4 network.
Official Xbox Magazine (OXM) was a British monthly video game magazine which started in November 2001 around the launch of the original Xbox. A preview issue was released at E3 2001, with another preview issue in November 2001. The magazine was bundled with a disc that included game demos, preview videos and trailers, and other content, such as game or Xbox updates and free gamerpics. The discs also provided the software for the Xbox 360 for backward compatibility of original Xbox games for those without broadband and Xbox Live access. From January 2012, OXM no longer included a demo disc. In mid-2014, the U.S. version was merged into the UK version on the website, which lasted only a few months until Future plc announced that it was closing its website along with all the other websites that Future has published, including Edge and Computer and Video Games. In February 2015, OXM and all of Future's video game websites were redirected into GamesRadar.
Ubisoft Anvil is a game engine created by Ubisoft Montreal and used in the Assassin's Creed video game series as well as other Ubisoft games. The engine is used on Microsoft Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Stadia. Ubisoft Anvil is one of the primary game engines used by Ubisoft along with Disrupt, Dunia, and Snowdrop.
Wwise is Audiokinetic's software for interactive media and video games, available for free to non-commercial users and under license for commercial video game developers. It features an audio authoring tool and a cross-platform sound engine.
The 2000s was the fourth decade in the industry's history. It was a decade that was primarily dominated by Sony, Nintendo, newcomer Microsoft, and their respective systems. Sega, being Nintendo's main rival in the 1980s and 1990s, left the console market in 2001 in favor of returning to third-party development, as they once were. Overall the decade saw the last of the low resolution three-dimensional polygons of the 1990s with the emergence of high definition games, and often focused on developing immersive and interactive environments, implementing realistic physics, and improving artificial intelligence. The sixth and seventh generation of video game consoles went on sale, including the PlayStation 2, Xbox, GameCube, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. Notable games released in the 2000s included Half-Life 2, Wii Sports, Grand Theft Auto III, BioShock, The Sims, Metroid Prime, Burnout 3: Takedown,Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, Resident Evil 4, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Shadow of the Colossus,Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, LittleBigPlanet, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind,World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy X, Perfect Dark, God of War, Left 4 Dead, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Counter-Strike, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time,Diablo II, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion,Super Smash Bros. Melee, Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, Gears of War, Max Payne, Pokémon Diamond and Pearl,Super Mario Galaxy, Halo: Combat Evolved, Tony Hawk´s Pro Skater 3, Guitar Hero, Devil May Cry, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, Ratchet & Clank, Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus,Hitman: Blood Money, Grand Theft Auto IV, Halo 2, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, Fallout 3, Super Mario Sunshine, Rock Band, Beyond Good & Evil,Portal, Ico, Jet Set Radio, Silent Hill 2, Psychonauts, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves,Halo 3, Plants vs. Zombies, Angry Birds, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
The Xbox 360 Wireless Racing Wheel was developed by Microsoft for the Xbox 360 and was introduced at E3 2006. Released in November 2006, the force feedback steering wheel controller includes the standard gamepad buttons along with floor-mounted accelerator and brake pedals. Although the wheel is capable of running truly wirelessly from a standard Xbox 360 battery pack, use of the force feedback and active resistance features requires an external AC adapter.
Numerous video games were released in 2010. Many awards went to games such as Red Dead Redemption, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Mass Effect 2, God of War III and Super Mario Galaxy 2. Kinect from Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 was also released this year.
Numerous video games were released in 2011. Many awards went to games such as Batman: Arkham City, Portal 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Madden NFL 12, NBA 2K12, WWE '12, WWE All-Stars and Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. 2011 also marked the worldwide release of the Nintendo 3DS.
Numerous video games were released in 2012. Many awards went to games such as Madden NFL 13, NBA 2K13, WWE '13, Borderlands 2, Far Cry 3, Journey, Mass Effect 3, Dishonored, The Walking Dead and XCOM: Enemy Unknown. The year began with the worldwide release of Sony's handheld game console, the PlayStation Vita, originally launched in Japan in December 2011. The end of the year marked the worldwide release of Nintendo's home game console, the Wii U.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2012 was the 18th E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It began on June 5, 2012, and ended on June 7, 2012, with 45,700 total attendees. It was televised on Spike and streamed online to computers, mobile devices, PlayStation Home and on Xbox Live via IGN's application. This was the last event to be broadcast by G4 along with being the last one to feature a physical press conference by Nintendo which mainly focused on games that were coming to the then upcoming Wii U video game console that launched later that year and was later considered to be a commercial failure.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2015 was the 21st E3 held. The event took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center in Los Angeles, California. It took place from June 16 to June 18, 2015, with 52,200 total attendees.