- September
- Konami releases the Para Para Paradise arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11]
2001
- March
- Capcom ceases arcade game production. [674.48]
- April 20
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. While travelling back in time, a traveler passes a Pac-Man arcade video game. [886]
- (month unknown)
- Midway closes its coin-op division. [388.26]
- August
- Namco releases the Tekken 4 video game to arcades. [388.60]
- December 2
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A bowling alley shows three video arcade machines, including Pong and Nuke Canada. [917]
- December
- Atari releases the Ikaruga video game in arcades in Japan. [514.147]
2002
- January 6
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. A "what if" scenario is shown: "what if life were more like a video game". The space ship in Asteroids shoots some asteroids, then lands in the main building. The president of the Earth signs peace with Ambassador Kong (Donkey Kong) of planet Nintendo 64. The Donkey Kong character throws barrels, climbs ladders, and the sounds of the Donkey Kong game can be heard. The Mario character also appears, as the representative of Italy. A green wireframe tank from Battle Zone roams the street. Doors in a military building are labelled Missile Command, Secretary of Defender, and Moon Patrol. Monitors in the War Room show Centipede playing. The main general is Pac-Man. One sequence takes place on a full-screen Pac-Man board, complete with ghosts pellets and power pills. Above the city, a real game of Space Invaders takes place, with the familiar alien ships advancing left, right, and down. One of the main characters plays Space Invaders on an arcade machine, shooting the ships above the city. When General Pac-Man is killed, Ms. Pac-man mourns his loss. When the last space ship lands on Earth, out step Donkey Kong, an egg from Burger Time, Q*Bert, the main Robotron character and one of the brain people. [863]
- February
- Sega, Namco, and Nintendo announce an agreement to jointly produce a 3D arcade graphics board called Triforce, based on GameCube technology. [321.30]
- March 17
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. A video arcade machine is used on board a space ship for blasting other ships. [875]
- April 19
- US District Judge Stephen Limbaugh rejects a request against a St. Louis ordinance of 2000 limiting access of minors to video game arcades. The judge rules that video games are not protected by freedom of speech. [960.225]
- April 28
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. An arcade video game Shark Bait appears. [918]
- June 7
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A scene takes place in a videogame arcade. [847]
- July
- In Greece, Greek Law Number 3037 is enacted, making electronic games with electronic mechanisms and software illegal in public and private places. The law was introduced in response to some arcade games being modified to allow gambling. (The law is repealed within two months.) [295.27] [439.40] [597]
- September 13
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A scene takes place in a video game arcade. Two characters play a "Virtua-Stud" virtual reality video game. In an arena battle, a giant ape throws barrels down steps and ladders, a reference to the Donkey Kong video game. [890]
- October
- The November issue of Mac Addict magazine includes a picture of a yellow apple eating white dots, a reference to the Pac-Man game. [1038.4]
2003
- January 5
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A video arcade is shown at a large theme park. Some games are "PONG 3000", "LARRY THE LOOTER", "SHARK BAIT", "Halloween Hit and Run" and "TIME WASTER". [946]
- April 13
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. An Asteroids arcade video game appears. [951]
- (month unknown)
- Sega releases the Virtua Cop 3 arcade video game. [427.32]
- August 10
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs the Futurama TV show in the US. In one scene, two characters on stairs jump over falling barrels, creating "100" point signs, and making the same jumping sound as Mario in the arcade game Donkey Kong. [848]
- (month unknown)
- Namco releases the Space Invaders: 25th Silver Anniversary arcade machine. It includes the original 1978 Space Invaders game and Qix. [504.33]
- December 7
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. The "Noiseland Arcade" includes at least eleven arcade video game machines. [1018]
2004
- November 27
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A building with a sign "VIDEO GAMES / ARCADE" is destroyed by spaceship blasts. [867]
2005
- May 9
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. The characters go to a videogame arcade and play "CATFIGHTER". [891]
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. One scene takes place in a party restaurant, with several arcade video games. [892]
- May 12
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A video arcade is shown in a castle. [893]
- June 1
- In Yokohama, Japan, Namco celebrates its 50th anniversary. David Hawksett, science and technology editor at Guinness World Records, presents an official Guinness plaque to Namco founder Masaya Nakamura and "Pac-Man" creator Toru Iwatani. The game was recently listed in the record book as the "most successful coin operated game" in history. [597]
- June 10
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. An arcade video game machine appears, as an example of "fun". A video game arcade building appears. [896]
- June 22
- Buena Vista Pictures releases the film Herbie Fully Loaded to theaters in the US. A newspaper shows a car playing a video game in an arcade. [899]
- (month unknown)
- Abdner Ashman sets a new high score record on the Ms. Pac-Man arcade game: 921,360. [866.141]
- October 17
- Namco releases the Mario Kart Arcade GP arcade game in the US and UK. The game was developed with Nintendo. Players can choose among eleven characters, including Mario, Luigi, Wario, Donkey Kong, Bowser, Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, and Blinky. 24 courses over six worlds can be played, with 57 choices of weapons. [797.26] [827.32] [1340.15]
2006
- May 23
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Fairly Oddparents TV show in the US. A brief scene takes place in a video game arcade. [S01]
- October 24
- Capcom releases the Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded video game for the PlayStation Portable in the USA. Price is US$29.99. Includes 15 games: Street Fighter II, Street Fighter II: Championship Edition, Street Fighter II: Hyper Fightiung, Ghosts 'N Goblins, Commando, Knights of The Round, 1942, 1943. [956.56] [968.49] [974.50] [979.44] [1081.77]
- November 14
- Capcom releases the Capcom Classics Collection Vol. 2 video game for the PlayStation 2 in the USA. Price is US$19.99. Included are 20 games: Super Street Fighter II Turbo, 1941, Strider, Knights of the Round, Quizard Dragons. [974.50] [977.32] [1082.80] [1084.130]
- (month unknown)
- Konami releases the Konami Classics Series: Arcade Hits video game for the Nintendo DS. Included are 15 arcade games: Contra, Track & Field, Time Pilot, Gradius, Scramble, Pooyan, Roc 'n Rope, Circus Charlie, Basketball, Rainbow Bell, Shao-Lin's Road, Rush 'n Attack, Horror Maze, Road Fighter, Yie Ar Kung-Fu. [1079.84]
2007
- March 11
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the USA. A rec room includes arcade game "Triangle Wars". [1109]
- November 27
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment releases the film Futurama: Bender's Big Score on DVD in the USA.
- An arcade video game appears.
- People on a planet play a video game that is the actual space ships attacking them.
[1249]
2008
- January 29
- The film The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is released on DVD in the USA. [1233.88]
- June 24
- 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment releases the film Futurama: The Beast With a Billion Backs on DVD in the USA and Canada.
- A wrist-watch version of Pong is played.
- A video game arcade includes games: Honkey Kong, Coin Vacuum, Exlaxian, Normal Kombat, Ms. Marple Madness, Shovel Command, Extreme Flosser.
- A Pac-Man board game is played.
[1337]
- October 19
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. Two generic arcade video game units appear. [1328]
2009
- March 22
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A character says "You said we were going to a video game expo". Three characters jump around a rock formation like in the video gamne Q*Bert. [1330]
2010
- May 21
- Online search engine Google.com provides an animated playable version of Pac-Man in the Company's logo in honor of the 30th anniversary of the release of the game. For 48 hours users worldwide can play the 255 levels of the game. [1349]
- July 1
- Comedy Central airs the Futurama TV show in the USA. The Space Invaders video game is played on an "eye phone". [1382]
- November 17
- Namco Bandai releases the Pac-Man Championship Edition DX video game for the Xbox 360 in the US. [1367.78] [1375.37]
- November 23
- Namco Bandai releases the Pac-Man Championship Edition DX video game for the PlayStation 3 in the US. [1367.78] [1375.37]
2011
- February 20
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. An arcade machine resembling Ms. Pac-Man appears. [1387]
- May 1
- The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. The Noiseland Arcade appears, with various made-up arcade games: "CaterKiller 2", "Click Clack", "Triangle Wars", "Time Waister". [1388]
|
