1997

January 1

• Acclaim Entertainment releases the Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [808]

January 12

• The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. Ouside the "Noiseland Arcade", a sign is displayed above a live gorilla: "Friday Meet Donkey Kong in Person". The gorilla throws a barrel at a man, knocking him down. [834]

January 23

• In Tokyo, Japan, Sega Enterprises and Bandai announce they will merge companies in a US$1.08 billion stock swap. The combined company name is to be Sega Bandai Limited, based in Tokyo. [597] [855.D1] (February [591.22])

January

• Apple Computer CEO Gilbert Amelio says Apple will drop the Pippin multimedia computer. [649.32]

January 31

• Square releases the Final Fantasy VII video game for the PlayStation in Japan. (Two million copies sell in the first three-day weekend. Total worldwide sales over its lifetime: 8.6 million.) [556.99] [591.24] [630.62]

January (month)

• Top selling video game in the USA during the month: Super Mario 64 for the Nintendo 64. [874.D10] [1074.36]

February 10

• Nintendo releases the Mario Kart 64 game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [298.38] [401] [458.41] [871.38] [1159.89]

February

• Acclaim releases the Turok: Dinosaur Hunter video game for the Nintendo 64 in the USA. [1159.91] (April [1161.81])
• Unit sales of PlayStation systems in the United States to date: 3.4 million. Sales worldwide: 11 million. [591.22]
• Namco releases the Soul Blade video game for the PlayStation in the US. [630.62] [740.85]

February 16

• The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. A sit-down arcade game is played in a store, called Astro Blast. [835]

February (month)

• Top selling arcade game in the US for the month: X-Men Vs. Street Fighter by Capcom. [794.28]
• Top selling video game in the US for the month: Mario Kart 64 for the Nintendo 64. [794.28]

March 1

• Sony announces price cuts on the PlayStation by 25 to 35 percent in Australia, Great Britain, France, and Germany. [597]

March 4

• Sony drops the price of the PlayStation in the United States to US$149, sets the standard software price at US$49.95, and introduces a series of Greatest Hits titles at US$24.99. [591.22] [597] [674.45] [873.D3]

March 15

• In Seattle, Washington, the GameWorks video arcade opens. Partners of the GameWorks company are DreamWorks, Universal Studios, and Sega Enterprises of Japan. The main attraction is the Vertical Reality interactive game designed by Steven Spielberg. Up to twelve players are seated around columns of three video screens; as cyborgs are shot, the player is raised, with the object being to reach the top. Cost to play is US$4. [688.72]

March

• Nintendo drops the price of the Nintendo 64 in the United States to US$149. [674.45]
• Sony begins selling the Net Yaroze, a programmable PlayStation video game system in Japan. [1093.34]
• Electronic Arts agrees to produce six Nintendo 64 sports titles by Christmas 1998. [352.73]
• EA Distribution and Dreamworks Interactive sign a deal for publishing games. [1319.30]

March 26

• Nintendo releases the Blast Corps video game for the Nintendo 64 in the USA. [1102.113] [1159.96]

March 28

• Buena Vista Pictures releases the film The Sixth Man to theaters in the USA. A character is told to forget girls and "stick to Nintendo". [932]

March 31

• Unit sales of Nintendo Game Boy game systems over the past twelve months: about 7 million. [271.D4]
• Unit sales of Nintendo 64 game systems in North America to date: 2.5 million. [271.D4]

January-March

• Unit sales of video game cartridges in the US during the past three months: 13.3 million. [355.73]

April 1

• Midway releases the Doom 64 video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. [401] [411]

April

• In Seattle, Washington, USA, the Nintendo 64 Developers Conference is held, over two days. [1158.105]

April 15

• Disney Interactive lays off about 20 percent of its workforce, ending in-house production of video games. [597]

April

• Nintendo releases the Game Boy Pocket portable game system in multiple case colors in the USA. [453.44] [1161.81]
• Nintendo releases the Mario Kart video game for the Nintendo 64 in the United Kingdom. [393.28]

April 28

• 3DO agrees to sell its hardware systems business to Samsung Electronics, for US$20 million. [271.D6]

May

• Nintendo releases the Game & Watch Gallery for the Game Boy in the USA. [1161.81]
• Catapult ends the Xband modem service for the Super NES in the USA. [1161.81]

(month unknown)

• Unit sales of the Nintendo 64 in North America to date: 2.6 million. 2.7 million have been sold in the rest of the world. [355.72]
• Tiger Electronics introduces the Game.com hand-held portable video game system in the US. It features black-and-white touch-screen 2.5x2.125-inch LCD, and runs on four AA batteries. Size is 7 x 4.5 x 0.375 inches; price is US$69.95. Game cartridges cost $20-30. [354.24] [545.22] [689.12]

June

• Nintendo releases the Rumble Pak for the controller of the Nintendo 64 video game system. [453.44] [1161.81]

June 19

• The Electronic Entertainment Expo is held in Atlanta, Georgia, over three days. Total attendance is 37,100. Nintendo unveils the Banjo-Kazooie video game. [462.195] [591.16] [674.45] [1028.38]

June 23

• The United States Supreme Court refuses to review the case of Alpex vs. Nintendo of America, letting stand the verdict that Nintendo had not infringed on a patent owned by Alpex. [597]

June 24

• 3DO completes the sale of its hardware business to Samsung, for US$20 million. [597]

(month unknown)

• Sega releases the Saturn Bomberman game for the Saturn in the US. [304.144]
• Sega launches the Saturn NetLink, allowing the Saturn system to connect to the Internet. [810.119]
• Nintendo releases the Super Famicom Jr. in Japan. The unit is a redesigned Super Famicom. [1091.94]

July

• Nintendo releases the Star Fox 64 video game for the Nintendo 64 in the US. Price is US$69.95, including a Rumble Pak that allows the game to make the controller vibrate. The game was developed at Nintendo by Shigeru Miyamoto. [352.73] [401] [690.12] [1158.57]
• Konami releases the International Superstar Soccer 64 video game for the Nintendo 64 in the USA. [1159.92]

July 22

• Sega terminates its agreement for 3Dfx to supply custom 3D graphics chipset for the next Sega video game system. (3Dfx sues in September claiming breach of contract.) [506.82] [597]

July 31

• Sega releases the Sonic Jam video game for the Sega Saturn in the US. [396.24] [779.40]

August

• Nintendo releases the GoldenEye 007 video game for the Nintendo 64 in the USA. (Over its lifetime, 8 million copies are sold, making this the best-selling video game for the Nintendo 64 in the USA.) [298.38] [421.38] [566.92] [746.157] [1147.116] [1159.89] [1161.81] (July [411])
• Chris Slate founds PSM magazine for PlayStation users. [954.37] [1188.35]
• Nintendo releases the Tetrisphere video game for the Nintendo 64 in the USA. [1159.95]

August 27

• Sony releases the Dual Analog controller for the PlayStation in the US. [630.62] [1188.38]

August 29

• 3Dfx Interactive files a lawsuit in California's Santa Clara County Superior Court against Sega Enterprises and NEC over the cancellation of a contract with 3Dfx. 3Dfx was to provide a 3D graphics component for Sega's next video game system. [597]

August 31

• Acclaim Entertainment releases the Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero video game for the PlayStation in the US. [808]

(month unknown)

• In Tokyo, Japan, the Spaceworld video game show is held. 240,000 attend the show. Nintendo demonstrates a new Zelda game for the Nintendo 64. Nintendo premieres the Yoshi's Story video game for the Nintendo 64. [390.4,34]

September

• The name of P.S.X. magazine in the U.S. is changed to Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. [630.62]

September 7

• Sony CEA releases the Final Fantasy VII game for the PlayStation in the US. [304.127] [556.99] [576.102] [591.24] [625.50] [627.36] [630.50] [674.45] [740.86] (September 3 [630.62]) (September 4 [869.19]) (August 31 [411])

September 11

• Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat 4 video game Version 1.0 to arcades in the US. [808]

September 30

• Capcom releases the Resident Evil Director's Cut video game for the PlayStation in the US. [411] [834.17]

October 4

• Gunpei Yokoi, inventor and toy maker, dies. He designed Nintendo's Game & Watch handheld games, Game Boy, and Game Boy Pocket. [1161.81]

October 15

• Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat 4 video game Version 2.0 to arcades in the US. [808]

October

• Nintendo releases a redesigned smaller Super NES in the USA. Number of internal chips is reduced from eleven to five, there is no eject lever, no LED power light, no RF switch, and no RF modulator. [1160.104] [1161.81]
• Konami releases the Castlevania: Symphony of the Night game for the PlayStation in the US. [304.152] [630.62] [740.90]

October 17

• Midway Amusement Games releases the Mortal Kombat 4 video game Version 2.1 to arcades in the US. [808]

October 23

• Four game developers release the first arcade games based on Intel's Pentium II platform and the Open Arcade Architecture. This system allows game changes by software only, without requiring a physical machine change. [597]

October 31

• Nintendo releases the Diddy Kong Racing video game for the Nintendo 64. [411] [531.7]

November 5

• Sony CEA releases the Crash Bandicoot 2 video game for the PlayStation in the US. [628.60]

November 9

• The Fox Broadcasting Company airs The Simpsons TV show in the US. In a convenience store, a child plays an arcade game called Cat Fight. [838]

November

• Square releases the Final Fantasy VII video game for the PlayStation in Europe. [556.99]
• Accolade releases the Test Drive 4 game for the PlayStation in the US. [492.5] [506.4]
• New Line Cinema releases the feature film Mortal Kombat: Annihilation to theaters in the US. (Total American theater ticket sales: US$36 million.) [464.177] [496.40]

November 18

• Sega releases the Sonic R video game for the Sega Saturn in the US. [779.40]

November 19

• Sony releases the PaRappa the Rapper video game for the PlayStation in the US. The game innovates by popularizing music/rhythm-based games. [625.50] [628.60] [740.86]

November 22

• Eidos releases the Tomb Raider II video game for the PlayStation in the US. (Total lifetime sales: 1.8 million.) [308.82] [411] [444.34] [628.60] [630.62] [633.98]

November 25

• Sega announces that The Sega Channel for Genesis will be shut down. 20 million homes had access but only 150,000 subscribed to the service. [1078.154]

(month unknown)

• Nintendo releases a redesigned smaller Game Boy Pocket portable game system. Price is US$55. [271.D4]

December

• Konami releases the Beatmania arcade video game in Japan. [1025.11]
• Nintendo releases the GoldenEye video game for the Nintendo 64 in the United Kingdom. [393.28]