2007 in review

(Small content note: I'm still debating whether or not I should continue the This Month in Gaming History series I've done. These posts don't have a lot of content, and the site I use as my main source has many inaccurate dates when cross-referenced with Wikipedia. I've often missed events because the month was listed incorrectly, or I couldn't confirm a date.)


2007 is almost over, and I thought I would take a look back at the events of the year.

As 2007 started off, the PlayStation 3 was difficult to find. However, Sony quickly got more units to shelves, and system sales have remained steady, but still behind the competition. The year also saw the dropping of the 20 Gig and 60 Gig units, in favor of the 80 Gig and 40 Gig units. Plus, the PS3 saw a couple price drops, though the first was rather temporary.

The XBox 360 saw steady sales, though it eventually fell to second place in the second half of the year. Major titles like Halo 3, Bioshock, Mass Effect, and others were released. The 360 Elite and Arcade models were also released.

As for the Wii, it has spent the entire year in a "shortage." I'm sure there are people who will claim that Nintendo is creating the shortage in order to boost demand for the system, and I won't argue with them. Whether Nintendo is purposefully creating a shortage or not, the system is in very high demand, and overtook the XBox 360 in less than a year, despite the 360 having a one year head-start.

2007 also saw the new and improved Electronic Entertainment Expo, as well as a few others trying to cash in on the downsized E3. Including E 4 All, which apparently had problems drawing a crowd.

In terms of games, Call of Duty 4 made an impact in the realm of first-person shooters. In terms of gameplay, the game didn't do a whole lot to revolutionize the genre. But the game looks incredible. The PS3 version, in particular, looks and runs as well as the XBox 360 version, and was released the same day as the other versions, which has been a rarity in multi-platform games this year. The story is well done, which is also unusual in FPS games. The multiplayer, while I've not tried it, is said to be excellent.

Also released this year was the PS3 version of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. While 360 and PC owners got to explore Cyrodil last year, PS3 owners were given the chance this year. While several months late, it was still great for those who missed out the first time around.

The Darkness came out to mixed reviews. Personally, I've enjoyed the game. I can't say it's the greatest, but it's at least fun.

Fire Pro Wrestling Returns, the latest entry in Japan's long running wrestling game series, came out in North America last month, marking the first time a console version (ie: not portable) of Fire Pro has been released outside of Japan. Fire Pro Returns was released in Japan in 2005, but even if it took two years, it was worth the wait. The game is incredible.

In terms of other news items throughout the year, there aren't many that I can remember, to be honest. Bungie separated from Microsoft. There was a Gamespot scandal involving the firing of Jeff Gerstman. And that's about all I can remember off the top of my head.

And that's my brief look back on 2007 in gaming. I hope you enjoyed it.