This week in gaming history provides GameRevolution’s readers with a blast from the past, going back in time to outline all the biggest news stories and releases from this week in games. Every week, we will take a look at some things that happened this week in video game history over the past three decades.
Last week we saw some major recent releases like Red Dead Redemption and Minecraft Classic. This week, we will celebrate the release of some more recent games, like Overwatch and Super Mario Galaxy 2. So without further adieu, let’s take a look at this week in gaming history for the week of May 20-26.
This Week in Gaming History | May 20-26
May 20, 2014 | Wolfenstein: The New Order breathes new life into the franchise
Wolfenstein: The New Order came out on May 20, 2014 and is the seventh installment of the Wolfenstein series. It was released in the middle of a console generational shift, so it launched on the Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC. It is set in an alternate version of history where the Nazis won World War 2.
The game is remembered for presenting players with a difficult decision in the prologue, which will affect the entire storyline of the game. Wolfenstein: The New Order was nominated for multiple awards by different publications, including a few Game of the Year nominations. Since it was received well, it was followed by its sequel, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, in 2017.
May 21, 2013 | Resident Evil: Revelations hits bigger consoles
Resident Evil: Revelations was originally released for the 3DS and received an updated HD version for consoles and Windows on May 21, 2013. The survival horror title takes place between the events of Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil 5. Players must save the earth from being infected with a virus from a known bioterrorist group, which is basically the plot of most Resident Evil games.
Resident Evil: Revelations aimed to bring the series back to its starting place, which was known for horror. Despite Capcom’s best efforts, the updated version did not live up to the same standards as the 3DS version. The console release came with new expectations and this spin-off facing harsher standards that its handheld roots couldn’t quite live up to.
May 23, 2010 | Super Mario Galaxy 2 comes out
Super Mario Galaxy 2 is a sequel to the beloved Super Mario Galaxy and released on May 23, 2010. This game continues with the main storyline of the Mario franchise, where Bowser has captured Peach, and Mario must once again save her life. Despite the great success of the previous title, Super Mario Galaxy 2 almost didn’t see the light of day. It was initially planned to be released as an updated version of the original game and would have been called Super Mario Galaxy More.
Thankfully, that idea was scrapped and the developer decided to give the game its own title with some new gameplay mechanics. Super Mario Galaxy 2 released to overwhelming success and is remembered by many as one of the greatest games of all time. It is the twelfth best selling game for the Wii and as of May 2018 has amassed just under 7.5 million copies sold. There is no denying that both of the Super Mario Galaxy games have had a major impact on video game history.
May 24, 2012 | Subway Surfers, a good mobile game, hits digital storefronts
Good mobile games don’t usually catch the gaming industry by storm the way they used to but Subway Surfers still deserves to remembered fondly. Released on May 24, 2012 for Android, iOS, Kindle, and Windows, Subway Surfers is an endless runner game where players must run through a metro station while avoiding various objects.
While it can be quite repetitive and it doesn’t evolve much, Subway Surfers has had a huge impact on the gaming industry and has inspired many mobile games in the ensuring years. After releasing in 2012, Subway Surfers had become the most downloaded mobile game of all time by 2017. In March 2018, it became the first game on the Google Play Store to reach a billion downloads before shortly reaching 2 billion downloads. Additionally, it is the second most downloaded app on the iOS App Store, following Facebook.
May 24, 2016 | Blizzard finally releases Overwatch
On May 24, 2016, Blizzard finally released Overwatch on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The game divides players into two teams of six and each player chooses a hero who has a suite of unique abilities. It’s impressive not only because it’s a great game but also because it almost didn’t exist at all due to Titan, its first form, being quite troubled. However, the game was scrapped and Overwatch was born.
Overwatch had brought in over $1 billion for developer Blizzard in just a year and quickly began gathering a huge fanbase. This eventually spread into esports as Blizzard formed the Overwatch League, which is one of the biggest pushes to legitimize professional gaming. The league quickly became one of the dominant forces in esports and is still expanding into its second season.
