1999 in video gaming

## Events

* British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 2nd annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards
* March – Game Over republished as “Game Over: Press Start to Continue”
* March 15–19 — Game Developers Conference (formerly Computer Game Developers Conference); moves to San Jose, California where it stays for six consecutive years; hosts the 1st annual Independent Games Festival
* March 15 — Gama Network hosts the 1st annual Independent Games Festival (IGF) at GDC
* May 13–15 — 5th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3); the 2nd annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of E3
* May 13 — Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 2nd Annual Interactive Achievement Awards (at E3); inducts Sid Meier of Firaxis to the AIAS Hall of Fame
* July 3 — Gamer Billy Mitchell scores a perfect 3,333,360 points on the *Pac-Man* arcade game
* Team Fortress 2 is announced for release during the year, but gets delayed until 2007.
* July 21 during the Macworld Conference & Expo, Steve Jobs announced that Halo: Combat Evolved would be released for Mac OS and Windows simultaneously. Before this public announcement, game industry journalists under a non-disclosure agreement had previewed the game in a private showing during E3 1999.

## Notable releases

 GBC

 PS1

* January 31 - *Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri* (PC)
* January 31 - *Silent Hill* (PS)
* February 8 - *Mario Party* (N64)
* February 28 - *Star Wars: X-Wing Alliance* (PC)
* March 16 - *EverQuest* (PC)
* March 31 - *RollerCoaster Tycoon* (PC)
* April 10 - *Warzone 2100* (PC)
* April 27 - *Super Smash Bros.* (N64)
* April 30 - *Baldur's Gate: Tales of the Sword Coast* (PC)
* April 30 - *Star Wars: Episode I Racer* (N64, PC)
* April 30 - *Pokémon Stadium* (N64)
* June 1 - *Heroes of Might and Magic III* (PC)
* June 14 - *Descent 3* (PC)
* June 17 - *MediEvil*(PS) (JP)
* June 18 - *Counter-Strike* (original PC MOD)
* June 30 - *Kingpin: Life of Crime* (PC)
* July 31 - *Outcast* (PC)
* August 11 - *System Shock 2* (PC)
* August 27 - *Command & Conquer: Tiberian Sun* (PC)
* August 31 - *Tony Hawk's Pro Skater* (PS)
* September 7 - *Sonic Adventure* (DC)
* September 9 - *Soulcalibur* (DC)
* September 9 - *Final Fantasy VIII* (PS)
* September 28 - *Homeworld* (PC)
* September 30 - *FreeSpace 2* (PC)
* September 30 - *Age of Empires II: The Age of Kings* (PC)
* October 11 - *Jet Force Gemini* (N64)
* October 31 - *Half-Life: Opposing Force* (PC)
* October 31 - *Ultima IX: Ascension* (PC)
* October 31 - *Donkey Kong 64* (N64)
* October 31 - *Nocturne* (PC)
* November 2 - *Asheron's Call* (PC)
* November 9 - *RollerCoaster Tycoon: Corkscrew Follies* (PC)
* November 11 - *Medal of Honor* (PS)
* November 23 - *SWAT 3: Close Quarters Battle* (PC)
* November 26 - *Unreal Tournament* (PC)
* December 2 - *Quake III Arena* (PC)
* December 12 - *Planescape: Torment* (PC)
* December 31 - *Battlezone II: Combat Commander* (PC)

## Hardware

* Nintendo's Game Boy Light (GBL) handheld console in Japan only
* Sega Dreamcast, an Internet-ready 128-bit home console
* SNK's Neo Geo Pocket Color handheld
* Tiger Electronics Game.com Pocket Pro handheld

## Business

* Activision acquires Elsinore Multimedia, Expert Software, and Neversoft Entertainment
* Infogrames Entertainment SA acquires Accolade, Gremlin Interactive (renamed Infogrames Sheffield House), GT Interactive Software (GTIS), and Ozisoft
* Take-Two Interactive acquires TalonSoft
* ZeniMax Media acquires Bethesda Softworks
* 3d6 Games, Inc. founded (closes November 1, 2002)
* 7 Studios founded
* BAM! Entertainment, Inc. founded
* Bohemia Interactive Studio founded
* February 22 — "Black Monday" (or "Chainsaw Monday"): Sierra reorganizes to cut costs, closing several studios.
* April — Liquid Entertainment founded
* October — 7FX founded as subsidiary of a Czech company

## Lawsuits

* Nintendo v. Bung Enterprises Ltd.; Nintendo sues Bung over patent infringement
* Sony Corporation v. Bleem LLC