2006 in video gaming

## Year 2006

Duke Nukem Forever is now in its 9th year of production, it was expected to be released this year, but slipped again.

## Console Hardware Releases

### Microsoft

* Xbox 360 (X360)
	+ Mexico/Colombia - February 2
	+ Australia
	+ South Korea
	+ Asia

### Nintendo

* Nintendo DS Lite (DSL)
* Wii

### Sony

* PlayStation 3 (PS3)
	+ Japan
	+ North America

## Notable Software Releases

* Marc Ecko's Getting Up: Contents Under Pressure PS2/Xbox

*The fashion world's entry into the video game industry.*
* Full Auto X360
* Grandia III PS2
* Resident Evil: Deadly Silence DS
* Chibi-Robo GCN
* *MediEvil* PSN
* Drill Dozer GBA

*The first non-Pokemon release from Game Freak since the NES days.*
* Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max PSP
* Tales of Legendia PS2

*First Tales of series game released outside of Japan since Tales of Symphonia.*
* Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X PSP
* Ape Escape 3 PS2
* Ape Escape Academy PSP
* Mega Man X Collection PS2/GCN
* PQ: Practical Intelligence Quotient PSP
* ElectroPlankton DS

*The largely hyped, innovative, musical toy, championed by Nintendo as an example of what unique concepts the DS is capable of having.*
* Dead or Alive 4 X360

*The next installment of the fan favorite Dead or Alive series, and Xbox 360 hit.*
* Guild Wars: Factions PC

## Key Events

See February 2006 for more details.

* February 9 - The Interactive Achievement Awards 9th annual ceremony was handed out. The big winner of the night was God of War.
* February 15 - Nintendo announces Opera based browser:"Nintendo DS Browser" and a TV tuner: DS Terrestrial Digital Broadcast Receiver.
* February 22 - Japan revises it's rating system to accommodate what would be an equal to the ESRB's Adults Only rating.

See May 2006 for more details.

* May 10 - May 12 - E3 2006 show takes place.
* September 14/15 - In three separate announcements held by the three regional divisions of Nintendo, the price, launch date for Wii was announced.
* TGS06
* X06

## Videogame Sales

### Video game sales

**Ten best-selling PC games of 2006:** [1]

* 1) World of Warcraft
* 2) The Sims 2: Open for Business
* 3) The Sims 2
* 4) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
* 5) Star Wars: Empire at War
* 6) Age of Empires III
* 7) Civilization IV
* 8) The Sims 2: Nightlife
* 9) Guild Wars: Factions
* 10) Zoo Tycoon 2

**Ten best-selling PS2 games of 2006:**[2]

* 1) Madden NFL 07
* 2) Kingdom Hearts 2
* 3) Guitar Hero
* 4) Final Fantasy XII
* 5) NCAA Football 07
* 6) Guitar Hero II
* 7) MLB 06: The Show
* 8) Scarface: The World is Yours
* 9) LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
* 10) Fight Night Round 3

**Ten best-selling PS3 games of 2006:**[3]

* 1) Resistance: Fall of Man
* 2) Madden NFL 07
* 3) Call of Duty 3
* 4) Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
* 5) Ridge Racer 7
* 6) Need for Speed: Carbon
* 7) Tony Hawk's Project 8
* 8) NBA 2K7
* 9) NBA 07
* 10) Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom

**Ten best-selling Xbox games of 2006:**[4]

* 1) Madden NFL 07
* 2) Black
* 3) NCAA Football 07
* 4) MVP 06: NCAA Baseball
* 5) The Godfather: The Game
* 6) Fight Night Round 3
* 7) Major League Baseball 2K6
* 8) LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
* 9) Scarface: The World is Yours
* 10) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter

**Ten best-selling Xbox 360 games of 2006:**[5]

* 1) Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
* 2) Madden NFL 07
* 3) Gears of War
* 4) The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
* 5) Fight Night Round 3
* 6) Saints Row
* 7) Dead Rising
* 8) NCAA Football 07
* 9) Call of Duty 3
* 10) Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent

**Ten best-selling GameCube games of 2006:**[6]

* 1) Sonic Riders
* 2) Naruto: Clash of Ninja
* 3) LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy
* 4) Cars
* 5) Madden NFL 07
* 6) Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2
* 7) Rampage: Total Destruction
* 8) Over the Hedge
* 9) Harvest Moon: Magical Melody
* 10) Teen Titans

**Ten best-selling Wii games of 2006:**[7]

* 1) The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
* 2) Red Steel
* 3) Super Monkey Ball: Banana Blitz
* 4) Rayman Raving Rabbids
* 5) Call of Duty 3
* 6) Madden NFL 07
* 7) Trauma Center: Second Opinion
* 8) Marvel: Ultimate Alliance
* 9) Excite Truck
* 10) Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2

**Ten best-selling DS games of 2006:**[8]

* 1) New Super Mario Bros.
* 2) Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Blue Rescue Team
* 3) Brain Age: Train Your Brain in Minutes a Day
* 4) Metroid Prime: Hunters
* 5) Super Princess Peach
* 6) Big Brain Academy
* 7) Tetris DS
* 8) Nintendogs
* 9) Mario Hoops 3-on-3
* 10) Pokémon Ranger

**2006**
January • February • March • April • May • June • July
August • September • October • November • December

See 2006 for other events during the year.