Game news 20 years ago, video games were the darling of the stars… A look back at the crazy times of launch parties!

Game news 20 years ago, video games were the darling of the stars… A look back at the crazy times of launch parties!

From geek to bling bling

If today video games are considered an art/entertainment like any other, so much so that certain Hollywood actors willingly trust the fact that they are real gamers, this has not always been the case. Long perceived as a mind-numbing leisure activity capable of making adolescents violent, the fault lies in the media coverage of the general television press which willingly pushes against this media which “stolen” screen time, the video game had to find many subterfuges to buy itself a good reputation. Or at least, an image equivalent to those of cinema and musictwo industries which interest the same target as that of the large manufacturers/publishers but which have better press than this media where we get excited about controllers and keyboards.

In order to prove that video games are cool, fun, trendy and that they do not deserve the horrors that are said about them in the newspapers, the marketing managers of the major gaming groups find the solution : organize extraordinary events for each major release (of a console, a game) and invite a load of people, celebrities from cinema, television, music or sport. The exercise consists of proving to the whole world that the media that gave birth to Super Mario (among many others) is not reserved for associable geeks since it is capable of attracting those who represent success in the eyes of all. In any case, this is what should emerge from the photographs emanating from these celebrations.bling bling”.

Tonight at Sony, it’s disco night

Launch parties organized to promote new game consoles are nothing new, and although they took on delirious dimensions in the battle between Sony and Microsoft in the early 2000s, they have been around since the 1990s. The British magazine Arcade also published a 6-page file in 1999 dedicated to “beautiful Dreamcast launch party” which took place at the Commonwealth Institute in London. On the guest list, journalists, editors, but also some celebrities, like the American actor Verne Troyer (Mini-me in Austin Powers) or Dean Macey, a British athlete. The basics are there: a prestigious location, terminals to have fun, DJs playing the latest hits, unlimited alcohol and personalities from all walks of life. Not bad is not it ? However, this is only a warm-up for what comes next.

The really serious – or rather fancy – things begin with the PlayStation 2 launch party. On the one hand, we have a manufacturer who is ready to do anything to hammer home the fact that his machine will be absolutely essential despite the presence of SEGA and Nintendo in the ring. On the other hand, we have stars delighted to have their photo taken next to an object dedicated to entertainment that their fans love. The result is explosive. In its ambition to create the disproportionate event that everyone will talk about in order to celebrate its PS2, the Japanese manufacturer invites more than thirty of stars in Hollywood. Ben Stiller, Carmen Electra, Denise Richards, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Milla Jovovich, Minnie Driver, Patricia Arquette, Tori Spelling, Vin Diesel, Trey Parker and Matt Stone… Nothing is too big for the company that turned the gaming world upside down with his PlayStation and who is preparing to sell his black monolith by the millions. The tone is set !

To whom better better

After the overwhelming success of the PS1 and the PS2 tidal wave which hit all territories, including France where players trampled themselves to discover Fantavision, Nintendo of America as well as Microsoft (which is entering the arena of manufacturers of consoles after the death of the Dreamcast) adopt a technique that has proven its effectiveness several times: imitating the leader’s way of communicating. In the early 2000s, you had to use the codes of “cool” and challenge your audience. While Sony calls on the master of the bizarre, namely David Lynch, to catapult its PlayStation 2 in the third world, Nintendo and Microsoft prepare their ammunition. When the first bends over backwards to insert his play cube, the second pops the cork of champagne. At this time, it is difficult to separate the three manufacturers in their way of addressing the public: they target the same categoryso much so that their slogans are very similar: “Life is a game” on the GameCube side, “life is too short, play more” implores Xbox.

It is therefore no surprise that Sony’s two competitors are also organizing flashy launch parties. Nintendo selects a Spring Street nightclub to throw its little cube party. The manufacturer welcomes Nikki Sixx, Bradley Cooper, Scarlett Johansson, Bridget Hall and the LMNT group. Microsoft also chooses New York with Toys “R” Us in Time Square, inviting Bill Gates to the event who takes advantage of the evening to play a few games with the fans present. Do you think that the Redmond firm is playing games with the stars? Wait until you see the guest list for the Xbox Live launch party, organized in Hollywood a short year later: John C. McGinley, Chris Masterson, Tori Spelling, Ashton Kutcher and almost the entire That ’70s Show clique are there , among others. For the arrival of Electronic Arts on Xbox Live, the Redmond firm even went so far as to bring Muhammad Ali, alongside other celebrities, for a special evening in 2005.

See Xbox Series X on Amazon

These “launch parties” rowdiness reached its peak with the arrival of the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. In the United States and around the world. It is difficult not to mention the personalities present at the Microsoft event, such as Tony Hawk, Fergie and Snoop Dogg. In addition, the machine was unveiled by Lord of the Rings star Elijah Wood. At Sony, celebrities are jostling at the gate with Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, Edward Furlong, James Franco, Lindsay Lohan, Kim and Kourtney Kardashian. We’re not going to continue these endless lists of names, you get the idea. Whether for the arrival of consoles, accessories (Kinect), services and of course games, all excuses are good at this time to party, and especially to show the whole world that video games interest everyone. the world, even the stars, whom they make dance, laugh, talk. In short, they allow us to socialize, even if this Epinal image is artificial.

Back to normal ?

The Wii U, Xbox One and PlayStation 4 are also having launch parties with their batches of stars, like Terry Crews, Idris Elba and Joel McHale at Xbox, but the giants are starting to let go of the packed Hollywood evenings of personalities. In the meantime, video games have definitely entered the daily lives of a large number of people, and there is no longer any point in spending tens of thousands of dollars on parties.”select” for millions of gamers of all ages to press “start”.

Released in the midst of the Covid-19 epidemic, the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S arrived without an event bringing together dozens of stars or hundreds of players. This did not prevent successful launches. The absence of these bling bling evenings should remind us that video games have evolved, and that they no longer need high-profile events adored by the celebrity press to attract the spotlight. Yes, the eccentric parties are over, and yet we have reasons not to regret them (too much).