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

 * 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