| List of years in video games |
|---|
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2004 saw many sequels and prequels in video games, such asMadden NFL 2005,NBA Live 2005,ESPN NBA 2K5,Tony Hawk's Underground 2,WWE Smackdown! vs. Raw,Doom 3,Dragon Quest VIII,Gran Turismo 4,Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas,Half-Life 2,Halo 2,Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater,Myst IV: Revelation,Ninja Gaiden,Pokémon FireRed/LeafGreen/Emerald,Pikmin 2,Everybody's Golf 4 (Hot Shots Golf Fore!),Prince of Persia: Warrior Within, andWorld of Warcraft. Newintellectual properties includedFable,Far Cry,FlatOut,Killzone,Katamari Damacy,Monster Hunter,N,Red Dead Revolver,SingStar, andSacred. TheNintendo DS was also launched that year, the first major console of theseventh generation.
The year has been retrospectively considered one of the best and most influential invideo game history due to the release of numerous critically acclaimed, commercially successful and influential titles across all platforms andgenres at the time.[1] The year's best-selling video game wasGrand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The year's most critically acclaimed titles wereDragon Quest VIII andGran Turismo 4 in Japan, andHalf-Life 2 andSan Andreas in the West.
| DS | Nintendo DS,DSiWare,iQue DS | GBA | Game Boy Advance,iQue GBA | GCN | GameCube |
| OSX | macOS | PS1 | PlayStation 1 | PS2 | PlayStation 2 |
| PSP | PlayStation Portable | WIN | Microsoft Windows, all versionsWindows 95 and up | XB | Xbox,Xbox Live Arcade |
The list of game-related hardware released in 2004.
Thisseventh generation of video game consoles began this year with the launch of theNintendo DS andPlayStation Portable (only in Japan for the latter).
Sony also released thePlayStation 2 slimline, a smaller revision model of thePlayStation 2.
As of 2026, the Nintendo DS is the best-selling handheld game console of all time and the 2nd best video game console overall (right behind the PlayStation 2).
| Date | System | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| January 1 | PlayStation 2CHN | [2] |
| October 29 | PlayStation 2 slimlineEU | [citation needed] |
| November 17 | Atari Flashback | [citation needed] |
| November 3 | PlayStation 2 slimlineJP | [citation needed] |
| November 21 | Nintendo DSNA | [citation needed] |
| November 25 | PlayStation 2 slimlineNA | [citation needed] |
| December 2 | Nintendo DSJP | [citation needed] |
| PlayStation 2 slimlineAU | [citation needed] | |
| December 11 | PlayStation PortableJP | [citation needed] |
In 2004, the total U.S. sales of video game hardware, software and accessories was 9.9 billion compared with 10 billion in 2003. Total software sales rose 8 percent over the previous year to6.2 billion. Additionally, sales of portable software titles exceeded 1 billion for the first time. Hardware sales were down 27 percent for the year due in part to shortages during the holiday season and price reductions from all systems.
The dominanthandheld systems in 2004 were:
Additionally,Nokia released an updated version of their originalN-Gage, called theN-Gage QD.Nintendo released theNintendo DS on November 21 in the United States. In JapanSony released thePlayStation Portable on December 12.
| Rank | Title | Platform | Publisher | Sales | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan[3][4] | USA[5][6] | Europe | Worldwide | ||||
| 1 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | PS2 | Rockstar Games | N/a | 5,144,214 | 1,750,000+[7] | 6,894,214+ |
| 2 | Prince of Persia: Warrior Within | PS2, XB | Ubisoft | 56,414 | 5,132,612 | 1,158,612 | 6,347,928+ |
| 3 | Pokémon FireRed / LeafGreen | GBA | The Pokémon Company | 2,392,005 | 2,367,431 | Unknown | 5,800,000[8] |
| 4 | FIFA Football 2005 | EA Sports | 56,075 | 53,804+ | Unknown | 4,500,000[9] | |
| 5 | Halo 2 | XB | Microsoft Game Studios | 42,310[4] | 4,288,397 | Unknown | 4,330,707+ |
| 6 | Madden NFL 2005 | PS2, XB | EA Sports | 3,705[10] | 4,274,243 | Unknown | 4,277,948+ |
| 7 | Dragon Quest VIII: Sora to Umi to Daichi to Norowareshi Himegimi | PS2 | Square Enix | 3,327,167 | N/a | N/a | 3,327,167 |
| 8 | ESPN NFL 2K5 | PS2 | Take-Two Interactive | N/a | 2,632,393 | N/a | 2,632,393 |
| 9 | Pro Evolution Soccer 4 (Winning Eleven 8) | PS2 | Konami | 1,120,272 | Unknown | 1,500,000+[11] | 2,620,272+ |
| 10 | Need For Speed: Underground 2 | PS2, XB | Electronic Arts | N/a | 2,453,829 | Unknown | 2,453,829+ |
| Rank | Title | Platform | Publisher | Genre | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dragon Quest VIII: Sora to Umi to Daichi to Norowareshi Himegimi | PS2 | Square Enix | Role-playing | 3,327,167 |
| 2 | Pokémon FireRed / LeafGreen | GBA | The Pokémon Company | Role-playing | 2,392,005 |
| 3 | Pokémon Ruby / Sapphire /Emerald | GBA | The Pokémon Company | Role-playing | 1,670,000 |
| 4 | Dragon Quest V: Tenkū no Hanayome (The Heavenly Bride) | PS2 | Square Enix | Role-playing | 1,611,974 |
| 5 | Winning Eleven 8 (Pro Evolution Soccer 4) | PS2 | Konami | Sports | 1,120,272 |
| 6 | Sengoku Musou (Samurai Warriors) | PS2 | Koei | Hack and slash | 1,024,253 |
| 7 | Jissen Pachislot Shinshouhou! Hokuto no Ken (Fist of the North Star) | PS2 | Sammy Corporation | Pachislot | 916,765 |
| 8 | Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater | PS2 | Konami | Stealth | 694,307 |
| 9 | Gran Turismo 4 | PS2 | Sony | Racing simulation | 663,543 |
| 10 | Derby Stallion 04 | PS2 | Enterbrain | Simulation | 603,815 |
| Rank | Title | Platform(s) | Publisher | Sales[5][6] | Revenue | Inflation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | PS2 | Rockstar Games | 5,144,214 | $252,000,000 | $420,000,000 |
| 2 | Halo 2 | XB | Microsoft Game Studios | 4,288,397 | $223,000,000 | $371,000,000 |
| 3 | Madden NFL 2005 | PS2, XB, GCN | EA Sports | 4,274,243 | $209,000,000 | $348,000,000 |
| 4 | ESPN NFL 2K5 | PS2, XB | Take-Two Interactive | 2,632,393 | $50,000,000 | $83,000,000 |
| 5 | Need For Speed: Underground 2 | PS2, XB, GCN | Electronic Arts | 2,453,829 | $118,000,000 | $196,000,000 |
| 6 | Pokémon FireRed / LeafGreen | GBA | Nintendo | 2,367,431 | $76,000,000 | $127,000,000 |
| 7 | NBA Live 2005 | PS2, XB | EA Sports | 1,723,190 | $57,000,000 | $95,000,000 |
| 8 | Spider-Man 2 | PS2, GCN | Activision | 1,569,251 | $67,000,000 | $112,000,000 |
| 9 | ESPN NBA 2K5 | PS2, XB | Take-Two Interactive | 1,280,314 | Unknown | |
| 10 | Star Wars: Battlefront | PS2, XB | LucasArts | 1,224,927 | ||
| Rank | United Kingdom[14][7] | Australia[15] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Title | Platform(s) | Sales | Title | Platform | |
| 1 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | PS2 | 1,750,000 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | PS2 |
| 2 | Prince of Persia: Warrior Within | Unknown | Halo 2 | XB | |
| 3 | Need For Speed: Underground 2 | Unknown | Need For Speed: Underground 2 | PS2 | |
| 4 | The Simpsons: Hit & Run | Unknown | The Simpsons: Hit & Run | PS2 | |
| 5 | Pro Evolution Soccer 4 | Unknown | Need for Speed: Underground | PS2 | |
| 6 | Sonic Heroes | Unknown | Ratchet & Clank | PS2 | |
| 7 | Spider-Man 2 | Unknown | V8 Supercars 2 | PS2 | |
| 8 | Need for Speed: Underground | Unknown | SingStar | PS2 | |
| 9 | Halo 2 | XB | Unknown | Grand Theft Auto: Twin Pack | XB |
| 10 | DRIV3R | Unknown | Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec | PS2 | |
| Rank | Title | Publisher | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Prince of Persia: Warrior Within | Ubisoft | PS2 |
| 2 | Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | Rockstar Games | |
| 3 | DRIV3R | Atari | |
| 4 | Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 2 | ||
| 5 | Madden NFL 2005 | EA Sports | |
| 6 | NFL Street | ||
| 7 | Red Dead Revolver | Rockstar Games | |
| 8 | James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing | EA Games | |
| 9 | NCAA Football 2005 | EA Sports | |
| 10 | The Sims Bustin' Out | EA Games |
In Japan, the following video game releases in 2004 enteredFamitsu magazine's "Platinum Hall of Fame" and receivedFamitsu scores of at least 36 out of 40.[17]
| Title | Platform | Publisher | Genre | Score (out of 40) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon Quest VIII: Sora to Umi to Daichi to Norowareshi Himegimi | PS2 | Square Enix | Role-playing | 39 |
| Gran Turismo 4 | PS2 | Sony | Racing simulation | 39 |
| Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas | PS2 | Capcom | Action-adventure | 37 |
| Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater | PS2 | Konami | Stealth | 37 |
| Kessen III | PS2 | Koei | Real-time tactics | 37 |
| Onimusha 3 (Onimusha 3: Demon Siege) | PS2 | Capcom | Hack and slash | 36 |
| Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes | GCN | Konami | Stealth | 36 |
| Hoshi no Kirby: Kagami no Daimeikyū(Kirby & the Amazing Mirror) | GBA | Nintendo | Metroidvania | 36 |
| Pikmin 2 | GCN | Nintendo | Real-time strategy | 36 |
| Mawaru Made in Wario (WarioWare: Twisted!) | GBA | Nintendo | Party | 36 |
| The Legend of Zelda: Fushigi no Bōshi (The Minish Cap) | GBA | Nintendo | Action-adventure | 36 |
| Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories | GBA | Square Enix | Action role-playing | 36 |
| Sawaru Made in Wario (WarioWare: Touched!) | DS | Nintendo | Party | 36 |
| FIFA Total Football 2 (FIFA Football 2005) | PS2 | Electronic Arts | Sports | 36 |
In the West,Metacritic (MC) andGameRankings (GR) are aggregators ofvideo game journalism reviews.
| Date | Event | Ref. |
|---|---|---|
| January 12 | Ubisoft acquires Tiwak. | |
| January 20 | Wired'sVaporware Awards gives its first "Lifetime Achievement Award" to recurring winnerDuke Nukem Forever. | |
| February | Electronic Arts consolidates, rolls most ofMaxis and all ofOrigin Systems into itsRedwood Shores, California HQ. | |
| March 4 | Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts the7th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inductsPeter Molyneux into theAIAS Hall of Fame. | |
| March 22–26 | Game Developers Conference hosts 4th annualGame Developers Choice Awards and Gama Network's 6th annualIndependent Games Festival (IGF). | |
| April 6 | Midway Games acquiresSurreal Software. | |
| April 13 | T1, a South Korean esports organization, is founded. | |
| May 11 | Nintendo officially announces its "Revolution" (later namedWii) console. | |
| May 11–13 | The 10th annualE3 is held inLos Angeles,California, United States. | [22] |
| May | Sammy Corporation buys a controlling share inSega Corporation at a cost of1.1 billion creating the new company,Sega Sammy Holdings, one of the biggest video game companies in the world. | |
| July | IEMA (Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association) hosts 5th annual Executive Summit. | |
| July | Square Enix restructures executive branches around the world. | |
| August 1 | A viral portion of aStreet Fighter III: 3rd Strike match takes place during theEvo 2004 tournament. | [23][24][25] |
| August 3 | Doom 3 is released, restarting the breakthroughfranchise, and featured complex graphics features such as unified lighting and shadowing, real-time fully dynamic per-pixel lighting and stencil shadowing. The game became id's best selling game to date. | |
| September 1 | Acclaim declares bankruptcy and closes its doors. | |
| October 6–10 | The2004 World Cyber Games are held. | [26] |
| October 11 | Midway Games acquiresInevitable Entertainment and renames it Midway Studios Austin. | |
| October 12 | EA Sports launches the multi-formatFIFA Football 2005. It is the last major title to be released for the originalPlayStation console. | |
| November 5 | Nobuo Uematsu resigns from Square Enix and becomes a freelancer, starting his own business, calledSmile Please Co., Ltd. | |
| November 30 | Midway Games acquires developerParadox Development. | |
| November | Counter-Strike: Source andHalf-Life 2 are officially released onPC around the world, bringing in a new era for thefirst-person shooter genre of video games, with advanced graphics & physics. | |
| December 13 | Electronic Arts purchases a 5-year exclusive agreement for the rights to the NFL, which includes NFL teams, stadiums and players for use in EA's football video games. | |
| December 14 | The 2004Spike Video Game Awards are held. | [27][28] |
| December 20 | Electronic Arts purchases 20% stake inUbisoft. The purchase at the time was considered "hostile", by Ubisoft. |
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