Real world history/Pre-2000s: Difference between revisions

{{for|real world history|the history of ''[[MediEvil (series)|MediEvil]]'s game world|World history}}{{Real world history decades}}This page details the '''[[real world history]]''' of the ''[[MediEvil]]'' series and the studios behind it up to the year 2000.

*{{Icon|Millennium}} - Events related to [[Millennium Interactive]].

*{{Icon|Med}} - Events related to ''[[MediEvil]]''.

*{{Icon|Med2}} - Events related to ''[[MediEvil 2]]''.

*{{Icon|Cambridge}} - Events related to [[SCE Cambridge Studio]].

 

*{{Icon|Millennium}} [[Millennium]] is founded by {{Creatures|Michael Hayward}}, Tony Beckwith, {{Creatures|Ian Saunter}} and one other - they remain for a few months in Michael's house before moving to a local science park.

*'''July 27''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Millennium]] is legally incorporated.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02408478|title=CREATURE LABS LTD. - Overview (free company information from Companies House)|site=beta.companieshouse.gov.uk}}</ref>

*{{Icon|Millennium}} [[Millennium]] release ''James Pond: Underwater Agent'', ''Hoverforce'', ''Horror Zombies from the Crypt ''and ''Thunderstrike''. [[Jason Wilson]] begins working for [[Millennium]] as a freelancer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/JayGunnArts/posts/1097776287015782|site=Facebook|title=Jay Gunn|published=January 12, 2017}}</ref>

*{{Icon|Millennium}} [[Millennium]] release ''Virtual Reality Vol. 2'', ''Stormball'', ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' and'' James Pond 2: Codename: RoboCod''.

 

*{{Icon|Millennium}} [[Millennium]] release ''Cyber Empires'', ''The Aquatic Games'', ''Daughter of Serpents'', ''Global Effect'' and ''Rome AD 92''.

*'''Date unknown''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Millennium]] release ''James Pond 3: Operation Starfish''. Jason Riley and Katie Sorrell (née Lea) join [[Millennium]].{{Siteref|MED-EU-Site|english/sorcerers/sorcerers_jason_1.html|Sorcerers - Jason Riley}}{{Siteref|MED-EU-Site|german/sorcerers/sorcerers_katie_1.html|Sorcerers - Katie Lea}}

*'''April''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Dean Ashton]] joins [[Millennium]].

*'''July''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Tim Closs]] joins [[Millennium]].

 

*'''July''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Chris Sorrell]] leaves Vectordean and joins [[Millennium]].{{Siteref|MED-EU-Site|english/sorcerers/sorcerers_chris_1.html|Sorcerers - Chris Sorrell}}

 

*'''Date unknown''': {{Icon|Med}} ''[[MediEvil]]'' is conceptualised. [[Tom Oswald]] joins [[Millennium]].

*'''January''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[James Shepherd]] joins [[Millennium]].

*'''March''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Mitch Phillips]] joins [[Millennium]].

*'''July''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[James Busby]] joins [[Millennium]].

*'''September''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Paul Donovan]] joins [[Millennium]].{{Siteref|MED-EU-Site|english/sorcerers/sorcerers_paul_1.html|Sorcerers - Paul Donovan}}

*'''December 21''': {{Icon|MediEvil}} Version 2.2 of the ''[[MediEvil]]'' Design Document is completed.{{Videoref|MED-Design-History|2:17}}

*'''Date unknown''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Nina Kristensen]] and [[Mike Philbin]] join [[Millennium]].{{Siteref|MED-EU-Site|english/sorcerers/sorcerers_nina_1.html|Sorcerers - Nina Kristensen}}{{Siteref|MED-EU-Site|english/sorcerers/sorcerers_mike_1.html|Sorcerers - Mike Philbin}}

*'''January''': {{Icon|Med}} ''[[MediEvil]]'' enters development, with art design being the main focus. [[Jason Wilson]] creates elaborate level design maps.{{Videoref|MED-Making-Of}} {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Andrew Ostler]] joins [[Millennium]].

*'''February''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Matt Johnson]], already a part of [[Millennium]], joins the ''[[MediEvil]]'' development team.{{Siteref|MED-EU-Site|english/sorcerers/sorcerers_matt_1.html|Sorcerers - Matt Johnson}}

 

*'''March''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Martin Hamilton Kift]] joins [[Millennium]]. [[James Busby]] joins the ''[[MediEvil]]'' development team.{{Siteref|MED-EU-Site|english/sorcerers/sorcerers_james_1.htm|Sorcerers - James Busby}}

*'''April''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Derek Pollard]] joins [[Millennium]].

*'''September''': {{Icon|Med}} The PlayStation version of ''[[MediEvil]] ''enters development.{{Videoref|MED-Making-Of}}

*'''November 11''': {{Icon|Millennium}} Cyberlife release ''[[Creatures]]''. An image of Zarok can be found under the Windmill in Albia, because [[Jason Riley]] was responsible for touching up the background model for the game after it had been scanned in and digitised.

 

*'''Date unknown''': {{Icon|Millennium}} {{Icon|Cambridge}} [[Sam Baker]] joins [[Millennium]] / [[SCE Cambridge Studio]].

*'''May''': {{Icon|Millennium}} [[Alex Sulman]] joins [[Millennium]].

*'''June 19 - June 21''': {{Icon|Med}} An early demo of ''MediEvil'' is [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5CIqAKlSjU playable] at the third [[E3 1997|E3]] in Atlanta, Georgia.^{<ref>{{cite web|title=E3 Preview MediEvil|site=PSX Nation|published=June 21, 1997|url=http://web.archive.org/web/0id_/http://www.psxnation.com/e3/mideival.html}}</ref>}

*'''July''': {{Icon|Millennium}} {{Icon|Cambridge}} [[Julian Rex]] and [[Alan McCarthy]] join [[Millennium]] / [[SCE Cambridge Studio]].

*'''July 4''': {{Icon|Millennium}} {{Icon|Cambridge}} SCEE buys the [[Millennium]] game development studio from {{Creatures|Cyberlife|Cyberlife Ltd}} for about £6 million, due to their experience of working with the team through the preliminary months of ''[[MediEvil]]''. The [[SCE Cambridge Studio]] is formed. At this time, the studio works on ''MediEvil'' to be published by SCEE, and ''Beast Wars'' and ''Frogger'' to be published by Hasbro.{{Siteref|MED2-EU-Site|uk/nonshocked/development/development1.htm|Development}}^{<ref name="TheTimes">{{Cite news|title=''Sony spends £6m on research base''|site=The Times|author=Jason Nisse|published=July 14, 1997}}</ref>}

*'''July 15''': {{Icon|Millennium}} ''[[Creatures]]'' is released in the USA.

*'''July 17''': {{Icon|Millennium}} Sony's acquisition of Millennium is covered by The Times.<ref name="TheTimes"/>

*'''September''': {{Icon|Cambridge}} [[Tim Closs]] leaves [[SCE Cambridge Studio]].

 

*'''Date unknown''': {{Icon|Cambridge}} [[Sam Baker]] leaves [[SCE Cambridge Studio]].

*'''January''': {{Icon|Med}} ''[[Joypad CD Vol.4 - Les musiques de MediEvil]]'' is released in France. {{Icon|Cambridge}} [[Mike Froggatt]] joins [[SCE Cambridge Studio]].

*'''January 9''': {{Icon|Med}} ''[[MediEvil]]'' is classified as a PG game by the Australian Classification Board.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/medievil-0|site=Australian Classification Board|published=January 9, 1998|title=MEDIEVIL}}</ref>

*'''April''': {{Icon|Cambridge}} [[Derek Pollard]] leaves [[SCE Cambridge Studio]].

*'''May 28 - May 30''': {{Icon|Med}} A demo of ''[[MediEvil]]'' is [https://youtu.be/377fEyJ8lvU?t=1254 playable] at the fourth [[E3 1998|E3]] in Atlanta, Georgia.

*'''August 8''': {{Icon|Med}} ''[[MediEvil]]'' is classified as a game suitable for children aged 12 or above by the German Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://usk.de/?s=MediEvil|published=August 5, 1998|title=MediEvil|site=Unterhaltungssoftware Selbstkontrolle}}</ref>

*'''September''': {{Icon|Med2}} [[MediEvil 2|A sequel to ''MediEvil'']] is first considered at this time.<ref>{{cite web|title=MediEvil 2 Director Interviewed|site=GameSpot|published=December 15, 1999|url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/medievil-2-director-interviewed/1100-2440416/}}</ref>

*'''October 8''': {{Icon|Med}} [[Chris Sorrell]] and [[Jason Wilson]] answer questions in the MediEvil Team On-line Interview on the official [[MediEvil EU site|''MediEvil'' website]].{{Siteref|MED-EU-Site|english/chat/chat1.html|Chat}}

*'''October 9''': {{Icon|Med}} ''[[MediEvil]]'' is released in Europe.

*'''October 19''': {{Icon|Med}} The [[Funeral]] advert, created by TBWA Simons Palmer to promote ''[[MediEvil]]'' in the United Kingdom, is classified as suitable for viewing by people aged 15 or above by the British Board of Film Classification.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/sony-playstation-medievil-computer-game-funeral-1970|title=SONY PLAYSTATION - MEDIEVIL COMPUTER GAME - FUNERAL|site=British Board of Film Classification|published=October 19, 1998}}</ref>

*'''October 21''': {{Icon|Med}} ''[[MediEvil]]'' is released in North America.

*'''October 22''': {{Icon|Med}} IGN's [http://www.ign.com/articles/1998/10/23/medievil review] of ''[[MediEvil]]'' is published.

*'''October 23''': {{Icon|Med}} GameSpot's [http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/medievil-review/1900-2548312/ review] of ''[[MediEvil]]'' is published.

*'''November''': {{Icon|Med}} Absolute PlayStation's [http://www.absolute-playstation.com/api_review/rmedi.htm review] of ''[[MediEvil]]'' is published.

*'''November 16''': {{Icon|Med}} All entries into the [[MediEvil Hangman]] contest were to be received by this date.{{Siteref|MED-US-Site|contest/expired.html|MediEvil Contest}}

*'''November 19''': {{Icon|Med}} Sony Computer Entertainment America and Pizza Hut announce a nationwide promotion. Customers who bought Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza had the opportunity to win a grand prize cash jackpot of $200,000 and a wide assortment of PlayStation prizes, including 100 PlayStation game consoles with ''Crash Bandicoot: WARPED'', as well as 2,000 copies of PlayStation's most popular games, including ''MediEvil''.<ref name="PizzaHutPromo">{{Cite web|quote=Sony Computer Entertainment America and Pizza Hut announced today a nationwide promotion that teams up the world's largest pizza restaurant company with the world's best-selling videogame system.|title=Sony Computer Entertainment America and Pizza Hut Team Up for the 'Pizza-Powered PlayStation Giveaway'|published=November 19, 1998|newspaper=[https://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/ Business Wire]}}</ref>

*'''November 22''': {{Icon|Med}} The nationwide promotion by SCEA and Pizza Hut begins. As part of this promotion, consumers were able to sample some PlayStation-exclusive titles when they received one of the [[MediEvil_Demo/SCUS-94292|3.5 million PlayStation demo discs]] available through Pizza Hut, mthe largest number ever manufactured by SCEA by that point.<ref name="PizzaHutPromo"/>

*'''November 23 - December 26''': {{Icon|Med}} SCEA advertises the nationwide promotion with Pizza Hut using TV adverts and one million direct mail pieces.<ref>{{Cite web|title=BIG PLAY|quote=A TV-based Pizza Hut promo runs Nov. 23-Dec. 26, offering 3.5 million PlayStation sampler CDs with purchases of its stuffed crust pizza, plus a scratch-and-win contest gives customers a chance to win a $200,000 grand prize, with PlayStation consoles and games as secondary prizes. Sony buttresses the promo with one million direct mail pieces via Rapp Collins, Dallas, to lure its customers to Pizza Hut.|author=Elkin, Tobi|published=September 7, 1998|newspaper=[https://www.adweek.com/ Adweek]}}</ref>

*'''December 3''': {{Icon|Med}} The [https://www.thestar.com/ Toronto Star] runs a PlayStation Giveaway, giving people who send in a postcard the chance to win a Sony PlayStation game console with Dual Shock controller, memory card, and three games: ''Crash Bandicoot: Warped'', ''MediEvil'', and ''Gran Turismo''.<ref name="TorontoStarGiveaway">{{Cite web|title=PlayStation Giveaway|newspaper=[https://www.thestar.com/ Toronto Star]|published=December 3, 1998}}</ref>

*'''December 17''': {{Icon|Med}} This was the cut-off date for the Toronto Star's PlayStation Giveaway.<ref name="TorontoStarGiveaway"/>

*'''December 24''': {{Icon|Med}} The winner of Toronto Star's PlayStation Giveaway is announced on this day.<ref name="TorontoStarGiveaway"/>

 

*'''Date unknown''': {{Icon|Cambridge}} Tom Oswald leaves [[SCE Cambridge Studio]].

*'''June 17''': ''{{Icon|Med}} [[MediEvil]]'' is released in Japan.

*'''July''': {{Icon|Cambridge}} Work begins on ''Common Tales'', a joint research project of the National Film and Television School London, [[SCE Cambridge Studio]], and the Cambridge University Moving Image Studio as part of the Digital Studios. ''Common Tales'' is realised using the engine developed for ''MediEvil''.<ref name="commontales">{{Cite web|site=Common Tales|url=http://homes.lmc.gatech.edu/~nitsche/ComTale/welcome.html|title=Welcome|author=Nitsche, Michael|published=October 30, 2002|retrieved=May 25, 2021}}</ref>

*'''July 7''': {{Icon|Med}} PSX Extreme's [http://www.psxextreme.com/ps1-reviews/29.html review] of ''[[MediEvil]]'' is published.

*'''August''': {{Icon|Cambridge}} [[Matt Johnson]] leaves [[SCE Cambridge Studio]]. Richard Talbot-Watkins joins [[SCE Cambridge Studio]].

*'''September 5 - September 7''': {{Icon|Med2}} ''[[MediEvil 2]]'' is unveiled at ECTS.^{<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sony Announces Medievil 2|author=Sam Kennedy and James Mielke|site=GameStop|published=September 7, 1999|url=http://web.archive.org/web/0id_/http://headline.gamespot.com/news/99_09/07_vg_medi2/index.html}}</ref>}<sup><ref>{{Cite web

|published=September 10, 1999}}</ref></sup>

*'''October''': {{Icon|Med}} ''[[MediEvil]]'' is re-released as a platinum title in Europe and Australia. The re-release includes a poster of ''[[MediEvil 2]]''.<ref>Official UK PlayStation Magazine No. 50, page 27. Published by Future Publishing in October 1999.</ref>

*'''November 1''': {{Icon|Med2}} Sony Computer Entertainment Europe publishes a press release about ''[[MediEvil 2]]''.{{Siteref|MED2-EU-Site|uk/nonshocked/press_release/press_release1.htm|Press Release}}

*'''November 18''': {{Icon|Med2}} The ''MediEvil 2'' Website's domain name is registered.

*'''December 15''': {{Icon|Med2}} An [http://www.gamespot.com/news/medievil--2440416 interview] with James Shepherd is published on the GameSpot website.

==See also==

*[[Real world history/2000s]]

{{Reflist}}