Caesars Palace 2000
Encyclopedia
Caesars Palace 2000 is a gambling
simulation
video game developed by Runecraft
and published by Interplay Entertainment
. It was released in North America and Europe in June 2000 for the PlayStation, Dreamcast and Microsoft Windows
. It is named after the famous Caesars Palace
on the Las Vegas Strip
near Las Vegas, Nevada
.
Interplay announced that they were working on a title for the Dreamcast, eventually announcing it for the PC and PlayStation as well. It was known to be a 3D simulation of gambling and to have traditional casino games in it. The game was fully licensed by the Caesars Palace casino and features six card game
s, table game
s, five slot machine
themes, and video game machines. Each game plays by official Caesars Palace rules and uses casino
odds and payouts verified by William Bertram, Ph.D. It received mixed reviews from critics, with a more positive reaction for the PC version overall.
games, authentic Ceasars Palace cards
, chips, rules, and tutorial
guides for beginners through each game. In the PlayStation version of the game, there are six card game
s, including variations of poker
and blackjack
; table game
s, including roulette
and craps
; video game machines, including video poker
and keno
; and five slot machine
themes. For each of the various games included, official Caesars Palace tables and equipment are used. Each game plays by actual Caesars Palace rules and uses casino odds and payouts confirmed by William Bertram, Ph.D. Tutorials and in-game hints can be shown on each of Caesar's Palace 2000: Millennium Gold Editions various games. The tutorials and hints are displayed at times when the game notices that the player is making moves considered incorrect by casino standards. For further assistance, Caesar's Palace 2000: Millennium Gold Edition also features the Caesars Palace Guide to Gaming Handbook, which details rules and strategies for the included games.
In the PC and Dreamcast versions of the game, an initial stake of $2,000 is given, though more is available through loan
s at a virtual automated teller machine
. Actual Caesars Palace rules and tutorials are given for each game, along with official cards and chips. Odds and payouts are confirmed by William Bertram. Card games include blackjack, Pai gow poker
, Mini-Baccarat, Red dog, Casino war
, and Spanish 21
. Table games include craps and roulette, while machine gambling include video poker, poker challenge, and video Keno. Five slot machine themes include Ancient Egypt, Baseball Challenge, Halloween Spooky, Progressive Fruit, and Wild West. They all have different payouts and odds. Settings can be customized for some games including volume, coaching, number of decks, card tracking, bet limits, and animations.
. Interplay revealed that they were working on another title, known as Caesars Palace 2000 for the Dreamcast. It was known to be a 3D simulation of gambling, and they promised that it will be "one of the most realistic portrayals of the casino atmosphere ever". It was going to have the traditional casino games in it, like Blackjack, Poker, and Slots, and was slated for a late fourth-quarter release in 1999.
In May 2000, developer Runecraft was simultaneously working with publisher Ripcord Games
on the Dreamcast port of Spec Ops, while developing Caesars Palace 2000. It was announced that the game was set for release on the PC, Dreamcast, and PlayStation. They promised to include all the things associated with gambling, and a release in late May 2000. The game was fully licensed by the Caesars Palace casino, with 23 different gambling games and adhering to the Official Caesars Palace Rules. Runecraft promised a title that "reflects the ambiance of Caesars Palace, including dealers with personality". Players would also be able to track their performance and do some statistical analysis.
For the PC version, GameSpot
editor Stephen Poole stated "You'll be better off looking for free online versions of the various games contained in Caesars Palace 2000". In contrast, IGN
was more positive for the PC version of the game. Francois Laramee of Allgame
praised the game for its "excellent audio-visuals. The 3D accelerated graphics, specifically the tables, the cards and the dealers' hands, are well modeled and lit, and the playing chips are beautiful. The sound effects are accurate, and the voice actors, competent". However, he criticized that "some of the 3D effects are not particularly wieldy, the menus flicker, it's often hard to stop the scrolling menus at the right time, and the camera angles switch too fast and frequently to be anything but distracting. The slot machine wheels are a bit on the small side and difficult to read". Laramee went on to call the game "a competent effort, but is essentially dry and uninspired".
For the PlayStation version, IGN's David Zdyrko cited that "Many of the games are quite enjoyable, but the truth of the matter is that it never quite matches the thrill of the real thing" but criticized that "the visuals are very bland on the whole. It has low-resolution backgrounds, and pretty much nothing at all to get excited about". He also called the music "boring and completely uninspiring". Allgame editor Matt Grandstaff commended the card games, as they "require a fair amount of strategy, and thus remain entertaining" and that "the look and feel of Caesars Palace 2000 recaptures the feel of one of the most successful casinos of all-time". He stated that the game "is definitely not about the looks" but "does an admirable job recreating the casino experience". Grandstaff felt that the game "has the sound of a real casino. From background clatter to the voices of the dealer, this is Caesar's Palace". He noted that players "will enjoy sitting through hours of card games" but to "Avoid the slots". Grandstaff also commented that the strategy book that comes with the game "should be packed on any trip to Vegas".
The Dreamcast version was heavily criticized. Ryan Davis of GameSpot stated that "the best bet for all involved would be to take your chips elsewhere". Similarly, IGN editor Jeremy Dunham noted that "the blandness of the game's presentation would probably disappoint the most basic of cavemen. Even the graphics are disappointing. True, those card tables can look very realistic, but what else is there to marvel at? Nothing! Without any type of exploration feature, or other characters there isn't anything to render". Allgame's Bryan Hightower criticized that "there are not enough games, there are annoying wait times, and the help mode is terrible". He also complained that "the dealer deals painfully slow and has to say what cards you have twice. You can already read your hand right on the screen, so you don't need the dealer to waste your time". Hightower also cited that "when you win at slots, the camera always goes to the bottom of the machine to show you the payout scale" which "becomes frustrating after a few credits because it is so slow. The act of leaving the table or machine is even slower". He also said that the advice the game gives you is "Perhaps the most irritating 'feature' of this game" because "Each time you do something the computer wouldn't have done, a pop-up screen will appear that adds more time to the lengthy procedure of completing a bet". Hightower commented that "The above-par graphics are quickly negated by the rock-bottom enjoyment factor" and that "this game doesn't have any of the character the real casino has".
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
simulation
Simulation video game
A simulation video game describes a diverse super-category of computer and video games, generally designed to closely simulate aspects of a real or fictional reality.-Sub-genres:-Construction and management simulation:...
video game developed by Runecraft
Runecraft
Runecraft Ltd was a software design and development studio, specializing in brand-led video games. Runecraft's clients included US publishers such as Hasbro, Mattel, Interplay, Activision, Crave and Ripcord. The company was initially based in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. The company was formed in...
and published by Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment
Interplay Entertainment Corporation is an American video game developer and publisher, founded in 1983 as Interplay Productions by Brian Fargo. The company had been a quality developer until they started publishing their own games in 1988, like Neuromancer and Battle Chess. The company was renamed...
. It was released in North America and Europe in June 2000 for the PlayStation, Dreamcast and Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
. It is named after the famous Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace
Caesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated township in Clark County, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp....
on the Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip
The Las Vegas Strip is an approximately stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard in Clark County, Nevada; adjacent to, but outside the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The Strip lies within the unincorporated townships of Paradise and Winchester...
near Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
Interplay announced that they were working on a title for the Dreamcast, eventually announcing it for the PC and PlayStation as well. It was known to be a 3D simulation of gambling and to have traditional casino games in it. The game was fully licensed by the Caesars Palace casino and features six card game
Card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
s, table game
Table game
In casinos, the term table game is used to distinguish games such as blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat that are played on a table and operated by one or more live dealers like a croupier or poker dealer, as opposed to a games played on a mechanical device like a video slot machine...
s, five slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
themes, and video game machines. Each game plays by official Caesars Palace rules and uses casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
odds and payouts verified by William Bertram, Ph.D. It received mixed reviews from critics, with a more positive reaction for the PC version overall.
Gameplay
There are eleven casinoCasino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
games, authentic Ceasars Palace cards
Playing card
A playing card is a piece of specially prepared heavy paper, thin cardboard, plastic-coated paper, cotton-paper blend, or thin plastic, marked with distinguishing motifs and used as one of a set for playing card games...
, chips, rules, and tutorial
Tutorial
A tutorial is one method of transferring knowledge and may be used as a part of a learning process. More interactive and specific than a book or a lecture; a tutorial seeks to teach by example and supply the information to complete a certain task....
guides for beginners through each game. In the PlayStation version of the game, there are six card game
Card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
s, including variations of poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
and blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
; table game
Table game
In casinos, the term table game is used to distinguish games such as blackjack, craps, roulette and baccarat that are played on a table and operated by one or more live dealers like a croupier or poker dealer, as opposed to a games played on a mechanical device like a video slot machine...
s, including roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
and craps
Craps
Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other or a bank...
; video game machines, including video poker
Video poker
Video poker is a casino game based on five-card draw poker. It is played on a computerized console similar in size to a slot machine.-History:...
and keno
Keno
Keno is a lottery or bingo gambling game often played at modern casinos, and is also offered as a game in some state lotteries. A traditional live casino keno game uses a circular glass enclosure called a "bubble" containing 80 balls which determine the ball draw result. Each ball is imprinted...
; and five slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
themes. For each of the various games included, official Caesars Palace tables and equipment are used. Each game plays by actual Caesars Palace rules and uses casino odds and payouts confirmed by William Bertram, Ph.D. Tutorials and in-game hints can be shown on each of Caesar's Palace 2000: Millennium Gold Editions various games. The tutorials and hints are displayed at times when the game notices that the player is making moves considered incorrect by casino standards. For further assistance, Caesar's Palace 2000: Millennium Gold Edition also features the Caesars Palace Guide to Gaming Handbook, which details rules and strategies for the included games.
In the PC and Dreamcast versions of the game, an initial stake of $2,000 is given, though more is available through loan
Loan
A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower....
s at a virtual automated teller machine
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
. Actual Caesars Palace rules and tutorials are given for each game, along with official cards and chips. Odds and payouts are confirmed by William Bertram. Card games include blackjack, Pai gow poker
Pai gow poker
Pai Gow poker is an Americanized version of Pai Gow . The games of Pai Gow poker and Super Pan-9 were created by Sam Torosian and Fred Wolf.The game is played with a standard 52-card deck, plus a single joker...
, Mini-Baccarat, Red dog, Casino war
Casino war
Casino war is a casino card game based on the game of War. The game is one of the most easily understood casino card games, and is one of the only card games where players can beat the dealer more than 50% of the time....
, and Spanish 21
Spanish 21
Spanish 21 is a blackjack variant owned by Masque Publishing Inc., a gaming publishing company based in Colorado. Unlicensed, but equivalent, versions may be called Spanish blackjack. In Australia and Malaysia, an unlicensed version of the game, with no dealer hole card and significant rule...
. Table games include craps and roulette, while machine gambling include video poker, poker challenge, and video Keno. Five slot machine themes include Ancient Egypt, Baseball Challenge, Halloween Spooky, Progressive Fruit, and Wild West. They all have different payouts and odds. Settings can be customized for some games including volume, coaching, number of decks, card tracking, bet limits, and animations.
Development
In September 1999, publisher Interplay Entertainment announced the arrival of several Dreamcast titles to be developed by Rage SoftwareRage Software
Rage Software or Rage Games was a British video game developer. Formed in Liverpool in 1992, its games were marked by an emphasis on graphical effects with arcade gameplay....
. Interplay revealed that they were working on another title, known as Caesars Palace 2000 for the Dreamcast. It was known to be a 3D simulation of gambling, and they promised that it will be "one of the most realistic portrayals of the casino atmosphere ever". It was going to have the traditional casino games in it, like Blackjack, Poker, and Slots, and was slated for a late fourth-quarter release in 1999.
In May 2000, developer Runecraft was simultaneously working with publisher Ripcord Games
Ripcord Games
Ripcord Games was a video game publisher and an entertainment software label of Panasonic Interactive Media based in Santa Clara, California.-Games published by Ripcord Games:*Armor Command*Enemy Infestation*Forced Alliance*Gorkamorka...
on the Dreamcast port of Spec Ops, while developing Caesars Palace 2000. It was announced that the game was set for release on the PC, Dreamcast, and PlayStation. They promised to include all the things associated with gambling, and a release in late May 2000. The game was fully licensed by the Caesars Palace casino, with 23 different gambling games and adhering to the Official Caesars Palace Rules. Runecraft promised a title that "reflects the ambiance of Caesars Palace, including dealers with personality". Players would also be able to track their performance and do some statistical analysis.
Reception
Caesars Palace 2000 received mixed reviews from critics, with a more positive reaction for the PC version overall. It received aggregate scores of 55% and 45% from GameRankings for PC and Dreamcast respectively.For the PC version, GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
editor Stephen Poole stated "You'll be better off looking for free online versions of the various games contained in Caesars Palace 2000". In contrast, IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
was more positive for the PC version of the game. Francois Laramee of Allgame
Allgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
praised the game for its "excellent audio-visuals. The 3D accelerated graphics, specifically the tables, the cards and the dealers' hands, are well modeled and lit, and the playing chips are beautiful. The sound effects are accurate, and the voice actors, competent". However, he criticized that "some of the 3D effects are not particularly wieldy, the menus flicker, it's often hard to stop the scrolling menus at the right time, and the camera angles switch too fast and frequently to be anything but distracting. The slot machine wheels are a bit on the small side and difficult to read". Laramee went on to call the game "a competent effort, but is essentially dry and uninspired".
For the PlayStation version, IGN's David Zdyrko cited that "Many of the games are quite enjoyable, but the truth of the matter is that it never quite matches the thrill of the real thing" but criticized that "the visuals are very bland on the whole. It has low-resolution backgrounds, and pretty much nothing at all to get excited about". He also called the music "boring and completely uninspiring". Allgame editor Matt Grandstaff commended the card games, as they "require a fair amount of strategy, and thus remain entertaining" and that "the look and feel of Caesars Palace 2000 recaptures the feel of one of the most successful casinos of all-time". He stated that the game "is definitely not about the looks" but "does an admirable job recreating the casino experience". Grandstaff felt that the game "has the sound of a real casino. From background clatter to the voices of the dealer, this is Caesar's Palace". He noted that players "will enjoy sitting through hours of card games" but to "Avoid the slots". Grandstaff also commented that the strategy book that comes with the game "should be packed on any trip to Vegas".
The Dreamcast version was heavily criticized. Ryan Davis of GameSpot stated that "the best bet for all involved would be to take your chips elsewhere". Similarly, IGN editor Jeremy Dunham noted that "the blandness of the game's presentation would probably disappoint the most basic of cavemen. Even the graphics are disappointing. True, those card tables can look very realistic, but what else is there to marvel at? Nothing! Without any type of exploration feature, or other characters there isn't anything to render". Allgame's Bryan Hightower criticized that "there are not enough games, there are annoying wait times, and the help mode is terrible". He also complained that "the dealer deals painfully slow and has to say what cards you have twice. You can already read your hand right on the screen, so you don't need the dealer to waste your time". Hightower also cited that "when you win at slots, the camera always goes to the bottom of the machine to show you the payout scale" which "becomes frustrating after a few credits because it is so slow. The act of leaving the table or machine is even slower". He also said that the advice the game gives you is "Perhaps the most irritating 'feature' of this game" because "Each time you do something the computer wouldn't have done, a pop-up screen will appear that adds more time to the lengthy procedure of completing a bet". Hightower commented that "The above-par graphics are quickly negated by the rock-bottom enjoyment factor" and that "this game doesn't have any of the character the real casino has".