subdirectory_arrow_right Tekken 3 (Game), Gran Turismo 2 (Game), Metal Gear Solid (Game), Dreamcast (Platform), Xbox (Platform), PC (Microsoft Windows) (Platform), PlayStation (Platform), Sony Interactive Entertainment (Company)
▲
2
▼
Bleem! was a PlayStation emulator released for Microsoft Windows 98 and the Sega Dreamcast. Unlike the vast majority of emulators before and since, it was released as a paid product on store shelves. Bleem!, although very impressive for the time and capable of running on low-end PCs, had many compatability issues, with the only game that ran perfectly on Windows Bleem! being the US version of One, while the only games that could be run at all on Dreamcast were Tekken 3, Metal Gear Solid, and Gran Turismo 2, all with specialised emulators released on their own "Bleemcast" discs.
Sony would sue Bleem! twice over alleged copyright infringement, and despite all odds, Sony lost due to Bleem!'s use of screenshots in promo material and the PS1 BIOS being protected by fair use. However, a mix of legal fees and Sony threatening retailers stocking Bleem! products with subpoenas would force Bleem! off of shelves anyway, and its website would be replaced with an image of Sonic the Hedgehog mourning at a grave with the Bleem! logo carved on it. Bleem! would countersue Sony for anti-competitive activity.
The popularity of Bleem! would lead both Sega and Microsoft to attempt to work with Bleem! officially to make PS1 games run on Dreamcast and Xbox, though these plans fell through due to Sega being afraid of Sony's litigation, while the developers of Bleem! simply felt Microsoft wasn't paying high enough for the license for Bleem! (something they had come to regret in the years since).
Sony would sue Bleem! twice over alleged copyright infringement, and despite all odds, Sony lost due to Bleem!'s use of screenshots in promo material and the PS1 BIOS being protected by fair use. However, a mix of legal fees and Sony threatening retailers stocking Bleem! products with subpoenas would force Bleem! off of shelves anyway, and its website would be replaced with an image of Sonic the Hedgehog mourning at a grave with the Bleem! logo carved on it. Bleem! would countersue Sony for anti-competitive activity.
The popularity of Bleem! would lead both Sega and Microsoft to attempt to work with Bleem! officially to make PS1 games run on Dreamcast and Xbox, though these plans fell through due to Sega being afraid of Sony's litigation, while the developers of Bleem! simply felt Microsoft wasn't paying high enough for the license for Bleem! (something they had come to regret in the years since).
Video on Bleem! history:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGHul1PrXCE
Source of Bleem! collection photo:
https://www.reddit.com/r/gamecollecting/comments/dvf1ow/bleem_the_playstation_emulator_for_pcs_and/
Bleem! article:
https://www.eurogamer.net/the-history-of-bleem
Archived Bleem! page for One:
https://web.archive.org/web/20001109112400if_/http://bleem.com:80/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGHul1PrXCE
Source of Bleem! collection photo:
https://www.reddit.com/r/gamecollecting/comments/dvf1ow/bleem_the_playstation_emulator_for_pcs_and/
Bleem! article:
https://www.eurogamer.net/the-history-of-bleem
Archived Bleem! page for One:
https://web.archive.org/web/20001109112400if_/http://bleem.com:80/
Related Games
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Street Fighter II
Mega Man Zero 4
Marvel Super Heroes
Devil Kings
Borderlands
WWE 2K15
Mega Man Legacy Collection
Mega Man X: Command Mission
WWE 2K24
Mega Man Star Force 3: Black Ace
NBA 2K13
Dragon's Dogma II
Trapt
Dead Rising 2
The Great Ace Attorney: Adventures
Strider
Final Fight One
Max Payne
Mega Man Xtreme
Sengoku Basara 4
Mega Man Zero
Devil May Cry 4
Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse
Resident Evil 3
Mega Man X8
Remember Me
Darkstalkers 3
Mega Man Battle Network 3 White
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
The Punisher
Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Darkstalkers: The Night Warriors
Disney's Goof Troop
Gyakuten Saiban 3
Capcom vs. SNK: Millennium Fight 2000
Street Fighter 6
Dead Rising
Daikoukai Frontier
Mega Man X6
Street Fighter III 2nd Impact: Giant Attack
Red Dead Redemption
Mega Man Battle Network 4.5: Real Operation
Son Son
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
Street Fighter Alpha 3
Dragon's Dogma
Final Fight Guy
Mega Man X4
Mega Man X2