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' PCs. It is named after the famous Caesars Palace luxury hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Interplay announced in late 1999 that they were working on a title for the Dreamcast which was known to be a 3D simulation of gambling with traditional casino games. The game was fully licensed by the Caesars Palace casino and features six card games, table games, five slot machine themes, and video game machines. Each game plays by official Caesars Palace rules and uses casino odds and payouts verified by a Ph.D. in statistics. The PC version of the game received praise for its graphics and sound, but the Dreamcast version received criticism for its presentation, graphics, and slow pace.
Gameplay
There are eleven casino games, authentic Caesars Palace cards, chips, rules, and tutorial guides for beginners throughout each game. In the PlayStation version of the game, there are six card games, including variations of poker and blackjack; table games, 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 official Caesars Palace rules and uses casino odds and payouts confirmed by statistician William Bertram, Ph.D. Tutorials and in-game hints can be shown on each of Caesar's Palace 2000: Millennium Gold Edition'''s 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 loans at a virtual automated teller machine. Official Caesars Palace rules and tutorials are given for each game, along with genuine cards and chips. Odds and payouts are confirmed by Bertram. The card games include blackjack, Pai gow poker, Mini-Baccarat, Red dog, Casino war, and Spanish 21. The table games include craps and roulette, while machine gambling include video poker, poker challenge, and video Keno. The five slot machine themes include Ancient Egypt, Baseball Challenge, Halloween Spooky, Progressive Fruit, and Wild West. They all have different payouts and odds. The settings can be customized for some games, including the 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 Software. 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 traditional casino games, 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 twenty-three 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.
ReceptionCaesars Palace 2000 received mixed reviews from critics, while the PC version received the most positive reaction. It received aggregate scores of 55% and 45% from GameRankings for PC and Dreamcast respectively.