1998

The year 1998 in U-986 was very different to OTL 1998. Here is what happened.

April 5 1998: Dodi Fayed discovers Princess Diana's dead body in her bedroom, she apparently took a heroin overdose, he cradles her body. And the world news is informed with wall-to-wall coverage. In OTL she and Dodi died in a car crash in 1997. But she is not happy with Dodi, the crash being prevented because she stayed in the hotel. Her unhappiness with Dodi is even more so than King Charles III OTL.

April 9 1998: The Funeral of Diana is broadcast to billions of people around the world. Among the funeral guests are George Michael, Bill Clinton and Elton John.

July 12 1998: England, after 32 years of hurt manage to win the world cup in a thrilling final against France, with David Beckham receiving a heroes welcome in London and was not given a red card unlike OTL.

August 1 1998: The Piccadilly Circus Nail Bombing Occurs, a disgruntled former miner called Robert Smyth detonates 3 nail bombs in Piccadilly Circus, Killing 70 people and injuring 600. 100 needing at least one limb removed. The Youngest victim being a 2 year old baby. The Prime Minister Paddy Ashdown tells the public to stay vigilant as a 3 day manhunt is launched for Smyth.

August 4 1998: Robert Smyth is captured and is imprisoned for Life plus 700 years without parole. He says it was revenge for Margaret Thatcher shutting the mines in the 1980s as in OTL.

August 11 1998: Daytona USA 2 is released for the Arcade, with a promised Sega Saturn II port coming in April 1999 with bonus cars and tracks. Including classic Daytona USA 1 tracks, unlike OTL, the game becomes an even bigger success than it's Predecessor selling 5,600 Cabinets worldwide and grossing $1 Billion in arcade revenue. As in 1998-2004 there was a new Golden Age of Arcade Games.

August 25 1998: Tomb Raider 3 is announced to the public, with a slightly different story to the original, Dr Willard is still the villain but he is secretly breeding mutants to replace the world's food resources and armies. Lara goes around the globe to India, Peru(Featuring remakes of Tomb Raider 1 Levels), South Pacific, London, Nevada(Which has an alien boss battle unlike the OTL Game and 4 levels) and Antarctica, where she has to turn the tables on Willard. The game's release date is same as OTL, 20 November 1998.

September 1 1998: Cyber Troopers Oratorio Tangram is released for the Arcade, with a Sega Saturn II Port coming in April 1999 alongside Daytona USA 2. The game is critically praised for it's bullet hell and frenetic action.

December 25 1998: The biggest game this Christmas is Tomb Raider 3 rather than Metal Gear Solid. Selling 6 Million copies within a month of being released.