As we continue our four-day look back on the biggest headlines of 2012, we leave the cold months of winter and early spring, and enter into the warmer E3-filled part of the year.
Please join me as we dive into four hot stories that lit this past summer ablaze.
1. Bungie-Activision Contract Reveals Destiny, Xbox Timed-Exclusive
Mere weeks before E3 2012 was in full swing, a leaked contract between Activision and Bungie revealed exciting new details on the epic partnership. The Halo developer's departure from Microsoft was a huge deal, so it goes without saying that nearly ever gamer on planet earth was waiting with bated breath to see what they would do next. The leak revealed that the studio was working on Destiny, an ambitious sci-fi MMO that would allegedly start out on the Xbox 360 and receive additional installments on next-gen consoles.
Considering the fact that Bungie basically reinvented the FPS genre on consoles and singlehandedly made Microsoft relevant in the video game business, it's hard not to get excited about their next big thing. Plus, with a healthy budget from Activision, the possibilities are truly endless.
2. Play As a Bounty Hunter In New, Mature-Themed Star Wars 1313
LucasArts blew gamers away when they pulled back the curtain on what is almost certainly a next-gen title. The announcement of Star Wars 1313 shocked the industry, and not just because of its gorgeous visuals. Instead of sticking with the typical lightsaber-heavy experience seen in most Star Wars games, 1313 provides a look into the universe from the perspective of a bounty hunter. Oh yeah, and that lighthearted charm you'd expect is totally gone in favor of a much darker and serious tone.
For the longest time, we had been waiting for some indication of what the next-generation of gaming might look like, and Star Wars 1313 provided us with that first glimpse. It was an exciting reveal that has made the wait for new hardware all the more difficult to bear.
3. Ubisoft Announces New IP, Skynet Style Open World Game
Perhaps the biggest announcement at E3 this year was the unveiling of Ubisoft's Watch_Dogs. Of all the press conferences at the yearly expo, Ubi's is typically the least exciting, but this year, the very opposite proved to be true. At the very end of the presser, we got our first look a the publisher's brand-new game, one that features some exciting new gameplay concepts that could revolutionize the way we play games.
Watch_Dogs' futuristic city looked absolutely jaw-dropping and the level of interactivity within the game world was totally astounding. While Ubisoft has yet to admit that this game will appear on next-gen consoles, it's hard not to believe that this will be the case.
4. 3DS XL Announced, 90% Bigger Screens, No Second Circle Pad
Everyone was expecting Nintendo to unveil a revised version of the 3DS at E3, but the company's disappointing press conference was instead filled with the likes of Nintendo Land. Comments from the Big N even after the expo led us to believe that a new version of their handheld wasn't coming for quite a while. Surprisingly enough, just a few weeks later, Nintendo revealed the 3DS XL, a larger and sleeker version of their portable machine.
What proved to be the most interesting piece of this announcement, however, was the lack of a second circle pad. With dual sticks becoming basically an industry standard, Nintendo's failure to include a second pad just re-emphasized the fact that Nintendo doesn't follow industry trends.
Be sure to check back tomorrow as we take a look at four more news stories.
