2014 is right around the corner, but before we ring in the new year, let's take a look back on the year that was 2013. With the launch of two home consoles, company closures, and plenty of industry drama, the past twelve months have been eventful to say the least.
Over these next four days, we'll be looking at some of the biggest headlines of 2013. Please join us as we dive into our first four stories that made quite the splash earlier this year.
After the disaster that was uDraw, THQ had dug itself into a hole that not even the newly appointed president Jason Rubin could pull the company out of. As such, the once profitable publisher had to close its doors. Not only did our industry lose an amazing company, it also shined a light on the fragility of any publisher in the business, as one colossally bad move could single-handedly bring a company to complete ruin.
The publisher's assets went to a whole host of companies, with Ubisoft purchasing South Park: The Stick of Truth, Koch Media grabbing Volition (you know, the Saints Row guys), and the Metro franchise, Sega scooping up Relic, and Crytek nabbing Homefront.
Despite having the surprise spoiled months earlier, Bungie's announcement of Destiny was a monumental moment in the beginning of 2013. Instead of crafting a traditional first-person shooter that has a single-player campaign and a separate multiplayer mode, the studio revealed that it would be breaking new ground with its new sci-fi franchise. While yes, it is still very much a shooter, it also incorporates MMO elements that make it a much more communal experience than prior story-centric shooters like Halo.
Bungie has shied away from labeling it a massively multiplayer online game because it isn't one in the traditional sense. Instead, the studio has opted to call it a shared-world shooter. Oh, semantics.
The next-gen war between Microsoft and Sony began early in 2013, when Sony first showed its hand by formally unveiling PlayStation 4. No, it wasn't called PlayStation Orbis or some other wacky name like gamers feared, instead Sony kept it simple and its messaging clear. Instead of showing off the form factor of the console, the company decided to debut its new controller, DualShock 4. Equipped with improved triggers, a wonderful ergonomic design, and controversial touch pad, Sony's new input device was a major talking point for weeks on end.
The company also announced plans for Gaikai streaming, PS4/Vita remote play, and a bunch of games, not the least of which included Killzone: Shadow Fall, InFamous: Second Son, and Knack. Oh yeah, and Mark Cerny detailed the console specs, which impressed much of the tech-hungry gaming crowd. It goes without saying that Microsoft was taken a bit off-guard.
4. SimCity Suffers Rough Launch
Electronic Arts managed to piss off a whole bunch of gamers with the launch of SimCity, as forcing users to connect online resulted in a disastrous launch. Gamers who purchased the title on day one struggled to log in and play, as Origin and EA's servers crumbled under the weight of a stampede of eager gamers. As a result, the game's always-online DRM and small city size left a terrible taste in the mouth of loyal fans of the franchise. Despite being a highly anticipated game, the memory of SimCity will be forever tarnished by its awful launch.
