By Nelson Schneider - 12/29/13 at 03:40 PM CT
The year 2013 has come and gone. Every year has its great successes as well as things that didn’t quite go as planned. Let’s take a look back at what the past year brought us:
Top 5 Fails
5. Google Becomes Evil, Implements Draconian Youtube Copyright Enforcement
One would think that a company whose motto is “Don’t Be Evil” would endeavor to always serve as a vox populi in the face of other companies who want to stifle everything from Free Speech to Freedom of the Press in the name of keeping trade secrets and turning massive profits. Yet Google has already begun the slow decline into Evil, as all enormous companies inevitably do. In 2013, Google reworked the way copyright infringement claims work on Youtube – the most popular video-sharing site on the web. What does this have to do with videogames? Well, in the wake of these changes, writers, commentators, critics, and ‘Let’s Play’ performers – all of whom use sizable chunks of in-game footage in their videos – have started seeing their videos yanked for copyright infringement, even as some companies (like Capcom) deny issuing takedown requests. I’m no fan of the way copyright is handled in today’s America, and it’s disgusting that Google has taken it upon themselves to police user-uploaded materials with such an iron hand. The overreaction by this new system and the backlash from Youtube’s users should be evidence enough for Google that the best way to handle copyright is to be completely apathetic about it.
4. EA Shows Their True Colors Haven’t Changed, Shackle New “SimCity” with Always-Online DRM
Remember when Ubisoft was universally hated by PC gamers for requiring an Internet connection at all times to play single-player games? Remember when Activision-Blizzard pissed off ‘Diablo’ fans by implementing server-side ‘features’ in “Diablo III” that mandated a perpetual Internet connect to play – even single-player? Well, not to be left out of the fun that their fellow Triumvirate of Evil members have been having, EA released a brand new ‘SimCity’ game (with the reboot title of “SimCity”) in 2013 that requires a perpetual Internet connection, even when playing single-player. According to EA, there are complex server-side simulation features that prevent the game from working correctly when offline… yet hackers have been able to sever EA’s vile umbilicus and play the single-player portions of the game offline with no problems. Implementing onerous DRM policies is bad enough, but lying about the fact that the DRM is DRM, and trying to disguise it as a ‘feature’ that is beneficial to users is unforgivably deplorable.
3. WiiU Library Sputters, Loses Third-Party Support
In November 2012, the WiiU launched with the great potential of its glorious predecessor. Yet Nintendo squandered that potential with a stream of perpetual delays, pushing all but a handful of their most-desired first-party WiiU titles back to 2014 – TWO YEARS after the WiiU’s release! To top off Nintendo’s own self-sabotage, big third-party developers (like the disgusting EA) have pulled support for the WiiU – Its library will be largely bereft of multi-platform titles.
2. OUYA Launches, World says, “Meh!”
I was super excited about the OUYA last year. As a fan of the Indie games movement that is side-stepping the egregious budgets and overwrought 3D graphics of modern “AAA” games, how could I not be excited about an Indie CONSOLE that would offer nothing else? Yet upon actually getting the OUYA into my hot little hands, it turned out to be a massive disappointment: Dodgy hardware, next to no exclusives, no access to the Google Play store (where the good Android exclusives live), and zero quality control. Instead of loving my OUYA, I haven’t touched it for months… it doesn’t even offer a better emulation experience than “The Homebrew Channel.”
1. Microsoft Bungles Xbox One Reveal in Every Possible Way
Between the 3DS, Vita, and WiiU launching in 2012 and the OUYA, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One launching in 2013, the 8th Generation is finally off and running, with only one major player left in Beta testing. Yet Microsoft almost botched themselves out of the race before it even started with a literal series of unfortunate events. First there was the reveal event that focused more on how awesome it would be to watch TV through the Xbox One than to play games. Then, when the gaming portion was finally revealed, it was to be hamstrung, bound, and gagged with more DRM and nonsensical restrictions than a game console has ever had to bear before. Once again, Microsoft has shown themselves adept at trying to bring the WORST parts of PC gaming into the console arena without bringing ANY of the benefits. Needless to say, the reaction by the public and the media to the Xbox One announcement was not positive: The console was immediately dubbed the ‘XBONE’ and Sony declared the winner of E3 2013 despite not actually bringing anything good to the table (and announcing that PSN would no longer be free). Sure, Microsoft may have backpedaled on all of their horrible XBONE policies, but in the minds of many, the damage has already been done. And besides, it’s not like companies ever change their policies (and EULAs) without warning, so I’m sure the people who buy XBONEs will have the same great experience for the entirety of the 8th Generation… and if you believe that, I have a bridge in the Everglades you might be interest in buying.
Top 5 Wins
5. 3DS Experiences a Resurgence
The fact that Nintendo’s formerly-beleaguered handheld is now selling remarkably well and getting plenty of games is a bit of a mixed blessing. It’s good for Nintendo, as the money brought in by the 3DS will allow them to keep their Smaug-like bed of money nice and fluffy. It’s not-so-good for gamers, however, as the 3DS’ resurgence comes primarily through neglect of the WiiU and Nintendo focusing all of their first-party game creation efforts in the handheld arena.
4. Sega Buys Atlus
Atlus’ parent company went bankrupt in 2013. It wasn’t alone, as plenty of videogame companies have been doing that lately. However, unlike THQ, whose corpse was stripped to the bone and scattered to the four winds, Atlus survived intact and was adopted by the kindly old Sega. Fans of niche RPGs and Japanese weirdness need not fret about the loss of a developer, but can instead rejoice about this merger of kindred spirits that, if all goes well, should see both companies better off than they were before.
3. Oculus Rift Actually Ships Dev Kits
Fancy new hardware always comes with the threat of turning into vaporware if it wallows around too long without getting something out the door. The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset that had a successful Kickstarter in 2012 managed not only to meet their May 2013 deadline for shipping dev kits, but actually exceeded it and began shipping them in March 2013. This is great news for PC gamers, as the ability to turn almost any first-person game into an authentic VR experience is a killer feature that consoles can’t hope to make available at a reasonable price for quite some time.
2. Sixense Reveals STEM
I’ve been loving my Razer Hydra, despite a few of its shortcomings, and – thanks to this controller – have had more fun with the FPS genre than I ever thought possible. The folks at Sixense aren’t content to rest on their laurels, however, and both announced and Kickstarted the wireless, modular, and longer-ranged successor to the Hydra: The STEM. Not only can STEM serve as an improved version of the Hydra motion controller for PC, but it can be combined with other immersion-enhancing gadgets (like the previously mentioned Oculus Rift) to put even more V into VR. I’m really looking forward to the time I can buy this device from any electronics retailer.
1. Valve Reveals and Ships Beta Units for Steam Machines and Steam Controller
Not content to control the whole of PC gaming, Valve has struck back against Microsoft’s Windows-powered deathgrip on PC gaming and at consoles in general. In 2013, the PC game discounter revealed a three-tiered plan for world domination: An OS, hardware, and a controller. While SteamOS, with its Linux roots, is dubious (and might eventually become a Fail in one of these articles), the Steam Machines themselves look mighty impressive… AND Valve managed to get them out the door to Beta testers shortly after they were announced. The icing on the cake, however, is DAT CONTROLLER! I want to try one of those so much, yet was not fortunate enough to win the Beta lottery. It seems that Valve truly believes in the PC/Console Singularity as a unifying force of good, rather than the ruinous implement of control that Microsoft wants to create.
