2012 was an interesting time in games. Indie titles like Minecraft, Fez, Journey, and the Walking Dead gained not only popularity but awards. Journey's soundtrack was nominated for a Grammy, making it the first video game to ever receive a nod. And of course, the Walking Dead won GOTY at the VGAs.
2012 also saw its fair share of controversy including the Mass Effect 3 ending, the Tomb Raider "rape" trailer, the bullying and harassment of the Tropes vs. Women in Video Games kickstarter, and the latest installment of "video games cause violent behavior in real life."
I have written about most these things and others. In fact, I was recently accepted to write for examiner.com. So I've been a busy little bee.
I've played my fair share of new games this year and I narrowed down what I think is best. I loved Halo 4 and Mass Effect 3 among others.
The new year is looking to be quite promising as well. Let's hope BioShock Infinite isn't delayed again. And GTA V looks amazing, as does Gears of War Judgment.
Maybe video games are growing up. The VGAs weren't wholly embarrassing. And while there was tons of controversy, there was also a lot of great discussions about gender and violence in games. Growing up doesn't mean that games will be stuffy, politically correct bores. What I hope for is that we the gamers can continue to have real discussions about gaming issues. (Even when we think the issues are imagined.) I love gaming culture and in a lot of ways, I'm hopeful about how it has moved forward in 2012. I also hope that the media focuses more on the positives of gaming and the positive, articulate people involved in gaming.
For me, I hope I will find the time and be able to update my blog more. The last half of 2012 was difficult in few ways and the first part of 2013 looks like it's going to be the same for a bit.
