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I've run the numbers and wow it turns out the best year for video games was the year when you were 16, what a result
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Aug 8, 2022 17:47
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Imagine celebrating a war...
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Aug 8, 2022 19:00
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1947 was a banner year
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Aug 9, 2022 19:30
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Realtalk: I am considering putting together a mathematical matrix to divulge my legitimate YotG
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Aug 9, 2022 19:31
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:it was the least i could do with the allotted funding and patronage apparatus at my disposal and despite acknowledged voting and posting graft that might historically be attributed to my videogaming character nonetheless side effects may include: The previous Labour government had diverted lots of funds to GotY development but I reallocated those funds to YotG areas where they belong
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Aug 9, 2022 20:13
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So when people vote are they only considering games that they have played personally or are they looking at the entire gaming landscape? 
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Aug 9, 2022 20:34
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brap posted:Seeing only little mention of 2000 in here yet which amazes me I said 2000 in the chat thread when this first came up!
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Aug 9, 2022 23:35
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Trying to work out what year to start my ~*mathematical analysis*~ from. Feels like the Pac-Man should be included in the debate but there's not quite enough big games from 1980 to really put it in contention
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Aug 10, 2022 17:16
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Guy A. Person posted:Pac-Man alone is probably in the top 10 of the most influential games of all time as well as being the earliest on that list (unless you're just counting Pong being the first video game ever or whatever) I'd give Space Invaders that spot over Pac-Man in a heartbeat
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Aug 10, 2022 18:05
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gently caress maybe YotG really is 1977
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Aug 10, 2022 18:14
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My post is coming along nicely. I hope people like charts
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Aug 21, 2022 05:56
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I started writing the first of my posts (yes you heard that right) and oh no
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Aug 24, 2022 22:59
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The Year of the Game: A Statistical Analysis When it comes down to deciding the Year of the Game, i.e. the best year for video gaming, there are many factors that must be taken into account. In order to be truly confident of a result every year must be given suitable consideration. After all every year has produced great, important video games that have defined the industry. Over the course of my posts I will display to you a precisely-worked mathematically-defined analysis that will confirm with complete certainty which year is the Year of the Game. Methodology In order to judge the merits of a year’s gaming output we must first define the scope of this analysis. For us to assess each year fairly it is essential to assess an equal number of games across every year. It was decided that ten would be a suitable number of games to examine, this number both allowing for a wide breadth of selection without genre blindness while still ensuring that only the highest quality of games are included in the analysis. The ten games representing each year were selected based on a combination of critical acclaim and long-term impact on the industry. Each game was then assigned a rating between one and ten and these scores were averaged out to provide a final rating for the year as a whole. Once we have examined every year we will be able to say with absolute definitiveness which year is the Year of the Game. Where to Begin However before we can dive into the analysis there is one critical question that must be answered: at what point do we start our analysis? The very first video game was Tennis For Two made in 1958 so we can immediately discount every preceding year. So should we start in 1958? Well while we can provide a rating for Tennis For Two there was not even a video game industry at this point. As our analysis is designed to assess the state of the industry it stands to reason we can move past this year as well as 1962’s Spacewar! and 1971’s Computer Space. The video game industry was truly born in 1972 with the release of Pong so should this be our starting point? For the purposes of our methodology we must discount any year which did not produce 10 video games of merit and while Pong is certainly influential the year did not produce enough games of quality to be in contention. This also eliminates 1977’s Space Invaders and 1979’s Asteroids. 1980 would be a definite contender as a start point with the rise of Pac-Man however there are still not quite enough games of worthy value to be counted. Instead we will begin with 1981 as the arcade scene hits the height of its powers. 1981 Yes, 1981 can be viewed as the peak of the Golden Age of Gaming. The arcade scenes were thriving with a vast collection of important titles and no genre was better served than the shmup with genre-defining titles like Defender (6), Galaga (7) and Scramble (4). There was also space to play with the shooter concept as the likes of Tempest (8) and Centipede (4) experimented with the formula to much success. However the arcades were also a space for invention with the likes of Frogger (5) and Qix (6) providing fresh, innovative concepts. Namco followed up their monster smash of 1980 with Ms. Pac-Man (7) and a new face arrived on the scene as Nintendo released their first game, Donkey Kong (8). But gaming wasn’t just in the arcades. The home computing scene was still in its infancy hindered by technical limitations but there was still nuggets of gold to be found, none more so than Richard Garriott’s Ultima (3).  1982 Everything was running smoothly in 1982 as the arcade scene continued to flourish thanks to the likes of Q*Bert (5), Xevious (6) and Robotron 2084 (4). After years of shooter saturation the industry was beginning to look for new sources of inspiration with Dig Dug (4) and Mr. Do! (4) both delving deep while Gravitar (4) and Choplifter (5) looked to the stars and Joust (3) was mostly just clucking about. Away from the arcades the Atari 2600 was in many a child’s home bolstered by the likes of Pitfall! (2) and home computing was the place to look for text adventures including Melbourne House’s genre-pushing The Hobbit (5). Indeed, the video game industry was riding high. Nothing could go wrong from here…  1983 Oh no, it’s all gone a bit Pete Tong! The one-two blow of Pac-Man and E.T. on the 2600 caused by Atari’s ineptitude had devastating impact through the industry, not only bringing the company to its knees but destroying confidence in the market leading to the famous Video Game Crash. But never fear, there was still time for the arcade to see Spy Hunter (6), Crystal Castles (6) and Track and Field (4). The industry needed a saviour and perhaps that would be Laserdisc, a new technology spearheaded by the release of Dragon’s Lair (2) although this would prove too costly to produce to be viable. With the arcades collapsing it was up to home computing to carry the load with big releases like Ultima III (3) and Lode Runner (2). Infocom had already established themselves as the #1 source for text adventures but this was the year they released one of their best, Planetfall (8). Gaming had also come to the UK where the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 were providing computers at an affordable price that the everyday family could pick up. Untethered to the American scene British developers were exploring new directions such as Manic Miner (4) and Jetpac (3) from Ultimate Play The Game, the company that would one day become Rare. Oh, and over in Japan it was also a busy year for Nintendo who released Mario Bros. (4) while also finding time to produce a new console, the Famicom. I’m sure that’ll never amount to anything though.  1984 With the industry still reeling from the Video Game Crash it was a tough year for gaming but there were still nuggets of gold to be found in the arcades such as Marble Madness (8) and Duck Hunt (4). It was a good year for martial arts fans as Kung-Fu Master (5) and Karate Champ (4) set up the base concepts of the fighting genre. Across the Atlantic the UK scene was well insulated from the effects of the crash and beginning to churn out classic hits such as early platformer Jet Set Willy (4) and the first ever space-sim, Elite (6). Computer owners in America were not without joy either thanks to Spy vs. Spy (5). Adventure gaming continued to go to strength to strength as Infocom produced The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (7) but they were joined on the scene by Sierra who’s breakthrough hit King’s Quest (5) added new graphical scope to the genre. Meanwhile there was a big to-do happening behind the Iron Curtain as people argued over who was responsible for creating the block-falling puzzler that would come to be known as Tetris (10). There wasn’t much to speak of on console, however. With the fall of Atari the industry needed a new standard bearer.  1985 Things are always darkest before the dawn and in 1985 the sun rose on the gaming industry as Nintendo launched the NES in America on the back of Super Mario Bros. (10). Sure, it was only a limited release in a small part of the country for now but the key words there were ‘for now’. Life was also returning to the arcades where Japan was carrying the load thanks to Konami’s Gradius (9), Sega’s Space Harrier (6) and Capcom’s Ghosts n’ Goblins (7) and even Atari proved they weren’t dead quite yet with Gauntlet (7) and Paperboy (4). The martial arts trend was continuing apace with Yie-Ar Kung Fu (6) while Rambo inspired the start of the run-and-gun trend with Commando (5). There were also big steps in the sports genre as Tekhan World Cup (6) laid the groundwork for football games. With all this it was a somewhat quiet year for home computing but Richard Garriott continued his run of success with Ultima IV (5) and a company called Microsoft released the first iteration of Windows. Yes, video gaming had been saved and was definitely alive. Now it was time for it to thrive.  1986 After years of being on the bubble video gaming exploded as the NES went live across the United States and Nintendo weren’t stopping there. To support their new console they produced The Legend of Zelda (10) and Metroid (8), a pair of games wide in scope with vast worlds to explore and secrets to uncover. The console was also beginning to see support from third-party developers leading to key releases like the first JRPG Dragon Quest (7) and the franchise-spawning Castlevania (8). But over in Japan the NES was suddenly facing competition as Sega’s Master System was beginning to take off thanks to hits like Alex Kidd in Miracle World (5). Sega was also keeping up their focus on the arcades where bold graphics and killer music made OutRun (7) the first great racing game. Other top games to hit the arcades this year included Arkanoid (6), Salamander (8) and Bubble Bobble (5). In the adventure genre Infocom continued their string of success with Trinity (7) but graphical advances were about to herald the end of the text adventure.  1987 With the NES continuing to fly off the shelves all that was left for developers to do was continue to produce classic games for the console which they did with Mega Man (8) and Contra (7). There was also top first party support from Nintendo with Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out (8) being the big release in America while in Japan they produced Doki Doki Panic (8), the game that would later go on to be known as Super Mario Bros 2 in the west. But the most important NES release of the year undoubtedly came from a struggling company known as Squaresoft with their last gasp attempt to stay solvent, Final Fantasy (8). The Master System was not without its big games either with Shinobi (6) being the cream of the crop. In the arcades R-Type (7) pushed the shmup to new heights and Double Dragon (7) laid the groundwork for the beat em up genre. On home computers LucasArts created the SCUMM Adventure engine and with Maniac Mansion (8) began one of the greatest series of game releases of all time. And last but certainly not least in Japan a little known game designer released a game for a little known platform and in doing so Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear (8) heralded the beginnings for one of the industry’s best producers. It was only going to go up from here.  1988 It was a case of more of the same for the industry in 1988 as developers continued to break new ground from the capabilities of the NES. Franchises were being well established by the likes of Mega Man 2 (9) and Final Fantasy II (5) but nothing on the NES could match Nintendo’s own Super Mario Bros 3 (10). The now renamed Rare hit their first classic in RC Pro-Am (8) while Ninja Gaiden (6) drove players batty with its legendary difficulty. It was also a good year in the arcades for beat-em-ups with Splatterhouse (6) and Altered Beast (6) both making a splash. Meanwhile in the land of PCs Pool of Radiance (6) provided CRPG fans the DnD experience they had been craving and LucasArts continued to establish themselves as the new kings of the adventure with Zak McKraken and the Alien Mindbenders (6). While he was still to discover the mass market appeal of a major console Hideo Kojima was back on his bullshit with Snatcher (7). All in all the 2nd generation of gaming had hit its prime, gaming was the best it could ever possibly be. Or was it?  1989 While the NES had been a huge success there were rumblings from within Nintendo that there could be something even better. Something super, perhaps, but that would be a story for another day. With their own attention diverted it was up to others to maintain the NES’s status as brand leader and releases like DuckTales (7) and Castlevania III (7) did their fair share to carry the weight. Sega’s Master System had fallen off the pace over the last couple of years but in Wonder Boy III: The Dragon’s Trap (8) the console finally had a killer app. Arcades continued to flourish with support from Golden Axe (6) and Final Fight (8) while on PC developers were still discovering new genres as Peter Molyneux created the god game in Populous (8) and Will Wright brought us the city builder with SimCity (9). There were also new advances in animation as Prince of Persia (8) introduced the use of rotoscoping to gaming. The UK gaming scene had fallen from grace as the popular Commodore Amiga lacked support from devs but Shadow of the Beast (6) gave owners something to get excited about.  1990 Just when everyone thought they had the console market cornered Nintendo decided to take things one step further with the brand new SNES. 8-bit was out, 16-bit was in – that’s twice as many bits! But a console is nothing without games and games they had with Super Mario World (10),F-Zero (9) and ActRaiser (8) providing a visual feast for the eyes and a tough challenge for the hands. There were still a last few breaths to come from the NES however as Final Fantasy III (8), Dr. Mario (6) and Mega Man 3 (8) saw the console out in style. The hits continued to come from LucasArts who really started to hit their stride with The Secret of Monkey Island (10) and elsewhere on PC Wing Commander (7) brought bright, bold action to the space-sim genre. Hideo Kojima continued to explore the boundaries of gaming and cinema with Metal Gear 2 (9) and in arcades Smash TV (7) proved to be an, erm, smash. A new decade had arrived and with it new technology and big new opportunities for the industry.  The Results: 1981 – 1990 After our first ten years we are left with the following results:  1. 1990 (8.2) 2. 1987 (7.5) 3. 1989 (7.4) Will these scores hold up as we dive full force into the 90s? Only time will tell
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Aug 25, 2022 19:49
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Synthetic Hermit posted:Them's some gooooooood charts. A combination of first-hand experience, second-hand experience, commercial success, critical success and importance to the industry as a whole. Obviously I cannot divulge the explicit formula but be assured this a serious and comprehensive scientific analysis
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Aug 25, 2022 22:11
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:'88 is firmly 8-bit, so 3rd Gen I'd say Oops I didn't read Wikipedia properly 
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Aug 26, 2022 00:00
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The Year of the Game: A Statistical Analysis – Part 2 When we left off these were the scores on the doors: 1. 1990 (8.2) 2. 1987 (7.5) 3. 1989 (7.4) However we’ve entered a new era of gaming in the 90s as technological improvements mean we can expect bold cartoon graphics and more expansive game worlds. Let’s see how this effects our results! 1991 With the SNES finding immediate success Sega were put under the cosh. They needed to strike back in the console wars in a big way with their new hardware, the Genesis. More than that they needed a character that could match up to everyone’s favourite plumber to prove that Sega did what Nintendidn’t. Enter a brash blue hedgehog who just gotta go fast as Sonic the Hedgehog (9) became a system seller. The age of the video game mascot had begun. Faced with the strongest challenge yet to their supremacy the SNES fired back with huge updates to beloved franchises like Final Fantasy IV (9), Super Castlevania IV (8) and the seminal Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past (10). And just as everyone was packing away their NES consoles they were pulling them back out for Tecmo Super Bowl (7). For the more discerning gamer PCs were providing a space for games that stretched the mind as much as the reflexes. LucasArts showed no signs of stopping with Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge (10) and DMA Design made their first mark on the industry with Lemmings (8) but perhaps most important of all was the latest invention of Sid Meier: a game focused on exploration, expansion, exploitation and extermination called Civilization (8). Not to say that action-focused gamers were completely deprived on PC as Another World (7) broke new ground in cinematic gameplay. However the most important release of the year may well have been in the arcades where flashy special moves and a global flair made Street Fighter II (10) an immediate attention-grabber. The arcades were dying out as home gaming became more and more affordable but they weren’t going out without a (quite literal) fight.  1992 While the hearts and minds of many a child were wrapped up in the console wars things were different for PC gamers where they were getting the kinds of games that could never hope to fit on a console. Whether it was SNES or Genesis neither could ever hope to handle brand new genres like the RTS Dune II (7), the survival horror Alone in the Dark (5) or the first-person shooter Wolfenstein 3D (6). Or for those drawn to more traditional genres LucasArts continued to bat a thousand with Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis (8). Not that this mattered to the Sega and Nintendo fans, however, as arguments raged in the playgrounds. For every Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (10) there was a Super Mario Kart (8) and for every Final Fantasy V (9) there was a Shining Force (8) or a Streets of Rage 2 (8). Peace would only be called temporarily for trips to the arcade where Mortal Kombat (7) was making all the wrong kind of headlines for its philosophy that everything was better with blood. Throughout its existence the gaming industry had been able to live in a wild west where anything went but gaming was becoming big business and the eyes of the world were starting to take note.  1993 Developers in the realm of PC continued to thrive with creativity, none more so id Software who’s shareware release strategy turned Doom (10) into a global phenomenon that put the FPS genre on the map, although it did little to stem the tide of controversy brewing over violent games. The proliferation of CD-ROMs had led to a rise in the use of FMV with Myst (7) and The 7th Guest (5) showing the potential of the technology although this would prove to be a dead end in innovation. Elsewhere Maxis stepped things up a level with SimCity 2000 (9) and LucasArts showed they were more than just a one trick pony with Star Wars: X-Wing (7). Console gamers also had to lot to enjoy with SNES owners getting Star Fox (7) and Secret of Mana (8) while Treasure brought Gunstar Heroes (8) to Genesis fans. While football fans of both varieties were well served the same had never been true for basketball fans until Midway brought NBA Jam (8) to the arcades. And in a hitherto underserved corner of the market handheld gaming finally received its first vital release as Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening (10) shrunk all the magic of a Hyrule adventure into the Game Boy.  1994 Four years on from its initial release the SNES was now well into its lifespan and game designers were pulling the absolute peak from its infrastructure. Whether it was the lush graphics of Donkey Kong Country (9) or the vast worlds of Final Fantasy VI (10) the SNES was showing unlimited potential. But none were unleashing that potential more than Nintendo themselves who released the double barrel shot of Super Metroid (10) and Earthbound (10). Not that Genesis owners would be left too far behind as Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (8) launched with a whole other game in its cartridge. Another cartoon mascot made his debut as Earthworm Jim (6) brought its own unique, irreverent tone. Fighting games continued to be the last hope of the arcades as Killer Instinct (9) focused on combo while Tekken (8) showed the possibilities that could be delivered by cutting edge 3D engines. However the furore over violent games had reached its peak leading to the establishment of the ESRB to provide suitable age ratings. One of the first games on their docket? The follow-up to id’s groundbreaking hit, Doom II (8). They would have been less worried about Beneath A Steel Sky (8), a game which proved more than just LucasArts could succeed in the adventure genre. Indeed, as PCs became more and more capable of delivering tight action experiences the heyday of the point-and-click was fast coming to an end.  1995 Another genre that was starting to take off on PC was the RTS as Command and Conquer (8) kickstarted a major franchise and Warcraft II (9) began a string of hits that would turn small-time studio Blizzard into one of the most important game companies in the world. In the land of consoles it was a great time to be a JRPG fan as Chrono Trigger (10), Terranigma (8) and Secret of Evermore (8) made the genre as good as it has ever been while those searching for a more thoughtful experience had much to find in Tactics Ogre (9). For those who weren’t fans of the genre there was still gold to be found as Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island (10) and Donkey Kong Country 2 (10) delivered a pair of polished platforming experiences. The Genesis had fallen off the pace as Sega focused on its new console, the Saturn, but Comix Zone (8) still gave owners something to get excited about. However in a shocking twist the main challenger to Nintendo’s crown in the new generation would not come from Sega at all. No, that would come from Sony who entered the market with the PlayStation. The clear standout from their launch titles was Wipeout (8) with trippy music and exhilarating gameplay that deliberately targeted older teens. Video games were growing up.  1996 With the PlayStation and Saturn already on the shelves it was time for the next generation to kick-off in full swing as Nintendo pushed beyond their 32-bit competitors with the Nintendo 64, a console which surprisingly enough had 64-bits. All this power under the hood took gaming into a new dimension with Super Mario 64 (9) and Pilotwings 64 (8) leading the way into 3D worlds. Sony was not to be left behind in this new space however as the PlayStation got Crash Bandicoot (8) and Tomb Raider (8) while Resident Evil (8) took the survival horror genre into the mainstream. Although the Saturn was not quite able to match par in tech NiGHTS Into Dreams (9) gave owners one of the most unique games of all time. Meanwhile in its last days the SNES was still churning out JRPG smashes as Super Mario RPG (9) combined the genre with gaming’s greatest franchise. Nintendo were riding so high that even the Game Boy was thriving as Pokémon Red/Blue (10) started a worldwide marketing sensation. Over on PC Blizzard introduced the world to loot grinders with Diablo (7) and id’s Quake (9) inspired owners to get together in massive numbers to play multiplayer at LAN parties. All the way back from Pong gaming had always been a social experience but now it was bringing people together like never before.  1997 A new generation of consoles may have taken over the market but the console wars showed no signs of slowing down. On one side stood the N64 which saw another major franchise update in Star Fox 64 (8) while Rare began arguably the best ever combination of console and developer with Goldeneye 007 (10) and Blast Corps (8). On the other side stood the PlayStation who’s switch to CD technology was swaying the eye of many a developer resulting in many franchises jumping sides such as Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (9) and Final Fantasy VII which took an epic story and sweeping visuals to bring JRPGs into the West. But the PSX was also introducing new names that would go on to great success in the industry as Grand Theft Auto (8) and Gran Turismo (7) both saw the first entries in their respective series. As ever the PC scene continued to breed fresh ideas as Fallout (9) combined a post-apocalyptic setting and broad player choice to spearhead a movement in isometric CRPGs while Age of Empires (7) added a new flavour to the RTS genre. There was also room for old favourites with Riven (8) gave puzzle fans many a difficult night. But if it seemed like the video game industry was in a good place it was about to hit a whole new gear…  1998 By the late 90s the video game industry was running at full tilt with quality pouring from every quarter. It seemed like no matter your choice of platform there were masterpieces waiting directly for you. N64 gamers were eagerly tearing into The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (10), PlayStation fans were shaking in fear at the sight of Resident Evil 2 (10) and PC owners were clicking their fingers off with Starcraft (10). Seekers of high octane thrills could find their home in F-Zero X (9) and those looking for more illicit action could get their kicks with Thief: The Dark Project (8). It had been a while since LucasArts had hit their heights of their best adventure games but they had one last gem inside them as they put out Grim Fandango (9). As one falls another must take its place and stepping into the limelight this year was Valve who’s innovative use of in-game cutscenes provided an immediacy of storytelling that made Half-Life (9) a must have purchase. They weren’t the only ones giving great stories as Xenogears (9) combined JRPGs with classic mech fiction but they would be overshadowed by another mech as Hideo Kojima returned from years in the wilderness with Metal Gear Solid (10), which blurred the lines between movie and video game. Yes it was a great time to be a gamer and it showed no signs of slowing down.  1999 After more than a decade at the top of the mountain the unthinkable was occurring. Nintendo’s supremacy had been overturned as difficult console infrastructure was turning developers away in droves in favour of Sony’s less powerful but more capable hardware. The PSX would continue to see hit after hit as Final Fantasy VIII (9), Silent Hill (7) and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (9) all came out to high acclaim. Nintendo were also under threat in the other direction as Sega put the Saturn behind them and came back with the first 128-bit console in the Dreamcast which was garnering many headlines for the captivating world of Shenmue (8). However Nintendo were still kings of handheld market where the Game Boy Color was making waves and Pokémon Gold/Silver (10) added a number of exciting new features to the original’s gameplay. On PC RTSs continued to be well served with Age of Empires II and Planescape: Torment (10) took storytelling in games to new levels. By now PCs had well established themselves as the home of FPSs but now the genre was expanding into multiple new directions as System Shock 2 (10) focused on an immersive single-player story while Unreal Tournament (8) fed the never-ending bloodlust for multiplayer deathmatches. But if while single-player was one thing and multiplayer was another, something new was brewing in the works. Something massive. The concept of MMOs had been around since the MUDs of the 80s but it was the release of Everquest (8) that brought the genre into prominence as its addictive grind kept gamers hooked for months. It was a model of which many would soon be taking note.  2000 The N64 had taking some heavy hits in the latest iteration of the console wars but as Sony launched their next console, the PS2, they gave up centre stage. With the spotlight assured Nintendo responded with The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (10) and called in support from Rare with Perfect Dark (10). However there was still one last classic to come from the PSX and what a classic it was as Final Fantasy IX (10) dropped and instantly became a benchmark for the series. Despite its power the Dreamcast was still struggling to establish itself but Skies of Arcadia (10) and Jet Set Radio (8) were strong arguments in its favour. The streams of gold weren’t just spared for console owners as PC gamers also saw their share of greatness. Trusted developers continued to deliver as Blizzard kept up their strong run with Diablo II (9), Maxis took the simulation genre in a whole new direction with The Sims (8) and Valve brought teamwork to the multiplayer FPS with Counter-Strike (8). But they weren’t the only ones making waves as BioWare established themselves and their Infinity Engine as one to watch with Baldur’s Gate II (10). It was a new millennium, a time of new possibilities and no game captured the mood more than Deus Ex (10), a game much touted for its freedom and responsiveness to player choice. The barriers were crumbling, the laws of game design were breaking down, the future was untold possibility.  The Results: 1991 – 2000 So here’s where we stand after our next decade:  The eagle eyed among you will notice that we have a tie at the top with both 1998 and 2000 on equal scores. In this situation we will settle the standings on the countback rule, 2000 has 6 games on a perfect 10 compared to 1998’s 5 which edges it out at the top. There’s also a tie in third place so the same rule was applied, leaving us with: 1. 2000 (9.4) 2. 1998 (9.4) 3. 1999 (8.8) Three consecutive years lead the way at the top, what a time indeed to be a gamer! Will this go down as the peak period of gaming or will a new contender await in the 00s? We will have to find out another day Rarity fucked around with this message at 06:30 on Aug 27, 2022 |
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Aug 26, 2022 23:41
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:wow that was fast I had up to 98 written up, was going to do the last 2 years tomorrow but I saw your posts and thought sure why not 
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Aug 26, 2022 23:46
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Is the worst year the one with the worst worst games or the worst best games?
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Aug 27, 2022 17:16
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This is an outrage
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Aug 29, 2022 20:46
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I would love more time. As I explained to Harrow in a very stressed out PM the free time I had to finish my stuff was eaten up being sick and then having to work super late tonight
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Sep 6, 2022 21:54
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Harrow posted:Would another week do it? I'd hate to close down the thread before some of its best posts could be made. Yeah that would be much appreciated, thanks 
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Sep 8, 2022 13:00
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The Year of The Game: A Statistical Analysis – Part 3 To bring everyone up to speed here is a reminder of the standings so far: 1. 2000 (9.4) 2. 1998 (9.4) 3. 1999 (8.8) But we’re now heading into the new millennium featuring new consoles, new technology, new genres and a whole bunch of new games! It’s time to see if any year can trouble the standings! 2001 With the PS2 now settled in on people’s shelves the games were beginning to flow thick and fast as we saw an endless treadmill of updates to beloved franchises such as Final Fantasy X (10), Silent Hill 2 (9) and Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (10) but none would be more important than Grand Theft Auto III (10) who’s open world design would send shockwaves through the industry that are still felt to this day. There was originality to be found as well with Devil May Cry (8) introducing the world to character action and Ico (10) producing a true cult classic puzzler. Skate culture had always been strongly linked to the PlayStation brand and skate games had already appeared on Sony consoles but in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (10) the sport had its banner game. For Nintendo it was a year of transition as the N64 was sunsetted with just enough time for Rare to deliver one last hit with Conker’s Bad Fur Day (9). In its place was the somewhat poorly-named Gamecube but with all of Nintendo’s most favoured franchises sitting out launch it was up to Pikmin (8) to shift units. There was room for a third challenger in the console market but to many people’s surprise it wasn’t going to be the Dreamcast which was quickly falling into obscurity. Instead there was a new kid on the block as Micosoft entered the industry with the XBox and its premium exclusive Halo (9) with its fast-paced gameplay that proved PCs weren’t the only home for the FPS. For years Sony and Nintendo had always served different audiences but now for the first time the PlayStation was facing a true challenger. The fight was on.  2002 Microsoft’s new console was making serious waves in the industry but if it was going to take hold long-term it was going to need major exclusives. Well major exclusives it had with the serious approach to stealth of Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell (8) and the vast open world of The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (8) which marked little-known developers Bethesda as a name to watch. Sony would respond in kind with the 80s sleaze in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (10), the fresh development of the 3D platformer from Ratchet and Clank (8) and a much vaunted Final Fantasy x Disney crossover in Kingdom Hearts (7). Speaking of the premiere name in JRPGs the franchise explored an entirely new avenue as Final Fantasy XI (7) took the series into the world of MMOs. As Sony and Microsoft continued to war for the older gamer Nintendo were content to play to the younger generation with bright, bold new releases for their biggest heroes in Super Mario Sunshine (8), The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker (10) and Metroid Prime (10). PC owners had had less to shout about in recent years as advance in console technology was closing the gap between the systems but in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (10) they had something worth getting excited about as they got lost in the world of Azeroth in a way that could surely never be beaten.  2003 The whole gaming world was starting to experience the joie de vivre as French developer Ubisoft, up till now mostly known for the Tom Clancy brand, broke through with the multi-platform releases of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time (10) and Beyond Good and Evil (8). Rockstar, ever the arbiters of bad taste, continued their run of hot products with Max Payne 2 (8) and Manhunt (4), the latter of which contained so much needless gore that even the developers of the GTA franchise were unprepared for the ensuing media frenzy. In less controversial news PS2 owners looking for exclusives were well served with Silent Hill 3 (9), Final Fantasy X-2 (10) and Jak II (8) while BioWare brought Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (10) to the XBox. The Gamecube was still lagging behind its competitors but Tales of Symphonia (6) provided fans with classic JRPG action. There had long been a trend in the FPS genre for WW2-era shooters but this year Infinity Ward dropped an unassuming game called Call of Duty (7). No one knew that this name would go on to take over the industry.  2004 War. War never changes. The console wars had raged for many a year now and showed no signs of slowing down. But all of a sudden it was war of a different kind that gripped the zeitgeist as Blizzard laid down a smash hit with their new MMO World of Warcraft (10). The introduction of quality of life features and streamlined progression had millions of gamers hooked. Those with PCs who weren’t wrapped up in gaming’s new addiction still had lots to enjoy as Maxis returned with The Sims 2 (8) and The Creative Assembly’s Rome: Total War (8) combined RTS combat with grand tactics to establish a new major strategy franchise. And if that wasn’t enough Vampire: The Masquerade: Bloodlines (9) presented one of the most unique RPG worlds of all time and Valve popularised the Havok engine with their use of physics in Half-Life 2 (8), inspiring many to sign up for their new game storefront Steam. There were still plaudits to be saved for the consoles however, most notably the PS2 which saw releases for both Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (10) and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (10) though it would have to share Burnout 3: Takedown (9) with its rival. Over on Gamecube owners were still quietly receiving solid titles with Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door (9) being the pick of the litter. Meanwhile XBox saw Halo 2 (8) added online multiplayer to the console’s biggest franchise, marking the first big win for Microsoft’s XBox Live service. Whether it was on your computer or at your TV the internet was introducing gaming to all kinds of new possibilities although it would soon turn out that this was for bad as well as good…  2005 The end of a console generation had always been the hardest time for new releases and this was to be no exception as Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft all started to look towards the future. There was still a trickle of quality releases however as the Gamecube benefited from Resident Evil 4 (10) while the PS2 saw God of War (9), Kingdom Hearts II (8) and Shadow of the Colossus (10). But the Sony exclusive that made the most impact this year was Guitar Hero (6) which took typical rhythm gameplay and added giant plastic peripherals to launch the hottest trend of the year. The FPS genre continued to shine with Call of Duty 2 (8) marking a big step forward in the franchise’s cinematic scope while F.E.A.R. (7) added horror to the mix to great effect. It had been years since the LucasArts run of adventure games had come to an end but key developer Tim Schafer returned to the industry with Psychonauts (10), a unique and inventive 3D platformer. In the handheld market Nintendo had come out with a new console but the DS and its double screens was being written off as a gimmick. Enter Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (9) to show that the system could deliver. What had originally been presented as a partner to the Game Boy Advance was about to become its successor.  2006 A new generation once again meant new consoles hitting the shelves with the XBox 360, PS3 and Wii all competing for a spot under the Christmas tree. But as the most popular games console of all time the PS2 wasn’t going to quietly fade into obscurity as Final Fantasy XII (9), God Hand (7) and Bully (8) were a fitting last hurrah. And then it received Okami (10) as a final encore! Of the trio of new consoles the Wii was grabbing the most attention despite its technical inferiorities down to the use of Wiimote motion controls. The console spoke to a casual audience drawing much attention to Wii Sports (4) but there was also room for classic Nintendo fare as The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (8) was yet another hit for the franchise. For those gamers of a more serious bent the 360 was proving to be the choice option, predominantly down to the availability of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (10) although the cosmetic horse armour DLC did cause a furore. Surely no one would ever try to get away with that again! Elsewhere on the 360 Gears of War (5) started two major trends in its use of cover-based combat and washed out brown-grey graphics while the console was also the next-gen home of Dead Rising (8) and Hitman: Blood Money (7). All of which meant there was little space for the PS3 to make an impact. Was Sony about to crash from first to last in the console race?  2007 While the PS3 had made a slow start in the console race but with the release of Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune (7) the system had an exclusive full of lush visuals to show the full power of the console. Overall though games were still thin on the ground, not helped by some developers still releasing a trickle of PS2 games like God of War II (8). Nintendo continued to plod along doing their own thing with Super Mario Galaxy (9) continuing the plumber’s run of success while BioWare served 360 gamers up the space opera RPG Mass Effect (10). Luckily gamers of all persuasion were able to get their hands on Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (9) and Bioshock (10) while Rock Band (7) was also available for those with the funds and storage space for multiple plastic peripherals. With consoles becoming ever more powerful PC gamers needed a reminder of its potential and in Crysis (8) they had a beast that would melt all but the most high-end of graphics cards. But while some games were pushing technological boundaries Valve were challenging expectations of what a game release could be with The Orange Box, a compilation which included the debuts of Team Fortress 2 (8) and Portal (10). The only problem was deciding which to play first!  2008 With the new generation of hardware allowing developers to create spaces bigger than ever before the open world was fast becoming the hottest trend in gaming. Masters of the craft Bethesda took their skills to a new setting with a familiar name in Fallout 3 (9) while Rockstar took Grand Theft Auto IV (7) in a gritty realistic direction, leaving Saints Row 2 (10) to cater to fans of bright colourful violence. Designers were also getting imaginative with new ideas like the cyberpunk parkour of Mirror’s Edge (9) or the expansive creation suite of LittleBigPlanet (7). Also getting creative was Hideo Kojima who was packing as many wild concepts as he could find into Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (8). The survival-horror genre received a fresh burst of energy as Visceral’s Dead Space (10) provided a claustrophobic experience. Horror also featured in the zombie FPS Left 4 Dead (8) which revolutionised team co-op. Despite the success of the new generation some were still stubbornly clinging on to the corpse of the PS2 as Persona 4 (9) failed to find the spotlight it deserved. But perhaps the most important release of the year wasn’t made by a giant team of programmers, artists, writers and producers. Predominantly the work of one man over three years Braid (9) was a mind-bending puzzle-platformer that launched on XBox Live and soon found a huge following. In doing so Jonathan Blow proved that it didn’t take vast teams with massive funding to reach an audience. Much like the bedroom coders of the 70s and 80s it only took one great idea and solid follow through. The era of indie gaming had begun.  2009 At this point in the generation’s lifespan gaming was starting to suffer. The trend for macho urban shooters in dull monotone worlds like was being resolutely derided, although there were still gems like Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (8) to be found. Instead gamers demanded new experiences full of vibrancy and life and they had exactly that with Borderlands (8) and Bayonetta (9). While one could never accuse Batman: Arkham Asylum (9) of being vibrant it didn’t matter much when the snappy melee combat and tactical stealth combined to form the most immersive Batman game of all time. Elsewhere Ubisoft were presenting a parkour hero of an entirely different variety in Assassin’s Creed II (9) and BioWare took their typical fantasy flair in a new adult direction with Dragon Age: Origins (8). It was a popular year for sequels as Uncharted 2 (10) and Left 4 Dead 2 (9) took their franchises from strength to strength. However as console gaming was facing a lull the two most important releases of the year were coming out on other platforms. Firstly on PC where a Warcraft III mod called Defence of the Ancients had adapted the RTS into an entirely new form of gameplay, the MOBA, which saw its first commercial outing in League of Legends (5). The other came in the world of handheld gaming which for so long had been dominated by Nintendo. Attempts had been made to bring gaming to mobile phones before, most notably in the spectacular disaster of the N-Gage, but with smartphones becoming accessible to the everyday consumer suddenly everyone had a gaming machine in their pocket and with Angry Birds (8) they had a pick-up-and-play game that was attracting a whole new audience. Once again, the industry would never be the same.  2010 While the major growth in power of the latest generation were leading to bigger and bolder games these improvements were not without their downsides. The exponential increase in technological capability required vastly more production sending development costs spiralling. With video game budgets running to 8 or 9 figures designers were becoming more and more risk averse, shying away from new IP in favour of trusted brands. It could be no surprise then that the year would be dominated by familiar names like Mass Effect 2 (10), Bioshock 2 (8) and Dead Rising 2 (8). Even Nintendo were getting in on the act with a rare mainline sequel in Super Mario Galaxy 2 (9) while Blizzard found some time away from their mammoth MMO to bring back Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty (8). For those who wanted true innovation in this world they had to look to the likes of Rockstar who repurposed a niche Western shooter into their newest open world with Red Dead Redemption (10) or Obsidian who continued their trend of improving on other people’s franchises in Fallout: New Vegas (10). And then there were those sequels which came out of nowhere, such as Just Cause 2 (9) which jumped off a little loved title with explosions, more explosions and a grappling hook to provide the kind of dumb fun that harkened back to the games of old. But with AAA gaming quickly becoming devoid of new ideas it was up to the indie scene to provide originality, something it luckily had in spades with the pick of the crop being the hyper-difficult Super Meat Boy (8) and atmosphere puzzle-platformer Limbo (9). As the decade drew to a close the stratification of the industry was swiftly locking in.  The Results: 2001 – 2010 The latest set of years on the docket gives us this:  Leaving our overall top 3 at: 1. 2000 (9.4) 2. 1998 (9.4) 3. 2001 (9.3) Will this ranking hold? There’s just one post and eleven years left to score so let’s hope there isn’t another death of the Head of State or AEW backstage brawl so this can be wrapped up in time for deadline! Rarity fucked around with this message at 19:13 on Sep 10, 2022 |
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Sep 10, 2022 19:10
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No Saints Row 2?No Dignity posted:normie-rear end chart
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Sep 10, 2022 19:50
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Feldegast42 posted:Wait half life was less than a ten? Rarity I don't trust you anymore I said what I said 
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Sep 10, 2022 22:31
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Ms Adequate posted:Rarity? Hey Rarity, babe? I love you and I want to credit you for these posts but: Rarity posted:I said what I said
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Sep 12, 2022 20:36
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cheetah7071 posted:rarity also put ffx-2 at a 10, which I assume is because she forgot that "X-2" calculates to 8 Spoken like someone who doesn't feel Real Emotion
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Sep 12, 2022 20:44
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Ms Adequate posted:But that's the thing she's right about everything else! FFX-2 is a 10/10 banger! Hmm yes must be *checks data* that I'm right about this as well
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Sep 13, 2022 01:13
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BeanpolePeckerwood posted:excited for rarity's last post. some great years in there I've written up through 2018, I'll do the last 3 years tomorrow and then I can finally stop holding up Harrow's thread
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Sep 14, 2022 21:55
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The Year of The Game: A Statistical Analysis – Part 4 This is it, folks! The final post! After this is done we will have a definitive scientifically-proven to the answer which year is the Year of the Game. Before we dig into the data let’s remind ourselves how far we’d got to: 1. 2000 (9.4) 2. 1998 (9.4) 3. 2001 (9.3) But now it’s time to race through to the modern day. There’s still so many games and many years to get through so let’s dive in! 2011 With the sharply rising costs of the AAA market the industry was consolidating around the few publishers with the cash to fund heavy investment. Nintendo continued to mine their homegrown franchises with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (7) while Naughty Dog held on to Sony’s backing for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception (9) and Valve gave us Portal 2 (10), although signs were beginning to show that their production treadmill was slowing down. In the rare instance a mid-tier developer good push itself up into the big leagues with one smash hit and that’s exactly what Bethesda did as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (10) was inescapable. In their wake the open world trend was beginning to subsume the console market with the likes of Saints Row the Third (9) and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (9) proving popular while FromSoftware brought difficulty to a whole new generation of gamers with Dark Souls (10). Those looking for a more directed experience weren’t entirely abandoned though with Deus Ex: Human Revolution (9) representing the AAA market and Bastion (8) coming from the indie scene. However open worlds were breaking into the indies as well and one in particular would prove to become a behemoth as Simon Notch’s procedurally generated worlds in Minecraft (10) popularised crafting mechanics. The art of putting things together would soon be pervasive within the industry.  2012 With the current console generation approaching the end of its lifecycle the games were starting to dry up. Fortunately indie developers were on hand to fill the gap with a collection of innovative and unique concepts such as the vaporwave violence of Hotline Miami (8), the puzzling platforms of Fez (7) and the moving co-operation of Journey (9). With many AAA franchises now looking to the future much of the console space was ceded to lower budget titles of lesser scope with Spec Ops: The Line (9) and Sleeping Dogs (8) being stand outs. New developers continued to break through as Telltale renovated the adventure genre in the episodic The Walking Dead (7) and Arkane had their first big hit with Dishonored (9). But there was still some room for more recognisable names, the most notable being Gearbox going bigger and bolder with Borderlands 2 (8), Firaxis reviving a beloved classic in XCOM: Enemy Unknown (9) and Ubisoft updating their open world formula in Far Cry 3 (8) to establish a new direction for the franchise. The transitional stage of the generation was approaching fast.  2013 The new generation of consoles had made its way to shelves but whether it was the sensibly-named PlayStation4, the confusingly-named XBox One or even more confusingly-named Wii U games for these new machines were thin on the ground as the ever-improving hardware required more and more resources to tame. Owners would have to satiate themselves with Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (8) for the moment. But while fare for the new hardware was trickling through there was a flood of late big hits for the previous generation with Grand Theft Auto V (9), Bioshock Infinite (7) and Tomb Raider (8) all finding success for their respective franchises. But while some franchises were playing Hideo Kojima was taking his into wild new directions in Metal Gear Rising (9). Meanwhile NetherRealm proved that fighting games could tell compelling stories in Injustice: Gods Among Us (9) and Naughty Dog took the medium to a new level of artistic respectability with The Last of Us (10). In handheld gaming Nintendo had upgraded to the 3DS a couple of years prior but with minimal success until The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (9) revived the classic gameplay of the series’s past. Over on PC Gone Home (10) became the first shining example of the walking simulator while also providing much needed queer representation. One final release of note: in 2010 SquareEnix had released the latest entry in their most vital franchise but its outdated MMO features had led to huge critical and commercial failure. After three years of struggling to keep the lights on while rushing through a total overhaul they came out with Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (8). The update was well received but no one yet knew that this was only the beginning…  2014 As developers began to get to grips with the new wave of consoles games started to deliver on the potential of these powerful machines. Following a split from Microsoft Bungie introduced MMO design concepts to their core FPS gameplay to create Destiny (8), designed around a model of continual revisions and updates which would soon come to be known as ‘game as a service’. Also making waves in the FPS world after a disharmonious split were the designers at Respawn who gave FPS movement a shot in the arm with Titanfall (7). Old favourites were brought up to date with the likes of Dark Souls II (8), Bayonetta II (9) and Dragon Age: Inquisition (8). It would be a good year for horror in PC gaming as Alien Isolation (9) morphed into a cult hit meanwhile Blizzard found success with the one-two punch of Hearthstone (9) and Diablo III (9), although the latter not without high controversy over the pay-to-win Real Money Auction House. Indie developers were also reliably dropping hit after hit with Shovel Knight (9) and The Banner Saga (9) being the highlights of the year. Unfortunately the joys of the year would be marred when software developer Eron Gjoni wrote a blog post falsely accusing his ex-girlfriend Zoe Quinn of sleeping with a games reporter in exchange for a good review. Instead of falling into an irrelevant pocket of the internet this drama would explode into a furore as an army of cis-het male gamers, feeling threatened by the growing presence of women in the industry, launched a series of vicious attacks on a number of predominant female developers and journalists. The movement named Gamergate would come to have a lasting impact on the political direction of the decade.  2015 As the new generation was settling in it was becoming clear that the face of gaming was changing. Single-player experiences were costly and left little space for monetization. For many developers there were far greater economic gains to be made in providing tight multiplayer gameplay with endless replay value to form a player base that could be mined over and over. While many got in on the act there was no bigger hit than Rocket League (7) and its equation of cars plus football. Nintendo even got in on the act with Splatoon (8), although without the aggressive financial exploitation. Fortunately there were still plenty of AAA designers producing solo games with FromSoftware expanding their trademark action in new directions with Bloodborne (10), Bethesda simplifying their formula for the mass market in Fallout 4 (7) while The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (10) pushed CD Projekt Red into the stratosphere. Hideo Kojima’s relationship with Konami had grown rocky as the company veered away from video games towards pachinko machines but despite major production issues Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (8) still felt like a unique experience thanks to its open world approach to stealth. Meanwhile in the world of MMOs SquareEnix delivered the first major addition to their underdog story with Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (9) gaining much critical acclaim for their revived title and elsewhere Life is Strange (8) reminded everyone of their awkward teenage phase. One of the benefits of indie gaming is that designers can come together across borders and oceans to produce beautiful art as was the case with the world-spanning team that created Ori and the Blind Forest (9). But where some teams were located across the globe others existed in just one bedroom, namely the bedroom of Toby Fox who with little assistance crafted Undertale (10) beating out teams in their thousands with just one punch.  2016 Following in Toby’s footsteps there was more success from the bedroom auteurs as Jonathan Blow came back with The Witness (9) and Eric Barone dropped his labour of love, the farming simulator Stardew Valley (9). The indie sector was also becoming recognised for its short-form emotional stories and nowhere was that expressed better than That Dragon, Cancer (9). In more light-hearted fare Atlus broke through to the big leagues with Persona 5 (10) and Naughty Dog capped off Nathan Drake’s tale in style in Uncharted 4: Among Thieves (9). For other major franchises it was time to go back to their roots as both Hitman (10) and Doom (9) dumped failed attempts at innovation to return to their classic gameplay loops. Blizzard had been struggling in recent years as their flagship MMO became mired in controversy and poorly-received expansions but Overwatch (7) temporarily held the tide. But none of these games could match the true sensation of the year as Niantic encouraged gamers to get off their butts and head outside with Pokémon Go (6), a game that combined a beloved franchise with real world exploration to build a whole new community. The gaming industry was bringing people together in ways that its originators would never have thought possible.  2017 While the console generation was still early in its lifecycle Nintendo were facing serious problems. The Wii U had been a major failure lacking stand out titles and trailing far behind its predecessor in sales. It was time for a Hail Mary and from somewhere deep inside the R&D department they replied with a handheld-TV hybrid, the Switch. While it still couldn’t match its counterparts for power the unique flexibility instantly attracted attention which was soon inflamed by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (10), a stunning update that modernised the franchise. Soon to follow after was Super Mario Odyssey (9) and Nintendo were back in business. In the latest console war Sony had been streaking ahead and the PS4 continued to dominate with Horizon: Zero Dawn (9) and Nier Automata (10) while XBox One users would have to settle for multi-platform releases like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard (9) and Prey (9). It was also a particularly good year for indie developers with the cream of the crop including the emotional adventure game Night of the Woods (8), Team Cherry’s expansive Metroidvania Hollow Knight (10) and the return of Supergiant with visual novel/basketball hybrid (yes you heard me) Pyre (9). The most important release of the year however came from a designer who’s identity was a total mystery. Except it wasn’t because after getting noticed for his solo-produced Arma III mod Brendan Greene was hired by a team in Korea to take the lead on PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (6), a incomparable multiplayer scrum with gameplay derived from the classic Japanese movie Battle Royale. The game was an instant hit with scores of players and by the end of the year every game was looking to tack on a battle royale mode no matter how relevant it was to the genre. The most notable of these came from Epic, who’s version of battle royale would soon subsume its predecessor to become the biggest game in the world, inspiring a selection of memes, dances and even Epic’s challenger to the Steam storefront in the process.  2018 Facing a new challenge to their supremacy from the Switch it was up to Sony to make a strong response and they did exactly that with a pair of first-party exclusives, God of War (8) and Marvel’s Spider-Man (9). Nintendo had their own ace up their sleeve with Super Smash Bros Ultimate (9) – everyone was there and everyone was invited! (Apart from Bowsette.) Open worlds continued to be one of the top flavours as Red Dead Redemption II (10) and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (8) both found great success although horror stories about the crunch culture of the developers put some off. Capcom took one of their long-running franchises into the mainstream as Monster Hunter: World (9) dominated conversations while Hitman 2 (9) offered more worlds to stealth through and Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (8) paid homage to the beloved isometric CRPGs of old. As ever the indie scene had its own share of gems, most notably the hyper-diffcult platformer Celeste (10) and Lucas Pope’s detective mystery Return of the Obra Dinn (10). After wobbling through most of the decade the game industry had rediscovered its mojo.  2019 The industry had found its groove and it showed no signs of slowing down. No matter the platform, no matter the source, it seemed like there was a game out there for everyone. Whether it was a tight focused action expereince like Control (8), a mind-bending puzzler like Baba Is You (9) or an SRPG/dating sim hybrid like Fire Emblem: Three Houses (9) gaming had you covered. There was space for vital new IP like the latest improvement of the FromSoft formula, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (10) but that sat happily onside with lush updates to old favourites like the remake of Resident Evil 2 (8). In particular there was much joy for long-time Konami even as they abandoned their most beloved franchises as key creators established their own studios with Koji Igarashi providing Castlevania’s spiritual successor, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night (8) and Hideo Kojima exploring an entire new genre of gaming in Death Stranding (10). For years now SquareEnix had been building a cult audience for their underdog MMO but with the release of latest expansion Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers (10) they were beginning to get the message heard. Not to be left out the indie scene was up to the challenge of matching its competitors as Outer Wilds (10) delivered an intricate puzzle box that was a joy to untangle. However all of these games would be put to shame by the most unlikeliest of sources, an Estonian novelist and musician with strong Marxist leanings. Despite having no experience in the video game industry Robert Kurvitz took the lead of a dedicated team to produce an isometric RPG with consequential choices, deep philosophical leanings and a strong eye for mood. Disco Elysium (10) would go on to become the surprise hit of the year, leaving a vast number of Game of the Year-worthy titles to squabble for second place. As the decade drew to a close the gaming industry couldn’t be in a better place. It would take a cataclysmic event of worldwide proportion to derail such momentum.  2020 Welp. Just as the gaming industry looked stronger than ever it was thrown into chaos as the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the globe to the point where even a new generation of consoles was apologetically shuffled onto store shelves. Companies and economies ground to a halt as people sheltered in their homes and the world of gaming was no exception. But in difficult times there is always need for solace and many were able to find that in gaming. No one was better suited to benefit than Animal Crossing: New Horizons (8), which had released days before the worldwide lockdowns and was soon a beacon for many looking to add ritual to their daily lives and connect with their friends from afar. Some however eschewed these wholesome pursuits for the more visceral joys of Doom Eternal (8) but everyone’s coping mechanisms are different. Fortunately the impact of COVID-19 on new releases was minimised as many games were close to completion so the year still saw the likes of The Last of Us Part II (7), Ghost of Tsushima (8), Nioh 2 (8) and Ori and the Will of the Wisps (9). Sega brought their offbeat slice of Japanese life to a whole new genre in Yakuza: Like A Dragon (9) while Supergiant effortlessly mastered another genre with their roguelike Hades (9). For fans of Valve’s premiere franchise it had been over a decade waiting for the much-promised culmination of the trilogy but their patience was finally rewarded, although perhaps not in the way they expected as Half-Life: Alyx (8) became the first game to harness the potential of highly vaunted VR technology. The wait for CD Projekt Red’s new project might not have been as long but it surely felt like it after the relentless hype machine building up to its debut. Once launch day came it quickly became apparent that Cyberpunk 2077 (6) was a bug-ridden mess that lacked many of its advertised features however those who could take the game on its own merits were still able to have an enjoyable experience.  2021 And so we come at last to the end of our journey. With the world continuing to struggle under the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic the effect on the industry was swiftly becoming apparent with new titles announcing extended delays seemingly every day. AAA especially was suffering with a limited number of releases but in this gap there was space for games to flourish which may not have received such attention in other years, The Forgotten City (8) and Inscryption (8) being the biggest beneficiaries. For many the hopes of AAA lay on Arkane’s timeloop shooter Deathloop (8) although Switch owners were able to take comfort in Monster Hunter: Rise (8). Despite coming out the previous year it was almost as difficult to find a killer app for the PS5 as it was difficult to find a PS5 itself. However Returnal (8) gave those lucky enough to own the console a reason to cheer. The topic of exclusivity was a much thornier subject on the PC where the emergence of Epic Game Store was causing a major rift, with many gamers boycotting the storefront entirely. Despite these circumstances and an exlcusive EGS release Hitman 3 (8) was still able to find an audience. Elsewhere it had been close to two decades since Tim Schafer had released his magnum opus and hopes of a sequel had long receded but a strong crowdfunded backing finally brought Psychonauts 2 (9) to our screens. Capcom broke the internet with their reveal of the Tall Vampire Lady who featured in Resident Evil: Village (8) while Nintendo shocked the world with the swift drop of Metroid Dread (9). In MMOs Blizzard had been having difficulties for years with a series of underperforming expansions and hopes that the tide would turn were swiftly dashed as World of Warcraft: Shadowlands was critically panned, although these troubles paled in comparison to the lawsuit filed by the state of Calefornia alleging systematic sexual harassment and abuse within the company. With MMO fans jumping ship in droves there was need for an alternative and there to take its place was Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker (10), who’s latest expansion acted as a culmination of a 10-year storyline. After years of sitting in the sidelines, the little game that could was finally taking the curtain call on centre stage.  The Final Results And so we come to the end of the line. 2022 is not yet in the books so sadly the likes of Elden Ring and Horizon: Forbidden West are not up for assessment. Instead we shall look at the last 11 years of gaming to see how they compare:  There we have it, the best of the bunch was 2019 with a fabulous score of 9.2 but that’s still not quite enough to challenge the leaders which means the statisically-proven, scientifically-determined Year of the Game is none other than… 3. 2001 (9.3) 2. 1998 (9.4) 1. 2000 (9.4) Thank you very much everyone for bearing with me for these posts. Harrow, now that they have been fully detailed and you have seen a comprehensive working for my analysis I am sure you will scrap everyone else’s votes and declare 2000 the winner post-haste 
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Sep 15, 2022 21:52
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Someone pay me to write about video game history
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Sep 15, 2022 21:52
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Heavy Metal posted:8 is a snub for MGSV Gameplay is cool but yeesh that story
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Sep 15, 2022 22:05
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Stux posted:theh most notable of these came from epic, and was released in this year. wont include it whowever. also mario odyssey somehow isnt 10 and pubg is 6 for some reason. sham list. PUBG got picked over Fortnite cause it was the originator and it got a 6 cause it's not very good Fortnite would have got the same score 
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Sep 15, 2022 22:17
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Stux posted:i would contend your mehtodology is cringe and fail. Oh cool I must be right then 
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Sep 15, 2022 22:20
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Stux posted:yup, the fix is in Copium
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Sep 15, 2022 22:33
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Persona 5 came out in 2016 
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Sep 15, 2022 22:40
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Ok what the gently caress Google 
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Sep 15, 2022 22:55
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Stux posted:your kingdom lies in ruins by my hand. draw your blade and let us dance. It couldn't mathematically change my top 3 so the validity of the analysis still stands 
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Sep 15, 2022 23:03
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VideoGames posted:Where was FFVIIremake rank? Shush I missed it when looking up 2020 releases  It would have got a 9
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Sep 16, 2022 08:50
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fridge corn posted:Rarity is objectively correct in her methodology but subjectively I still think 1998 was the best year It only just missed out on a tiebreaker so it's an honourable choice 
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Sep 16, 2022 08:51
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VideoGames posted:This is a really good year, but man Brits know nothing. We have people queuing for 30+ hours right now to walk slowly past a box. Oh, Microsoft released another console?
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Sep 16, 2022 10:02
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