John Riccitiello looking sad: The best summation of 2012 we could think of.
With sales falling, a lack of energy and very few major releases, 2012 has been something of a let-down for the video games industry. While Nintendo posted its first ever loss, Sony had its credit rating downgraded to junk, and Microsoft attempted to convince everyone that the Kinect still mattered. Despite the release of both the PS Vita and the Wii U, sales have continued to slide across the board around the world.
For these reasons, major video game developers have clubbed together in order to ask gamers for a “do-over of 2012”.
“It’s the end of the year, and we’re all a bit miserable” said Sony CEO Kaz Hirai. “Our consoles are under-performing, none of our games are taking people’s breath away, and did you see E3?”. Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-Aime agreed, “while we’re pretty happy with the Wii U and the 3DS, we’ve just not really done anything at all this year when it comes to the games.” General agreement is that while 2011 was a particularly good year, which saw many notable releases, 2012 has been a sort of hangover. “But if we can start from scratch, we hopefully won’t make the same mistakes!” said EA CEO John Riccitiello.
The central plan that the developers are pinning their hopes on is that gamers will return all games they purchased in 2012 to the studios, and in 2013 just use 2012’s release schedule. “The whole thing,” said THQ CEO Brian Farrel from his box on the sidewalk lined with wads of cash from the Humble Bundle, “releases, consoles, hype, even E3!”
While many are disappointed that this means that some anticipated 2013 titles such as Dead Space 3, Metal Gear Solid: Revengeance and Bioshock Infinite have been delayed a year (with Valve quickly rushing out a statement that Half-Life 3 was to be released in 2013 but is now being pushed back to 2014 and yes this is most definitely true and the reason), many gamers at least are excited that they’ll get to complain once again about the endings to Mass Effect 3.
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