Only a handful of days remain until 2021 comes to a close, and the world ushers into a new year.2022 already looks packed with video gamesto enjoy, but looking back on the past 365 days, 2021 had no shortage of surprises of its own. 2021 has been a busy year in terms of interactive entertainment, both in regard to events within the industry itself, as well as outside circumstances.
After the launch of the new generation in late 2020, the PS5 and Xbox Series X have slowly been picking up steam, establishing themselves as solid new consoles for the foreseeable future. Formal video events such as E3 and TGA also made some comebacks this year despite theongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Although fun and positivity are what players usually look to in this field, the gaming industry sadly was home to a fair share of controversies and shocking news stories as well over the past year. From happy highs to disappointing lows, brilliant reveals to horrific scandals, these are the biggest news stories and surprises from 2021 in no particular order.
Nintendo Switch Online Finally Adds Nintendo 64 Games
Although the added price increase to Nintendo Switch Online was met with more than just a few raised eyebrows, the novelty of having N64 games on the go was long overdue.Nintendo Switch Onlinehas slowly been creating a backlog of legacy content for Switch users to enjoy under the monthly subscription costs.
NES and SNES titles were already added to the service, but it took quite some time for theNintendo 64 libraryto hit the console as well. Now, classic games likeStarFox 64andPaper Mariocan be enjoyed by gamers young and old, anywhere and everywhere.
G4TV Revival
Speaking of classic gaming content,G4TV was a trusted source for reviews, previews, and everythingbetween when it came to games during the mid-2000s to early 2010s. Before the rise of the internet age and several gaming publications, it was a popular way to get information for all the biggest upcoming titles.
Another pleasurable aspect of the show was the enthusiastic and likable hosts such asAdam Sesslerand Morgan Webb. Unfortunately, G4TV was shut down in 2014 with no sign of coming back. To the surprise of many with its initial announcement, G4TV was revived and returned to the air last month with new content. That means a whole new generation of gamers get to meet the ideas that former G4TV, while older generations get to return for the nostalgia.
Colette wins Oscar for Best Short Film (First Ever for a Video Game Studio)
Just like how TGA celebrates the best that gaming has to offer, the Oscars are the respective event for the film industry. Earlier this year, cinephiles anticipated the nominations for the 93rdAcademy Awards, and surprisingly, a short film made for a video game secured a spot on the shortlist.
Co-produced by Oculus andRespawn Entertainment, Colette was part of a virtual gallery inMedal of Honor: Above and Beyond. While a nomination was already a surprise, the short film ended up winning the award itself, becoming the first-ever for a video game studio.
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Activision-Blizzard Lawsuits and Harassment in the Games Industry
Unfortunately, the gaming industry wasn’t just made up of sunshine and rainbows in 2021. On July 20,Activision-Blizzardwas sued over allegations of the worst kind possible. Gender discrimination, sexual harassment, and worse paint these lawsuits, and history takes it even further. Activision-Blizzard’s response was addressed as tone-deaf and, just when it looked like AB was taking it seriously, new reports revealed CEO Bobby Kotick knew more than he initially let on. The situation is ongoing, but marks an unacceptable turn of events that hopefully makes way for a moreinclusive work culturegoing forward.
Activision-Blizzard may be the face and focus on harassment in the industry right now, but it’s far from the only one. This year alone, new details about Ubisoft’s mistreatment of women surfaced, Bungie’s past came to light, Twitch streamers were hate raided left and right with no support, and gamers threw misogynistic andracist comments atGod of War: RagnarokandHorizon Forbidden West. Games, perhaps more than anything, bring people together. They have this entire pandemic. But there’s a dark side that all too often goes ignored, and from big to small, it’s something the industry should have zero tolerance for.
Sora Joins Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Nintendo’s mega-crossover hitSuper Smash Bros Ultimatehas had a healthy lineup of DLC since it launched in December 2018. New fighters were consistently added to the game, with the final addition to the roster set for this year. Speculation mounted among fans for who exactly it could be, with theories bouncing between many notable gaming mascots fromCrash Bandicootto Master Chief.
In early October during a special livestream, it was confirmed thatSora fromKingdom Heartswould be the final new fighter, sending fans of the game into a flurry of excitement. No one believed it would actually happen, thanks to a ton of legal work that Sora would require, and it’s no secret that it was a lot of work on the developers. Still, to this day, many just want to thank them for making this legitimate dream, years in the making, a reality.
