Lots of massive announcements and bombshells took place in video game-land in 2014, but which stories were the biggest of the big? Which games did IGN readers want to read about more than anything else? Read on to see 2014's 10 biggest video game news stories, according to views on IGN.com:
10. EA Apologizes for ‘Unacceptable’ and ‘Stupid’ Nintendo Joke - 382,000 viewsThe news: "EA has officially apologized for what it has judged to be a couple of mean-spirited April Fools' jokes at Nintendo's expense, tweeted out by its proprietary video game engine Frostbite. The tweets, which have since been deleted, came from Frostbite's official account and ridiculed the Wii U for being underpowered."
Why it was huge: Everyone loves an old-fashioned social media controversy. April Fools is generally a day where even the most corporate Facebook page or Twitter account can cut loose and have a little fun. But even casual observers of the games industry were surprised to see an EA-owned account take such blatant jabs at Nintendo, a major EA partner in several ways. It was obvious, even before EA’s apology, that the tweets weren’t sanctioned by the mega-studio, and were instead the result of an overzealous social media manager.
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9. Robin Williams to be Memorialized in WoW - 395,000 viewsThe news: "A petition on Change.org has succeeded in getting the late Robin Williams memorialized in the popular MMORPG World of Warcraft. Petitioners got their wish late last night, when, in response to a tweet asking him if he'd seen the petition, Technical Game Designer, Chadd Nervigg responded 'Yes. We're taking care of it.' Robin Williams will appear as an NPC of some kind in the game."
Why it was huge: Robin Williams’ death shook the world. But it seemed to especially have an impact on the generation of Americans that grew up with video games. If you’re old enough to have fond memories growing up with games, you probably also grew up with Williams’ movies and stand-up making you laugh.Williams was well-known as a huge video game fan - his daughter is named Zelda, after all. So immortalizing him in World of Warcraft, an MMO he was known to avidly play, is a no-brainer.
8. Flappy Bird Creator Explains Why He Pulled the Game - 423,000 viewsThe news: "The creator of Flappy Bird has revealed that he pulled the game from the iOS App Store and Google Play because it's become an "addictive product".
'Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are relaxed,' he said. 'But it happened to become an addictive product. I think it has become a problem. To solve that problem, it’s best to take down Flappy Bird. It’s gone forever.'"
Why it was huge: Regardless of what you thought about Flappy Bird, there’s no denying that it was a bonafide global phenomenon in early 2014. There have been plenty of fad games over the years, but nothing ever experienced a climb with as much velocity or scale. It was everywhere. And then, incredibly, it was gone. That’s real drama. Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen’s decision to take the game down was genuinely shocking, and people wanted to know why he did it.
7. Far Cry 4 Announced for 2014 - 459,000 viewsThe news: "Ubisoft has announced Far Cry 4, which will release on November 18 in North America and November 20 in Europe for Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, and PC. Far Cry 4 is set in the Kyrat, a fictional Himalayan region ruled by 'a despotic self-appointed king,' confirming an earlier rumor."
Why it was huge: Far Cry has never been a small franchise, but Far Cry 3 came out of nowhere, elevating the series into gaming’s upper echelon. Like many studios, Ubisoft opted to jump the gun and announce Far Cry 4’s existence prior to E3 2014, to give the game a moment alone in the spotlight. Interest in the (long-rumored) sequel was so high that just a few scant details and a single piece of artwork captured everyone’s attention.
6. Watch Dogs Release Date Officially Announced - 460,000 views
The news: "Ubisoft has officially confirmed Watch Dogs will be available globally on May 27."
Why it was huge: Watch Dogs was originally slated for release on November 2013, and was later subjected to a fairly dramatic last-minute delay. The specific reveal of the final release date was itself a little dramatic, initially leaking out in a story trailer posted a little too early on Xbox.com. Interest in Watch Dogs has been sky-high since the game’s impressive debut, and that interest carried through all the games highs and lows leading up to its release.
5. DualShock 4 Light Bar Created for Project Morpheus - 468,000 viewsThe news: "The DualShock 4 was designed from the start in order to work with Sony's VR headset Project Morpheus, according to SCEE senior designer Jed Ashforth.
'The tracking light… it was our department that said we need that on,” said Ashforth. “It was for tracking for VR, and when all these things were coming out six months ago and everyone was going ‘it’s reflecting in my TV,’ we were going ‘oh no’ because we couldn’t tell anyone what it was for.'"
Why it was huge: There’s a huge amount of interest in Project Morpheus and virtual reality gaming in general. Oculus (very fairly) garners a huge amount of gamer attention, but the potential for Morpheus to work with the millions of already sold PS4s, right out of the box, is too much to ignore. Combine that with the “secret plan” angle involving the controversial DualShock 4 lightbar and you have a formula for a big news story.
4. Call of Duty 2014: First Image Revealed - 516,000 viewsThe news: "During its Game Developers Conference 2014 panel, Quest for Quality: Maximizing the Relationship Between Creative and Production, Sledgehammer Games revealed an image showing in-game character models for the next Call of Duty."
Why it was huge: For a game that everyone claims to hate, Call of Duty remains one of the absolute most powerful franchises in video games. It remains a billion-dollar franchise, more than 10 years later. In the case of Advanced Warfare specifically, gamers were intrigued by the game's next-gen first approach, and eager to learn more.
3. Halo 5: Guardians Announced - 674,000 viewsThe news: "343 Industries has revealed that Halo 5: Guardians will launch on Xbox One in the fall of 2015. The game will run 'at 60 frames per second, on dedicated servers, with the scope, features and scale we've been dreaming of for more than a decade,' and will also be powered by a new engine."
Why it was huge: The Halo teaser at E3 2013 was big on style, but had virtually no real details of any kind. This May Halo 5 announcement was the first time we received any, you know, actual facts about what the next Halo was going to be all about. New characters! 60 FPS! A new engine! It wasn’t much, but at least it was something. Halo might not be on the top of everyone’s tongue like it was last generation, but it’s still one of the biggest franchises in gaming.
2. Flappy Bird Creator to Take Game Down Tomorrow - 694,000 viewsThe news: "Dong Nguyen, creator of the surprise mobile mega-hit Flappy Bird, has stated on Twitter that he plans to remove his game from distribution tomorrow. 'I can call Flappy Bird is a success of mine. But it also ruins my simple life. So now I hate it.'"
Why it was huge: Regardless of what you think about Flappy Bird, it’s impossible to deny that the game’s removal from the iOS and Android store was wholly unexpected - it was a shocking decision. In just a few weeks, the game was downloaded more than 50 million times. It was raking in a rumored $50,000 per day. And when its enigmatic creator to threatened - and followed through! - on a desire to pull the game from digital store shelves, it left everyone stunned.
Dozens of clones hit the App Store. Dozens of smart, sophisticated press outlets wrote think-pieces about the silly free game. Phones and devices with Flappy Bird installed were auctioned on Ebay. Of course, in the end Flappy Bird would return just 6 months later. But for a few weeks in February, there was no bigger news than Nguyen’s decision to walk away from his success.
1. Mortal Kombat X Officially Announced With Trailer - 786,000 viewsThe news: "Mortal Kombat X has been officially announced for a 2015 release with a new trailer showing off an incredibly atmospheric battle between the iconic Scorpion and Sub-Zero. The official blurb reads 'Fueled by next-gen technology, Mortal Kombat X combines unparalleled, cinematic presentation with dynamic gameplay to create an unprecedented Kombat experience.'"Why it was huge: It can be hard to predict which long-running franchises will be able to retain or grow their hype and credibility with hardcore gamers, and which will fade away. Be completely honest: would you have guessed in the mid 1990s that Mortal Kombat, of all franchises, would be one of the biggest names in video games in 2014? In a parallel universe, we could have been salivating over a trailer for Primal Rage X.
Nonetheless, the reveal of Mortal Kombat X was the most-read news story on IGN.com in 2014. Younger gamers dig MK because Netherrealm has evolved the series into a rock-solid fighting game product. Older gamers dig it for that same reason, but with additional nostalgia points piled on top. It helps that the game was revealed via an extremely stylish and memorable trailer, following up on weeks of speculation and rumors.Surprised? Or is this top 10 exactly as you would have predicted it? Let us know what you think about 2014's biggest news stories in the comments below.