2011 vs. 2010 in Gaming

[Masakari]

Is it just me, or did 2011 seems like a much better year in gaming than 2010 did? Going through the list of games I played and beat this year, and then comparing it to last year, it seems like there were just a lot of exceptionally good games that would make me have to think very hard as to what I would consider my personal 'Game of the Year'. In terms of games that came out this year that I bought, beat and loved, here was my list:

Magicka
BIT.TRIP RUNNER
Monday Night Combat
Sanctum
A.R.E.S: Extinction Agenda
Portal 2
Hydrophobia: Prophecy
NightSky
Terraria
Duke Nukem Forever
Super Street Fighter IV: AE
Capsized
LIMBO
Binding of Isaac
L.A. Noire
PAYDAY: The Heist
Alice: Madness Returns
Saints Row: The Third

Whereas last year, there was just *maybe* a couple of decent indie titles like Beat Hazard and a couple others. Is it just me? Were there major games I'm not thinking of in 2010 that got missed, or does everyone else agree this year was a better year too?

[THE Flying chihuahua]

Minecraft came out this year too.

[Plinko]

A lot of people count Minecraft as 2010 because the beta was released in December and alpha before that it won quite a few GoTY awards last year already. I'd say it alone probably makes last year a pretty awesome game year.

[Gizanked]

can i edit the tiitle of this thread to " masa brags about beating these games"

[TheCarpe]

Even funnier is how mad all the responses about Minecraft are going to make him

[frostdillicus]

Thread has no merit without mention of Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

Masa fails again.

[TheCarpe]

Thread has no merit without mention of Skyrim.

Masa fails again.

Fixed that for ya.

[One_Medic_Army]

Duke Nukem Forever?
Is Masa showing his hipster-ness again?

[Gizanked]

so monday night combat came out, died and is being replaced all within a year?

[Zork Nemesis]

No one mentioned SpaceChem? SpaceChem was fantastic, no matter how hard it was.

Bastion was also good, gameplay wasn't too special but it had a great way of telling the story (that narrator gets so much attention on Kotaku).

Back to the Future, come on, what nerd wouldn't have enjoyed it? For a video game about a movie (read: about, it was a new story based on the movies), it did very well to bring the series back to it's roots. Then again, BttF is half 2010, half 2011, since the first part of the game was released in December.

Sonic Generations, I probably wouldn't call it a game-of-the-year, but it's a faithful return to the series' origins (nostalgia seems to be a good trend), with nine levels based off the main titles. I'll tell you what, playing that for a while made me want to hook up my Sega Genesis again.

I wish I could say Red Faction: Armageddon was on this list, but I really can't. I enjoyed the game, but RF:A is the game that killed the Red Faction franchise unfortunetly, so it has to live with that burden on it's shoulders.

2011 was a great year for games, not just PC, but console too. While many games on PC are also on Xbox360 (Skyrim, MW3, DE:HR, and Arkham City come to mind), what of Nintendo's current successes? People are already calling Zelda: Skyward Sword one of the greatest games ever (or at least, the best Zelda title ever). Super Mario 3D Land, haven't played it but everything i've seen of it looks amazing.

Anyway, on topic, I'm checking my "account activity" page on Steam, and I gotta agree, 2010 was a slow year. The number of purchases made in 2011 far exceed that of 2010, in fact, I think I made fewer purchases in 2010 than I got "complementary" things this year (mostly Potato Sack stuff and Summer Camp). Of the games I bought in 2010 that came out that year, the best ones were Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2, Fallout: New Vegas, and Borderlands. Those three alone, versus 2011's spectacular lineup. Don't get me wrong, ME2, Fallout, and Borderlands were amazing, but come on.

Technically MNC never died. The Xbox community for the game always was, and still is larger than the PC base. Just cause there's only like 6 people still playing it doesn't mean it's dead.

[Gizanked]

yes yes. MNC thrives as well as Blur.

now i'm sad.... I miss blur

[Masakari]

In terms of games that came out this year that I bought, beat and loved, here was my list:

I'm aware there were other big name games like Zelda, Skyrim, Deus Ex, etc. The list I made was just games that I bought and played, not of all the good games. If I was to make a list of all games, it would be much, much longer.

Borderlands was technically 2009, though all the good DLC came out in 2010. Blur was a decent title in 2010, but it didn't last long enough. We really should play it again, because the MP is great fun times.

Also, in regards to this:

Minecraft came out this year too.

Minecraft came out in 2010 as far as I'm concerned. If PC Gamer can give it GotY award last year, and all those indie award shows can give it awards for 2010, it came out in 2010. Anyone who says otherwise is ignorant, IMO.

[frostdillicus]

The fact that you bought Duke Nukem Forever and not Deus Ex is the travesty here.

Bad Masa. I'm going to throw bouncers at you any chance I have now.

[THE Flying chihuahua]

Also, in regards to this:

Minecraft came out this year too.

Minecraft came out in 2010 as far as I'm concerned. If PC Gamer can give it GotY award last year, and all those indie award shows can give it awards for 2010, it came out in 2010. Anyone who says otherwise is ignorant, IMO.

I listen to official sources and they say Minecraft came out on November 18th, 2011.

You are a hipster aren't you?

[Cpt._Keyes]

Also, in regards to this:

Minecraft came out this year too.

Minecraft came out in 2010 as far as I'm concerned. If PC Gamer can give it GotY award last year, and all those indie award shows can give it awards for 2010, it came out in 2010. Anyone who says otherwise is ignorant, IMO.

I listen to official sources and they say Minecraft came out on November 18th, 2011.

YOU ARE SAYING OTHERWISE! YOU ARE IGNORANT!