© NintendoUnsurprisingly, we are at a point of reflection as we are now past a year of life turned upside down and drastically changed from how it was before. Our daily routines probably won’t be ‘normal’ for a while, in reality, but a consistent part of our lives from everyone reading this has stayed with us – gaming.
This is not a new topic; we spoke with developers about the impact of COVID-19 on their teams, and we looked at the incredible cultural impact of Animal Crossing: New Horizons as it collided with an unprecedented point in recent human history, among other topics. Also from a business standpoint, the video game industry has seen great interest and profits; gaming has never been so ‘mainstream’. In fact, we have come to the point where discussions about its role in entertainment and culture are superfluous; it is now long established.
So, how has gaming taken its most challenging year in living memory – for many of us at least – and not only survive but thrive? For starters, it was uniquely placed alongside TV streaming services.
So, how has gaming taken its most challenging year in living memory – for many of us at least – and not only survive but thrive? For starters, it was uniquely placed alongside TV streaming services. We have been at home for a long time and when we are looking for entertainment we turn to the TV or a similar device. So far so clear.
Hardware sales increased, of course, and in the beginning the Nintendo Switch was the most recent console to launch and was a perfect fit for the time; demand is often greater than supply. The insatiable demand for PS5 and Xbox Series X / S has been – at least in part – driven by this, but of course Sony and Microsoft have encountered serious problems with manufacturing and materials. Nintendo fell in a good place not only with the rise of Animal Crossing, but also with established production pipelines and supply chains; became a hit last spring when factories closed, but from late summer 2020, Nintendo was able to catch up and make hay.
However, this was actually a mixed period for the Triple-A parts of the software business. On the one hand, huge titles that did going out usually made notable sales because of our hunger for new games; releases such as Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla did particularly well, but like so many big games it had issues with bugs (ahem, Cyberpunk 2077
© NintendoNintendo arguably had a mixed time in terms of the quality and depth of releases, even if the accountants don’t care. Paper Mario: The Origami King was nice, but the series isn’t the company’s most prestigious (although the Switch submission was the fastest selling for the IP address).
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity certainly got the blood of Zelda and BoTW fans, and it’s an excellent title that nevertheless pushes the hardware to the limit; the Korok Forest level is painful, but it doesn’t matter. There was not much else new as such, but benefited from nostalgia and Mario’s anniversary; even the most ardent fans should probably admit that the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection was a bit lackluster as a party product. Bowser’s Fury, as a new game in the Super Mario 3D World pack, was innovative and fun, but even that arguably lacked aspects of the usual Nintendo finish; that’s not necessarily a harsh criticism of the spin-off as Nintendo sets such a high bar for itself with the franchise, but a reality of the disrupted development process.
It is often smaller titles that have captured the lockdown zeitgeist. All types of gamers wanted to feel connected with family and friends, and games became a way of achieving that.
For smaller developers there will of course have been logistical challenges, and we’ll talk again about some of the aspects of the past year that damaged that area. Still, when it comes to game production, many of these small teams were probably already working remotely (‘medium’ India will have found it more difficult), at least to some extent with staff around the world. It won’t have been easy – far from it – but the agility and flexibility of smaller studios will have served them well.
That made 2020 a great year for the best of the Indie games to take off in the mainstream as more complicated triple-A projects competed for progress and were often delayed – ‘now coming in 2022’ is a well-known rule for major titles that were targeted this year, so these issues are ongoing.
Unsurprisingly, it was often a simple concept, easy-to-play titles with a focus on multiple players who captured the lockdown zeitgeist. All types of gamers wanted to feel connected with family and friends, and games became a way of achieving that. Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout certainly played into this, with the smart decision to include it in PlayStation Plus, boosting its exposure significantly, along with significant PC sales. It’s often overlooked that Devolver Digital is publishing this game so it wasn’t a bold Indie release out of the blue, but the publisher’s smart deal with Sony was vital. It’s also easy to play and enjoy, which has been a trend of viral hits for the past year. We’re curious to see how Switch owners fare when it arrives on their console later this year.
© InnerslothThen of course there is Among uswhich is perhaps the bigger story, since it really was the work of a small team with no big backers. If you look at the concurrent Steam charts it’s fascinating considering this is a game that tapped along with a small but loyal user base for quite some time, before it came to life last year thanks to its strong design and nudge. powerful influencers who fell in love with it. The story is one of exponential growth in the summer and fall of 2020 after breakthrough, and is now a big part of today’s Indie gaming scene. Again, it captured the need to play and connect with others, in a fun way. Valheim is the current viral hit on PC, so this trend will no doubt continue for a while.
The trends of the last crazy year are fascinating, but the ultimate goal of this little piece is to give a hat-tip to developers and publishers of all sizes, from triple-A to India’s smallest, who have delivered so many excellent games. last year. Every challenge we’ve all faced – and it will be different for each individual – will have been the same for these game makers. Thinking about the quality and depth of games from the past year seems even more surprising with that in mind.
Most importantly, gaming showed a wider audience what many of us have known for decades. Video games are important, the experiences they give us are important. Whether it’s plugging in headphones and embarking on a solo adventure, or connecting with others for multiplayer shenanigans, games provide a level of immersion and entertainment that is unique. As a medium it has amazing power, and it has shone for the past year.