Weekend Reading: 2012 Was Great for Games and Gamers

We're close to the end of 2012 and it's time to reflect on the different things that happened this year in terms of gaming, from great moments, to not so great ones and various controversies.

Just like most recent years, 2012 was certainly filled with sequels, as all sorts of franchises have received new iterations. From the likes of Mass Effect 3, to Diablo 3, Far Cry 3, Medal of Honor: Warfighter, Borderlands 2, and other such things.

Fortunately, there were also a few interesting all-new properties released, including Dishonored or Sleeping Dogs, in terms of triple-A releases, but also The Walking Dead or Quantum Conundrum, in terms of games made by independent developers.

While most titles were met with critical and sales acclaim, others were met by different controversies. Two big cases spring to mind, in the form of Mass Effect 3's ending and Diablo 3's mandatory online connection.

Mass Effect 3 concluded the sprawling trilogy made by BioWare and, like with any conclusion, some weren't so thrilled with it. Many fans started petitioning the developer to change it and, while the studio did give in to the backlash, it decided only to provide more clarity about the different conclusions fans by offering a free downloadable add-on.

Blizzard, however, was unable to fix Diablo 3's various online errors, as the surprise popularity of the game, coupled with the fact that every player needed to be constantly connected to the Battle.net servers in order to play, resulted in a wide array of issues and angry customers.

Eventually, the company managed to get things under control but many are still unhappy with Diablo 3 over its mandatory internet connection requirement.

Besides these controversial moments, 2012 also had some great moments, particularly for independent developers that went on Kickstarter to ask for money directly from fans. From Double Fine's Adventure game, to inXile's Wasteland 2, or Obsidian's Project Eternity, many impressive titles will be released in the future powered only by the money of their fans.

Looking back, 2012 was great not just for games but also for gamers, so let's hope 2013 will continue this great trend.