There are only a few days to go: with the arrival of 2020, a decade full of memories and great innovations will end, especially as regards the videogame world. It is no coincidence that we at Resources4Gaming are dedicating ourselves to many themed specials, but one was still missing: one that summarizes, or rather, that retraces some of the most significant moments that have taken place in the last 365 days. Or at least he tried.
Here therefore the 10 best moments of 2019 that have characterized the gaming industry according to us at Resources4Gaming. The list is in random order and, as we always repeat (until exhaustion, we know), it absolutely does not want to be a postulate: it is always free to new "intrusions" and to various additions. Indeed, we would certainly like to find out what they were for you the best moments of this year that has now come to an end. And why not, also what are the hopes for the next videogame path which, studded with tempting titles and highly anticipated consoles, is now about to begin.
The launch of Nintendo Switch Lite
The rumors about the possible new Nintendo home console had become increasingly insistent already starting from the beginning of 2019. We too had speculated some of the alleged characteristics, shortly before this was finally revealed to the public. Because in fact, although Nintendo had categorically denied the announcement at E3 2019, at the same time the company had never been completely ready to deny its development or presentation outside the gaming fair itself. And in fact, just a month after the Los Angeles conference, Nintendo Switch Lite was officially shown to the public through a presentation trailer, released on 11 July last.
Greeted with a welcome between amazement and joy from many fans who, for one reason or another, did not yet have the standard version, the newborn sister of the Switch series certainly offers an extra alternative for some categories of gamers. Compact, flamboyant, cheaper than standard, and with all the acclaimed series of successful titles, Nintendo Switch Lite has set itself as the spiritual heir of the Nintendo 3DS, now officially diverted to retirement. A console that helped fuel the incredible success of the Nintendian hybrid.
Sony's absence at E3 2019
One of the most unpredictable surprise effects of this year can be attributed to Sony, with its failure to land at E3 2019. In fact, in over 20 years of history of the Los Angeles event, Sony has chosen not to participate in the fair, preferring to exploit the its trusty State of Play if necessary, so as to announce or present what is new or interesting to launch on the market without the pressure of such a large and impressive international event.
In recent years, in fact, there has been a lot of talk about the significant downsizing of E3, perhaps now only ideally identified as the main Western videogame pole. A pole that seems to be slowly reducing, so much so that already in 2018 Sony was limited to a simple showcase dedicated to the main exclusives. Shawn Layden, president of Sony Interactive Entertainment Studio, had not surprisingly also explained the choice not to participate in the Los Angeles fair, stating that the philosophy behind E3 was no longer compatible with that of the company, both from a point of view commercial and communication with users.
The appearance of Keanu Reeves at E3 2019
Sony was a big absentee from E3 2019, undeniably. But to "replace", or at least to compensate for the lack of such a giant was, in a certain sense, one of the leading figures of international cinema. That's right, we are talking about the wonderful and "breathtaking" Keanu Reeves. His entrance and his performance at the international fair is probably destined to go down in history, and not just that related to memes.
His appearance on the Los Angeles stage was totally unexpected, as was his participation in one of the most anticipated titles of 2020. Adored by many fans, the actor will in fact be one of the protagonists of Cyberpunk 2077, playing indeed Johnny Silverhand: the legendary rockerboy, to whom Keanu not only lent the voice (reinterpreted by us by the irrepressible Luca Ward) the face and the charisma, but also provided the complete motion capture.
The growth of Gamescom 2019
However, among the great moments of this 2019 it becomes impossible not to mention the Gamescom 2019. This year's edition of the European fair undoubtedly remains one of the most pleasant memories to cherish over time, especially given the enormous success and incredible growth that this year's edition was able to observe. As if to accompany a slow obfuscation towards E3 2019, in fact, the eye of the gaming industry this year turned above all to the Cologne fair. Moreover, the European event collected record numbers during the last edition, attracting an increase of 11% more participants than the 2018 appointment.
With 373.000 tickets sold to visitors from over 100 countries around the world, and with as many as 1.150 exhibiting companies present at the fair, the success of the German videogame event recorded a great uproar also on the occasion of its Opening Night. The opening show of the GC 2019, in fact, was admired by ben 1.500 spectators physically present at the fair, and by others 500.000 fans present "virtually" at the event, as tuned to the live streaming broadcast on the main channels. In short, a success from many points of view, which hopefully will be replicated (if not exceeded!) In the next year.
The unexpected announcement of Google Stadia
The gaming revolution, all within streaming reach. This could in fact be the truly innovative and most emblematic concept of this 2019. Between those who have twisted (and continue to turn up their noses), and those who have high expectations for such a project, Google he can undoubtedly be considered one of the most interesting protagonists of the videogame industry of the year. With his service Stadiain fact, the big G tries to create something that for many, at least still, remains classifiable as pure utopia - also given some technical connection problems.
Yet, Google was more than clear: during the GDC 2019 it showed and announced to the whole world what it thinks about the future of gaming. Defined as a platform aimed at everyone, Stadia will be based on video game streaming, and will boast in the catalog of AAA titles in high quality via low latency internet connection. At the moment there are still few who have had the opportunity to try it, but between obligatory compromises and undoubtedly surprising results, it seems that the company's entry into the videogame world is destined to leave its mark, and moreover positive.
The announcement of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2
We didn't expect it. Or how much, we certainly hoped, but not so suddenly, and above all not so beautiful. The Zelda announcement video trailer made all the fans jump out of their seats, with joy and amazement. Nintendo has "dropped the bomb" in the Direct of last June 11 broadcast during the appointment at E3 2019. It has not actually announced anything specific about it, as it has simply confirmed that a highly anticipated sequel to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is officially in the works at Nintendo's main division.
In just over 1 minute of video trailers, however, the fans (but also us) have already plumbed every frame to try to find every little detail or clue that can make us dream, speculate and imagine how much more. intriguing and magical can wait for us in the future. Next year, perhaps; who knows. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2, however, was certainly the undisputed protagonist of the Los Angeles conference (yes, even more than Keanu), further ensuring that Nintendo could confirm itself as the company that most convinced and impressed in those rich fair days.
The change at the top of Nintendo: Bowser arrives!
It was on February 21 last, when Nintendo of America announced the closure of a historical page of the company: Reggie fils-aime, beloved president of the American division, resigned and publicly announced that he wanted to retire. So far nothing strange, perhaps - despite the well-known popularity of the president in the ranks of nintendari fans. Except that it was one of Super Mario's number one enemies who replaced the funny Reggie. Or at least one of his namesake.
We are talking about in fact Doug Bowser, at the time vice president in charge of Nintendo: a president in flesh and blood, then, but who for some absurd reason bears the same surname as the name of the bitter enemy of the plumber - yes, it's a bit convoluted business. A fact that not only amused the community a lot but also the president himself, who even lent himself to a nice curtain made together with Bowser (the real one) during his official presentation at E3 2019.
The Return of Returns: Shenmue III
A mirage, a vision, a distant dream - or even a mystical apparition, one could say. For many fans, this was the thought that arose at the idea of a new chapter of Shenmue III. Until, however, this year the title finally had life. After 18 years of long waiting, Ryo Hazuki has in fact returned to retrace his journey, thus giving us a game designed and developed specifically for true fans.
A new chapter coveted since 2002, when the second chapter debuted on the essential Dreamcast, the latest legacy of SEGA, and took shape from the creative and brilliant inspiration of Yu Suzuki. A title desired so much that it only came to light thanks to the financial support of the fans themselves, through the crowdfunding campaign initially launched on the Kickstarter platform.
So yes, it is certainly one of those titles that opens the wallet only to fans probably (also because, unfortunately, it does not entice the "unbelievers" with its old mechanics or its unsatisfying graphics), but its fame and its history are certainly not unknown even to most people. An unforgettable return, certainly, which deserves to remain among the best moments of 2019.
The announcement of Playdate: aka strange consoles and where to find them
On this we could perhaps all agree: absolute domination over the realm of portable consoles has always been in the hands of Nintendo, since the days of the Game Boy - albeit Sony's attempts at revenge. However, it must also be said that there is no shortage of ambitious companies, forged by the spirit of getting involved. Those independent companies that, with creativity, genius and courage, try to catapult themselves into the gaming sector in their own way. As indeed it did Panic, an American publisher based in Oregon, which last May 23 decided to announce a product that is interesting in its own way.
This is obviously the funny console called Playdate, a flashy yellow portable device with a black and white screen and characterized by a singular crank. A device that has been under production for four years now, and that will be launched in 2020, giving life to what is the company's mission - to rejuvenate the concept of gaming a little (as in the end several titles have already done in these last 10 years). According to the administrator himself, in fact, “after twenty years spent developing software, we wanted to grow and push ourselves outside the confines of our comfort zone, embark on an adventure”. And the premises are undoubtedly quite tantalizing.
The official announcement of the next-gen
Last (but not least) significant best moment of 2019 is certainly the official announcement dedicated to next generation consoles. Although for the moment, in reality, it was just a small taste of what will really await us in the future.
Either way, Sony showed its next baby in October through a rather discreet announcement, including the details in an exclusive Wired article. First the absence from E3, then this cautious way of presenting his next car to the world: undoubtedly extravagant choices, which “clash” at least with the most heralded spectacle offered by the competitor.
For its part, in fact, Microsoft has presented the next line (which will therefore not be limited to just one machine) which will debut on the market in a launch window that can be framed at the moment for the end of next year. This is the Xbox Series X, shown on the occasion of The Game Awards which took place just earlier this month, and which we have already talked about several times - especially as regards the name.
Both companies offer interesting innovations for their devices, improvements that convince on the hardware side but also wink at streaming (which Stadia already knows something about). Streaming but not only: also backward compatibility with previous versions of the most popular titles and loading times reduced to a minimum. With the two consoles hitting shelves by next Christmas, 2020 is already gearing up to be a pretty good year.
