Please join me as we dive into the final four news stories that ended this year with quite a bang.
1. Sony Officially Announces Super-Slim PS3
After loads of rumors regarding a third hardware revision for the PlayStation 3, Sony finally pulled back the curtain on a super-slim model of their Blu-ray powered gaming console. The news was revealed during the Tokyo Game Show, and while everyone was expecting the announcement, I don't think the gaming community at large was anticipating a price increase.
That's right, the revised hardware didn't discount the price to $199, but instead packed on a bigger hard drive, a top-loading disc drive, and a copy of Uncharted 3 for a $269. Instead of making the logical price drop move, they opted to give gamers more bang for their buck by beefing up the package. I don't know about you, but I still can't get over how ugly the revision looks. That ridged top is truly an eyesore.
2. GTA V Launching Spring 2013
Rockstar had been teasing gamers all year with screenshots and trailers, but what everyone was really dying to know was when they'd be able to purchase Grand Theft Auto V. After stringing the industry along for quite some time, the studio finally pulled back the curtain on the game's launch window, which just so happened to be the timeframe everyone was already expecting.
The fact that Grand Theft Auto V will launch during the spring of next year should come as a surprise to no one, but the fact that we have an official release window to look forward to makes the game feel more real than ever. Couple that with the news that the game will star three protagonists that you'll be able to switch between on the fly, and you've got one of the biggest stories of 2012.
3. Wii U Sells 400K Units In Its First Week
While I don't think a whole lot of people were expecting the Wii U to be as insanely popular as the Wii, I doubt many thought you'd be able to walk into a store during launch week and pick one up without a pre-order. In fact, gamers who purchased multiple pre-orders in hopes of making a pretty penny on the second console were left disappointed, as you'd be lucky to get even $400 for the system on eBay.
If the initial launch of the Wii U is a sign of things to come, then it's safe to say that Nintendo's tablet-based console won't be the same breakout success that the Wii was. It's also worth mentioning that the massive day-one update didn't help Nintendo's situation either, as a number of users reported instances of the system bricking when the update was interrupted. Let's hope that Nintendo has big plans for the Wii U in 2013, because we all know the hardware will be rendered obsolete when the next-gen Xbox and PlayStation roll around.
4. Could The Phantom Pain Be Kojima's Project Ogre? Or Is This Ground Zeroes?
When the debut trailer for Moby Dick Studios' The Phantom Pain aired at Spike's Video Game Awards, the internet erupted with speculation and theories regarding whether or not it might actually be a cryptic teaser for the next Metal Gear Solid game. Could Moby Dick Studios really just be a fake development team created as part of some elaborate Kojima hoax? As evidence continues to grow with each passing day in support of the fact that The Phantom Pain is actually Metal Gear Solid 5, it certainly seems like this may be the case.
With Ground Zeroes having been announced earlier this year, Kojima's plans for the Metal Gear Solid franchise are growing increasingly confusing. Are MGS5, The Phantom Pain, and Ground Zeroes all somehow related? Kojima can't provide clarity soon enough.
So there you have it, GameRevolution's biggest news headlines of 2012. Where there a few noteworthy stories that we missed? Please, share them with us in the comments below.
