2012 has been one of the most exciting years for
gaming in recent memory. The year has closed the door on some of the biggest
gaming franchises, like Assassins Creed and Mass Effect, as they wrapped up
their storyline with final instalments (although spin-off titles are
anticipated). Diablo III, 12 years in the making, finally saw the light of day,
and dependable favourites like Call of Duty and Halo released new sequels.
Competition has been fierce between developers, as titles like Halo 4,
Assassin's Creed 3 and Call of Duty: Black Ops II were released with only a few
weeks between each other. With so many anticipated, premium titles, 2012 has
been a huge year for video game sales.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
The Call of Duty series is a sales behemoth. The yearly instalments never fail to rocket to the top of the sales charts, and the latest Black Ops sequel was no different. Although the game was only released in November, it has already become the top-seller of 2012. Amassing combined sales of 15 million with PS3 and XBOX 360 versions, the popular shooter series shows no signs of slowing down.
Fifa 13
Inching out Pro Evolution Soccer to become the definitive football video game, Fifa 13 was the global best-selling sports game of 2012. As well as updating rosters and teams, the new game featured subtle tweaks to the passing and dribbling mechanics and added new game modes. Although the changes were nowhere near as noticeable as the complete overhaul the series received in Fifa 12, diligent fans attended midnight launches and more than 4.88 million copies have been sold to date.
Halo 4
Widely considered to be one of the defining next-generation titles and ushering in online multiplayer for consoles, the Halo series is a gamer favourite. Halo 4 sold more than 5 million copies within weeks of its November release. The fourth instalment is the first true sequel since Halo 3 was released in 2007, and fans of the series were eager to learn the fate of the franchise's protagonist, Master Chief.
Pokémon Black / White Version 2
The Nintendo DS console has many popular game series like Super Mario Bros, Nintendogs and Mario Kart, but none are as successful as Pokémon. With sales of more than 5 million, Pokémon Black and White 2 was the most popular game for handheld consoles, and it was the third best-selling game of the year. With new graphics, more than 300 in-game creatures and a brand new Pokémon World Tournament game mode, it is the most epic sequel yet.
Diablo III
Almost 12 years in development, patient fans of the popular Diablo series were beginning to think a new instalment would never see the light of day. When it was finally released in May, millions of PC gamers rushed to install the long awaited third instalment. Although the sequel received a mixed reception from hardcore fans, it didn't stop the role-playing game from selling over two million copies to date. Developer's Blizzard have recently announced that a console version of the game is in the works, but it is still far from release.
2012 has been a prosperous year for video games, and many old favourites have stormed the sales charts. However, although 360 and PS3 games have dominated the best-selling list this year, next year's charts could see big changes. With the recent release of the Wii-U console from Nintendo, 2013 could be an even bigger year for gaming.
Author Bio:
This
is an article from the Chat MagBingo team.