Anticipation of top video game releases ends the year 2011 successfully
Although 2011 is gone, many games were released throughout the year. A look back reveals that last year was a great year for some of the more popular titles and series and not so great for others.
Now that the new year has arrived, the bar has been set high for releases this year.At a glance, some of the most anticipated games last year barely saw their release in the few months and even weeks before the new year and still made a huge impact on gamers and the industry.
Games like BioWare’s “Star Wars: The Old Republic,” launched only two weeks before the end of the year and yet still won several awards for 2011, such as Best MMO by GamePro Magazine and Best PC Game from Machinima.com.
According to VGChartz.com, in its two-week run in 2011, The Old Republic grossed in over $2 million faring better than some of the lesser anticipated titles.
Another late release was Bethesda Studios’ latest installment to the “Elder Scrolls” series, “Skyrim.” It made just under $3 million since its release in November, giving gamers the opportunity to ring in the new year with an arrow in the knee.
2011 was also a year of 3’s with four of the most anticipated squeals, all of which just happened to have been first-person shooters: “Gears of War 3”, “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3”, “Killzone 3” and “Battlefield 3.”
“Modern Warfare 3,” a title from Activision and Infinity Ward, came out on top in sales with a total $12.5 million at the end of 2011, with both “Gears of War 3” and “Battlefield 3” grossing just over $5 million each and “Killzone 3” in last place with $2 Million.
Even Wii owners were graced with their own heavy hitter, “The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword,” allowing Link fans to hack and slash their way to rescue Zelda.
The year saw a rise in games for the dancing crowd as well. Games like “Just Dance 3” and “Dance Central 2” were among the many games to come out and let many people show off their moves on the dance floor.
Everyone’s favorite plumber managed to make several handheld appearances in 2011, tearing up the streets in “Mario Kart 7” and “Super Mario 3DS Land” for the 3DS.
2011 was a great year for gaming, and with the Electronic Entertainment Show coming up in June, it is only a matter of time before some major titles leave gamers giddy with excitement.
