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Domestic | Feature

Feature: Top 20 Gaming Lows of 2004

Feature by FUNKYZEALOT | 12/31/2004 | 16:42:51 PM PST

A teary-eyed retrospective glance of this past year's sorrowful news in gaming.

The year has come to an end, and before we think of New Year's resolutions we can't meet, take a step back and reminisce all that was wrong this past year in gaming.

20) Half-Life 2 Collector's Edition Big and Empty; Steam Sputters
After being delayed for over year, and Valve's bouts with VU Games over Steam distribution, gamers awaited for the release of Half-Life 2 with tingled anxiety and exuberance. The Collector's Edition turned out to be an $80 disappointment--the included original Half-Life was largely unchanged from the original, the tiny hint/art book paled in comparison to the $90 online version's book, and it came in a giant box which could only be justified by a XL T-shirt that only the most socially dejected would care to wear. To top it off, many had to endure hours of waiting for the game to be authenticated on its launch day, with Steam often unable to even register users.

19) Duke Nukem--A Decade in the Making
Just when everybody forgot the existence of Duke Nukem, 3D Realms announces that it signed Swedish firm Meqon to handle the physics engine for its vaporous sequel, Duke Nukem Forever. While 3D Realms has a reassuring "it's done when it's done" stance for the shooter, the numerous delays either signals a new Half-Life--or the new Daikatana.

18) Microsoft Axes First-Party Sports Titles
Realizing that not much else than Halo 2 proves to be very successful, Microsoft Game Studios slashed its internal sports game development team, laying off 76 employees--seeing the effective end of NFL Fever, NHL Rivals, and Inside Drive. Those who read the signs saw it as no surprise, as an announcement was made previously that it would not release any sports titles in fall '04. EA denied any connection with the move, who was fresh from an agreement with Microsoft that would see EA Sports titles support Xbox Live.

17) Fallout RPG Canned, Reopened
Black Isle Studios saw its tragic end last year, and this year saw the disappointing release of Brotherhood of Steel, which like a long lost evil twin separated from birth, only served to tank the once brilliant franchise further. Hardcore fans hoped that the game would be picked up by Troika or Obsidian, but instead was nabbed by Bethesda, who plans to restart development from scratch--putting their own perks into the series.

16) Video Games Make You Fat
In an announcement as surprising as the super-sized realization that too much McDonalds will kill you, Swedish lobby groups that decry the ill effects of video games said that kids typically eat potato chips and drink soda while playing games, making them fat. On the flip side, man-powered PlayStations were announced, with kids able to play games by powering them with their feet.

15) THQ Wrestles for Franchise
Jakks might've had a couple of weapons stashed under the ring to get the edge, as WWE has sued THQ and Jakks for allegedly scheming together to win an exclusive licensing deal, unfairly beating out other publishers such as Activision. Former WWE senior vice president of licensing and merchandising James Bell, now one of Jakks' top executives, is accused of taking over $100,000 in bribes. THQ issues a statement denying the allegation, saying with corporate tact that "if it's anybody's fault, it's Jakks'."

14) Gran Turismo 4 Stalls at Start Line
Although Yamauchi said the game was "complete" in November 2004, the game still found itself delayed to 2005. With the doubly-disappointing announcement that it won't have online play, Yamauchi consoled fans with a feature that would enable you to take pictures of your car in scenic locations. On a slightly more positive note, it seems Gran Turismo 5 will finally include damage modeling--but long after the release of Forza. Meanwhile, Enthusia continues to jump up and down for attention in the pit stop.

13) Legislators Move to Restrict Sales of Mature Games--And Fail
Politicians raise a rhetorical maelstrom for the opulence of violence in video games, but ultimately leaves a barely discernable ripple in the industry. Targeting games such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and Manhunt, legislators from Florida and California sought to more strictly enforce sales of violent games to minors--some even suggested making it a third-degree felony for allowing minors to obtain a copy of an "M" rated game. The wealthy game industry beat out angry moms, the only change being some retailers showing a clearer indication of the ESRB's rating system.