Top 5: Moments of 2008

Top 5: Moments of 2008
VideoGamer.com Staff Updated on by

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Wow. Hasn’t 2008 flown by? It only seems like yesterday that we were tearing up tarmac in Burnout Paradise, settling into an hour long cut-scene in Metal Gear Solid 4 and putting our fists through walls over Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2. Yeah, 2008 has been quite a year, with some truly memorable moments. And, just in case you’ve got the memory of a gold fish, you’ll find the best ones recounted right here, in VideoGamer.com’s Top 5: Moments of 2008. Join us as we recall the good, bad and ugly of a year marked by high-profile delays, distraught PS3 fans, and developers going mental on game forums.

5. Quantic Dream’s Heavy Rain Leipzig presentation

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Whatever your opinion of this upcoming PS3-exclusive from Quantic Dream, it’s a fact that founder David Cage’s behind-closed doors presentation, attended by VideoGamer.com, was not only impressive, but mind-blowing. You can see our detailed impressions of the 40-minute presentation here, but let us say this now that we’ve had time to reflect: Cage’s enthusiasm and energy in describing the heart-thumping roller-coaster ride that was an unnamed journalist’s escape from a serial killers’ house as it was being played live in front of a pack of game hacks was not only innovative, but utterly compelling. Heavy Rain looks astounding in the graphics department, yes, but Cage’s Leipzig presentation hammered home just how terrifying Heavy Rain has the potential to be. Cue glowing preview, the result of the best game presentation not only of 2008, but perhaps ever.

4. Grand Theft Auto IV’s all-conquering launch

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If there’s one game that generated more pre-release buzz than any other this year, it’s Rockstar’s GTA 4, the first GTA to appear on ‘next-gen’ consoles. Rockstar has a unique way of building hype in its games in that it shows next to nothing throughout development. The press got to see the game in short bursts in the months leading up to release, and a handful of stunning trailers were unleashed, but most people played GTA 4 having never seen the game in action. The anticipation was unlike anything we’ve experienced in this generation. Tome-like online reviews and multiple specialist magazine front covers screamed in the face of hardcore gamers across the West. And non-hardcore gamers got it too, with a constant stream of news reports, in depth analysis of the inner workings of Rockstar and the predictable ‘murder simulator’ nonsense hitting airwaves and national newspapers across the globe. Everyone and their dog had something to say on the biggest game launch not only of 2008, but ever. And gamers loved it. GTA 4 generated over $500 million in revenue and sold six million units worldwide in its first week. The Wii and DS may have broadened the video game market, but GTA 4 showed the games industry could effortlessly rub shoulders with the best Hollywood has to offer.

3. LittleBigPlanet’s delay

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For a game so cute and harmless it’s amazing to think that LittleBigPlanet caused the biggest gaming controversy of the year. Days before the PS3’s most promising Christmas exclusive was due to go on sale around the world, news hit that it was to be pulled from retailers’ stock rooms (not before a few naughty shops had sold it early, we should add). Why? Because of a song that contained two expressions that can be found in the Qur’an. This was deemed to be potentially offensive and reason to recall all copies of the game. This understandably caused uproar on internet forums as the release of the PS3’s biggest game of the holiday period had to be delayed. We can’t even begin to imagine the stress this must have caused in the upper echelons of Sony headquarters around the world. Incredible, and utterly unforgettable drama.

2. Dennis Dyack versus NeoGaf

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Oh Denis Dyack. How we love thee. Your outspoken, often ridiculous claims about your games make us feel all fuzzy inside. Throughout the development of the ‘it’s good but not cancer curing’ 360-exclusive Too Human, we loved your enthusiasm, we love your eccentricity, we loved your incessant hyping of your own game, and we loved it when you committed the cardinal sin of criticising the internet when the online pre-release negativity looked like it was going to severely impact sales of the title. “When the game is released and everyone plays it all the speculation will be over. If I am wrong and gamers in general think the game is ‘crap’ then I am comfortable with getting tagged ‘Owned by the GAF’.” Cue a spiralling thread full of venomous outbursts. Bad idea, Denis, but thank you. You provided 2008 with some much needed quality drama, and a moment that will live long in the memory.

1. Microsoft’s shock Final Fantasy XIII Xbox 360 E3 announcement

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We expected many things from Microsoft’s E3 2008 conference, with a new motion controller and something new from Bungie top of the list, but we got neither. With a focus on already announced games due for release in 08 the conference ran smoothly, but didn’t wow anyone with breathtaking announcements. MS wheeled out Square president of Square Enix, Yoichi Wada, who proceeded to gush about his company’s three-pronged love in with the 360 (Infinite Undiscovery, The Last Remnant and Star Ocean), and Duffy even took to the stage to deliver an embarrassing rendition of that song she’s got on Lips (the Americans in the audience wondered who she was). All seemed lost, but then MS pulled a rather massive rabbit out of the hat right at the last possible moment. Just as things were wrapping up Wada walked back on stage and blew us all away with a trailer for Final Fantasy XIII. The game was announced for Xbox 360 in Europe and North America, and it would ship on the same day as the PS3 version. Cue gasps from the crowd, internet meltdown and some frantic live blogging. Easily 2008’s top video game moment.

Agree? Disagree? What were your top moments of 2008? Let us know in the comments section below.