With 2014 coming to an end, Gamasutra has listed some of the most notable events that have impacted the games industry in a significant way for this year. 2014 has seen some events that have taken the industry by storm, both in an arguably good and a bad way.
One of these events would be the online retailer, Amazon, dipping its feet into the games market in quite a big way. Aside from buying Twitch , Amazon also acquired Killer Instinct developer Double Helix Games and other developers to make exclusive games for the online retailer’s own Fire TV console.
Another noteworthy event is the recent death of Ralph Baer , typically referred to as “The Father of Gaming”. Passing away at age 92, Baer is famous for creating the world’s first commercially available games console. In addition to producing his Brown Box prototype, which later sold as 1972’s Magnavox Odyssey, the seasoned inventor and engineer also made the first videogame peripheral: the light gun. Baer was actively participating in the games industry up until his passing.
Finally, the hashtag movement, #GamerGate, was a development that dragged its way on for months, and in doing so spiralled into a blurry mess. Whilst campaigning for the good of something and the detriment of others, the hashtag is leaderless inasmuch as it is also undefined and undirected. Some people believe it’s about the ethics in journalism, whilst others believe it’s about inclusion in videogames, whilst other believes its about keeping female gamers out of the games industry, whilst others are startled that a Twitter hashtag has had a significant impact on the games industry
These are just a few of what’s reported to be some of the most significant things that have affected the games industry. You can read the rest in full via the source link below.
[ Source(s): Gamasutra ]