This week the virtual pages of the gaming press are rife with negativity, denouncing the industry at large for an embarrassing, critically subpar, or culturally tone-deaf year. Those observations aren't unjustified, but there are two sides to every story. And this side is all about shining a bright, warm light on the victories, accomplishments, or just plain awesome content that sprung from the video game industry in 2014.
Here, then, are five things involving our favorite industry this year that were worthy of celebration -- and in no way is this a comprehensive list, so feel free to add yours in the comments.
1: Extra Life
Crusades like #GamerGate pitted readers against press and conjured up dissonance and discord in the industry. But Extra Life, an annual charity fundraiser for Children's Miracle Network hospitals, drowned it all out with a message of generosity and hope. Beginning in October and continuing through the end of 2014, thousands of gamers and press alike united in a 24-hour gaming marathon to raise money for their local Children's Hospitals, streaming their sessions on Twitch and soliciting donations from friends, family, and strangers.
I was fortunate enough to have raised more than $2000 for the cause this year, contributing to a team total of more than $10,000. Amazingly, that pales in comparison to the combined efforts of Extra Life fundraisers, who toppled previous records and raised in excess of $6 million for a fantastic cause. If that isn't the feel-good gaming story of 2014, I'm not sure what is.
2: Video Game Soundtracks
2014 will certainly go down in history as the year an inconceivable amount of blockbuster games shipped with major bugs, broken servers, or generally unplayable code. However, it's also the year that one of the most divisive games -- Destiny -- birthed a beautiful, sprawling, and epic soundtrack. In many ways Marty O'Donnell's score for Destiny outshined his work on Halo, but we were reminded of his knack for creating memorable music with the re-recorded Halo 2 Anniversary Soundtrack.
Music lovers had much more to be thankful for this year, including Austin Wintory's work on The Banner Saga, Darren Korb's dark and evocative Transistor soundtrack, or the sheer nostalgic brilliance of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, featuring tunes from legendary composer David Wise (yes, that same David Wise responsible for the original's MIDI-tastic tunes in 1994).
Honorable mention is awarded to Hohokum, a PlayStation game equally recognizable by its soothing gameplay and dreamy, spirited electronic soundscape. They also pressed it onto one hell of a vinyl record.
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In a year that saw the continuing abandonment of couch co-op and local multiplayer, not to mention influx of flawed and buggy games, Nintendo remained a beacon of hope by bucking the trends and sticking to its guns. Games like Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. are pitch-perfect examples of polished local multiplayer games that deserve to push hardware and earn permanent residency in your gaming memories.
But I'm just getting warmed up. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Hyrule Warriors, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, Bayonetta 2 -- all critically acclaimed and downright fantastic Wii U exclusives. Or how about the welcome return of the epic JRPG in Bravely Default? Sure, Square Enix were behind it, but it's exclusive to Nintendo's 3DS.
I also applaud Nintendo for continuously walking against the grain, specifically with regards to E3 2014, as they swapped a live stage show for a whimsical online-only presentation full of self-deprecating humor and reveal after reveal.
If anything else, there's one thing that constantly brings a smile to my face whenever it even briefly dances across my brain: The Luigi Death Stare.
4: PlayStation Experience
Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida mingles with a legion of PlayStation fans and autographs collectible... [+]
Sony's fan-driven weekend in Las Vegas was a resounding success for the company. After all, it was buoyed by Geoff Keighley's Game Awards and resulted in Sony dominating the news cycle for several days during a time when the industry tends to fall asleep. But it was also a celebration of independent games, a trip through 20 years of PlayStation nostalgia, and an event that put gamers first.
Playstation Experience is something I honestly hope Sony turns into an annual event. The "tone" just felt right, and although there was an admission fee it felt like it was perfectly tailored to gamers. Without sounding too sappy and emotional, for me it put a bright positive bow on what was otherwise a year mired in controversy and disappointment.
The majority of that sentiment probably comes down to my interviews and face time with so many enthusiastic indie developers.
5: Blizzard
As I mentioned at the top, this is by no means a comprehensive list. Stellar games like South Park: The Stick of Truth, Transistor, Forza Horizon 2, and Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor (I haven't played Dragon Age yet, don't hate me!) populated a short list of exemplary games released in 2014.
But Blizzard just knocked it out of the park this year, delivering an addictive take on the Collectible Card Game genre, and a retooling of Diablo III for the next-gen console crowd. Both Hearthstone and Diablo III: Ultimate Evil Edition had a profound personal impact on me.
Casting aside all of Hearthstone's approachability, its gameplay merits, and its respectful approach to free-to-play gaming , I welcomed the game with open arms because it finally replaced paper Magic: The Gathering for me. Magic is a game I've played for more than a decade, but more recently I've lamented the inability to play the classic paper game with friends, and as good as Wizards' digital implementation is, it still leaves me wanting. Hearthstone finally dragged me -- not kicking and screaming but willingly and with a wide smile -- into the digital CCG era, and its release on Android only cements the addiction. Bonus points for the cross-platform multiplayer!
As for Diablo III, I'll also be a PC loyalist, but with the Ultimate Evil Edition on PS4, Blizzard delivered a perfect reason for my wife and I to game together. We've torn through the entire campaign and are now blissfully slaying baddies in Adventure Mode as we chase down what lies beyond level 70. Those are obviously strong memories, but beyond that, Blizzard continued to prove that they treat their franchise and their players with the utmost respect.
So hey, as the year comes to a close, let's stop bagging on our industry and focus on why we fell in love with it in the first place.
SEE ALSO: 6 crucial changes the gaming industry and its customers need to make in 2015
