VGChartz's Taneli Palola: "Another year is behind us, and as always it's time to take a look back at some of the best and worst things that happened in the video game industry in 2024. Naturally, as seems to be the case every year, filling in the losers list is easy, as there's never a shortage of options for that category, while the winners list takes a lot longer to come together. Still, even if it may at times seem that we only ever hear bad news when it comes to video games, there are still quite a lot of positives to take from this year as well. So, let's get to them first."
The latest game in BioWare’s fantasy role-playing series went through ten years of development turmoil
In early November, on the eve of the crucial holiday shopping season, staffers at the video-game studio BioWare were feeling optimistic. After an excruciating development cycle, they had finally released their latest game, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and the early reception was largely positive. The role-playing game was topping sales charts on Steam, and solid, if not spectacular, reviews were rolling in.
Its easy they called the die hard fans people in their nerd caves who will buy anything and then went woke to reach modern audiences....insulting the nerds in their caves along the way showing utter contempt for their fan base. very hapy it failed and any company who insults their fan base and treat their customers with contempt and insults, in future, i also hope fail.
It’s disappointing but not surprising to see what's happening with Dragon Age: The Veilguard and the broader situation at BioWare. The layoffs are tragic — no one wants to see talented developers lose their jobs. But when studios repeatedly create games that alienate their own fanbase, outcomes like this become unfortunately predictable.
There’s a pattern we’re seeing far too often: beloved franchises are revived, only to be reshaped into something almost unrecognizable. Changes are made that no one asked for, often at the expense of what originally made these games special. Then, when long-time fans express concern or lose interest, they’re told, “This game might not be for you.” But when those same fans heed that advice and don’t buy the game, suddenly they're labeled as toxic, sexist, bigoted, or worse.
Let’s be clear: the overwhelming majority of gamers have no issue with diversity, LGBTQ+ representation, or strong female leads. In fact, some of the most iconic characters in gaming — like Aloy, Ellie, or FemShep — are proof that inclusivity and excellent storytelling can and do go hand in hand. The issue arises when diversity feels performative, forced, or disconnected from the narrative — when characters or themes are inserted not to serve the story, but to satisfy a corporate DEI checklist. Audiences can tell the difference.
When studios chase approval from a vocal minority that often doesn’t even buy games — while simultaneously dismissing loyal fans who actually do — they risk not just the success of individual titles, but the health of their entire studio. Telling your core customers “don’t buy it if you don’t like it” is not a viable business strategy. Because guess what? Many of us won’t. And when the game fails commercially, blaming those very fans for not supporting it is both unfair and self-defeating.
Gamers aren’t asking for less diversity or less progress. We’re asking for better writing, thoughtful character development, and a respect for the franchises we’ve supported for decades. When you give people great games that speak to them — whether they’re old fans or new players — they will show up. But if you keep making games for people who don’t play them, don’t be surprised when those who do stop showing up
I thought the writing and character development were fine. Sometimes things just dont resonate with people.
TNS: Sony has had an interesting career with live-service games, making this new lineup of PlayStation releases all the more interesting.
It is not every day that I get to read an article pointing to a videogame that is releasing on PC, PlayStation, and XBox and another game published by Bandai Namco as proof of Sony's return to "quirky games."
Sony does need to return to their roots but since they've closed most of their studios that took those risks it will not be easy. It would also be nice to return to those times where we go more than 1 new first-party exclusive a year. It is hard to take risks if you are only releasing 1 game a year.
Recent evidence we discovered indicates that the next game in the Just Cause series may have been canceled, potentially two years ago.
Happy New Year to you all
The biggest winner was ASTRO BOT! Sony finally got their Mario