The Escapist, Issue 25: The Year In Review

[Evil Avatar]

With a changing of the guard happening in the console world, and very few blockbuster titles, 2005 was a relatively quiet year in gaming. The Escapist takes a look back at some of the major events of the year in this week's issue of The Escapist: The Year in Review (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/25). Articles include:

Mark Wallace: Trust Me (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/25/3)
It seems that virtual worlds have reached a new level of sophistication where economics are concerned. Mark Wallace looks at Second Life and EVE Online, and two major MMOG economic developments.

Shannon Drake: The Gaming Industry Beyond Thunderdome (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/25/8)
"When they're fighting in the aisles at Wal-Mart because of bombardments on television, magazines, MTV and the Internet, gaming has finally arrived as a major cultural force for everyone, not just for a diverse gaggle of enthusiasts." Shannon Drake looks at the X-Box 360 launch as a cultural phenomenon.

N. Evan Van Zelfden: 2005: A Massively Multiplayer Odyssey (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/25/11)
"If you truly want to make a successful MMOG, you must remember that nothing draws a crowd like a crowd." N. Evan Van Zelfden looks at one of the year's biggest success stories, World of Warcraft.

[PIPBoy3000]

Once again, I'm reminded that I simply don't have the time and energy to invest in an MMORPG. It seems like so many developers are chasing the money in that direction, though the article about WoW scaring everyone else is telling. Maybe 2006 will bring out a bunch of single player games. Oblivion sure looks promising.

[Spigot]

Maybe it's just me, but I thought there were a lot of great games this past year. It seemed to me that there were a lot of really great games and not as many crappy ones. Or maybe it's just me. There may not have been a GTA or Halo launch this year, but the new IP's were nice and a lot of the sequels did a great job.

[Deadend]

Why does EVE seem to be the greatest game that I never want to play?

Another good issue.