2) Fallout 4
Fallout 4 was easily the most anticipated game of 2015. With no new game in the series since 2010’s Fallout: New Vegas, Bethesda promised big things would be in store for loyal fans of the franchise. The marketing campaign alone brought gamers to their knees with such ventures as real Nuke Cola sold exclusively at Target stores, and even making an actual, full-sized Pip-Boy device (in conjunction with the app) available with pre-orders of the special edition set. Sales of Fallout 4 have clocked in at over $750 million and outright buried those of such fan favorite games as Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. With sales continuing to climb, Fallout 4 is easily on track to be the highest selling console game of 2015.
1) Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens
As expected, there was nothing but controversy surrounding the announcement of yet another Star Wars trilogy in production as per the 2012 Disney buyout. The most recent prequel trilogy left fans and mainstream audiences alike dreading their own fandom for the series, but spirits were lifted when Disney announced the new films were to be directed by filmmaker, J.J. Abrams.
Abrams, being a master of building anticipation and mystery around projects, kept exactly the right elements of the film a complete secret until its release. Nobody received any more information than was necessary to whet our appetites for a new trilogy. The mounting tension was well worth it when we received, not only the best Star Wars films since the original series, but arguably one of the best films of the last decade! The Force Awakens was not only a brilliantly executed beginning to a new era in the Star Wars mythos, but it showed us that given the right creative mind and attitude, finding “a new hope” for something so beloved is far, far away from impossible.
4) The “Death” of Glenn (The Walking Dead)
Fans of The Walking Dead comics are usually already aware of which characters are supposed to die at some point. Luckily, showrunners Robert Kirkman and Greg Nicotero, also happen to be the creative minds behind the comic book series, allowing them to faithfully alter events in order to keep audiences guessing. The inevitable death of Glenn was so tragic, even Kirkman was quoted saying, “It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do” in reference to writing his death into the comics, knowing he would have to make it happen on the show. The events that led to his “death” this season result in his seeming disembowelment by a massive herd of walkers in a confined alleyway, although the recent reveal that he survived the encounter proves the whole ordeal was just a tease. The only question that remains: How and when will Glenn meet his fate? Based on the casting of Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Negan, the supposed lunatic actually responsible for killing Glenn in the comics, it’s entirely possible this may be the final season we see Glenn with the Ricktatorship.
3) Konami vs Hideo Kojima
The battle between video game titan, Konami, and veteran creator, Hideo Kojima, stirred quite the controversy in the gaming community. The first shots were fired when Konami decided not to include Kojima’s name alongside any promotional material tied to the highly-anticipated release of Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, as well as scrapping the long-rumored collaboration with filmmaker, Guillermo Del Toro, for the horror reboot game, Silent Hills. They're behavior became increasingly more unstable having barred Kojima from the Video Game Awards in Los Angeles and announcing it would not only be the end of MGS games, but there would be no new titles announced for 2016. Luckily, Hideo Kojima may have found a more suitably constructive environment thanks to a collaboration with Sony following his official departure from Konami.
6) Mad Max: Fury Road
In this day and age, “nostalgia goggles” are where the money is. If an iconic movie is older than a decade, chances are there’s a reboot already made or at least in the works. When news of a new Mad Max film circulated, the general consensus was a resounding “who cares?” Little did we know, Fury Road would be quite the rare gem of a movie. Helmed by the original films’ director, George Miller, it was a visual smorgasbord that took advantage of practical effects, a simple, coherent plot, and a stellar performance from Charlize Theron! Not only was it surprisingly well received by audiences, it’s now considered one of the best films of the year.
5) Marvel/Netflix
Thanks to the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Disney has had the presence of mind to expand their brand with the number one streaming subscription service in the world, Netflix. This year gave us the first series in this venture with the dark interpretation of the classic vigilante, Daredevil, as well as the arrival of the lesser known super-powered PI, Jessica Jones. Despite the titles’ having little to no mainstream awareness, both shows have become overnight successes, leaving many hopeful for the upcoming series’, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and the culmination of all four characters in the team-up series, The Defenders. Assuming our current binge-watching culture holds up over the next few years, it’s likely these shows could spark an exciting trend for other franchises to follow.
8) All-New, All Different Marvel!
This year, Marvel decided to take an interesting route with the changes they’ve made to some of their classic titles. The change came in the form of a massive paradigm shift to the entire universe itself. Deciding to omit the concept of “parallel worlds” and “multiverses”, they made several of their new characters part of the traditional mythos, including Miles Morales as Spider-Man, Jane Foster becoming the new Thor, even Falcon wielding the shield and donning the mantle of Captain America! While these changes aren’t meant to impede on Marvel’s classic history, the new structure hopes to invoke a new love for the comic powerhouse in both true believers and newcomers alike.
7) The Death of Clara Oswald (Doctor Who)
Doctor Who has always had two heartbeats, so to speak. The heart of the series was never just The Doctor, but also his human companions. Despite their faults, they usually become beloved and an integral part of the show. Unfortunately, traveling with the titular Timelord isn’t always fun; sometimes it gets dangerous. Clara Oswald has been a companion since 2012 with Matt Smith’s incarnation, made it through the 50th anniversary of the series, and has been knocking about with the current Doctor, Peter Capaldi, since his start. Thanks to recurring guest star, Game of Throne’s Maisie Williams, Clara met her untimely demise at the hands of Ashildr, an immortal viking girl living throughout the ages. Clara Oswald will go down in Whovian lore as one of the greatest companions in the show’s history.
2015 was a great year for gamers, fans, and overall geekdom! No one ever really knows how the year will turn out. Despite a few ups and downs, there’s always something new to get behind as a lover of games, movies, comics, etc. This year was no exception. Whether it’s the death of a beloved character, games that exceed expectations, or even the return of something once thought lost, this was a year tailor made for fans. These are the top ten moments that made us geek-out in 2015.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
10) Jimmy Kimmel vs Gamers
Following the $970 million purchase of Twitch by corporate juggernaut, Amazon, the concept of video game streaming hit mainstream culture in a big bad way. Once YouTube decided to cash in on the trend by starting YouTube Gaming, comedian and late night host, Jimmy Kimmel, found himself bewildered by the very idea of watching other people play video games. Having a knack for infuriating different subcultures, he proceeded to bash the whole industry resulting in the collective uprising of the gaming community at large. Taking to twitter, gamers launched death threats, hate speeches, and all other forms of verbal assault that wrought nothing but more comedy fodder for Kimmel to take advantage.
9) Heroes: Reborn
It’s such a rare occurrence when shows that have amassed cult followings since their cancellations actually get a second chance to find new audiences and prove their worth once again. Finally, after five years off the air, NBC’s Heroes received the reboot for which fans have been clamoring. Marking the return of some fan favorites, as well as some fascinating newcomers, Heroes: Reborn dived back into the lore of the original series. Despite not seeing some familiar faces return, the backdrop for the series is darker, edgier, and gave fans a haunting interpretation of a world divided by fear in the face of the strange and the powerful.
