In the world of video games, a lot was riding on 2023.

The knock-on effect of the pandemic meant that both 2021 and 2022 were fairly underwhelming in terms of heavy-hitting game releases, with many developers opting to delay games originally slated for release during that period.

Meanwhile, the current generation of consoles, Sony’s PlayStation 5 and Microsoft’s Xbox Series consoles, were (and perhaps still are) failing to reach their full potential: a global chip shortage meant that demand far outstripped supply of the new machines, while cross-generation titles (games also designed to work on the previous generation of consoles) left the technological advancements on the new, more powerful consoles underutilised. With so few newer consoles in people’s homes, why exclude the pre-existing consumer base?

The hope for 2023 was that the situation would change. And, in a way, it did. Supply issues eased, meaning more people were able to get their hands on consoles. Games that were previously delayed like Starfield and Baldur’s Gate 3 made their way out into the world. There were surprise releases, too, some of which, like Alan Wake 2, would go on to be the year’s most defining titles. Even Nintendo, notorious for marching to the beat of their own drum, decided to stop holding back and drop The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. In terms of game releases, 2023 was a blockbuster year. 

However, this relatively healthy release schedule tells only half the story. Yes, 2023 was filled with great games, but it was also tumultuous, unpredictable and, for those working in the industry, worrying. Previously trusty and reliable franchises and game studios failed to deliver. There were huge corporate acquisitions, exacerbating what is already a fairly monolithic industry. Workers started organising because of poor working conditions, while the companies they worked for prepared for mass layoffs. It was, perhaps, the most disruptive year for video games in recent memory.

JOIN A UNION GUYS!

The word on everybody’s lips this year was unions. Unionisation and worker-led collective action affected everywhere from Hollywood to the NHS, with many workers going out on strike to ensure fair pay and better working conditions, among other things. Video games weren’t immune to this. Since 2021, employees at over a dozen video game studios in the US have formed unions. In 2023, workers at Sega of America and Activision Blizzard filed petitions to form unions, while in January of this year, employees at ZeniMax Media, which is owned by Microsoft, successfully reached an agreement with the Seattle-based tech giant that allowed workers to unionise without any interference from management.

MISBEHAVIOUR AND MONOPOLIES

Of course, a company like Microsoft doesn’t do anything without reason, and, as the New York Times noted, the decision to acquiesce was likely so that the union didn’t stand against the company’s attempted purchase of Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion. That acquisition was met with numerous stumbling blocks, including those raised by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, who suggested that the buyout would result in Microsoft becoming too powerful, especially in the arena of cloud gaming. There were also concerns that the company would withhold the Call of Duty franchise from Sony’s PlayStation ecosystem by making the lucrative shooter series an Xbox exclusive. After wrangling it out in court, however, the acquisition was able to go ahead. It remains unclear exactly what the ramifications of such a major shift in the gaming landscape will be going forward.

Along with the merger, Activision Blizzard also found themselves in the headlines following numerous allegations of workplace sexual harassment and a toxic working environment by staff. Despite CEO Bobby Kotick denying that the company had “a systemic issue with harassment”, in 2021 the state of California sued the company over allegations of systemic discrimination and harassment against female employees. They also paid out $18 million in a settlement to those who had experienced misconduct or discrimination, and in February of 2023 were forced to pay a further $35 million after the Securities and Exchange Commission found that the company violated a whistleblower rule and lacked proper systems for staff to report workplace misconduct. 

YOU’RE FIRED!

Despite this increased awareness of workplace conditions and the rise of unionisation in video games, the latter half of 2023 has been plagued by mass redundancies across the industries resulting in what some have dubbed a crisis. Microsoft, the Embracer Group, CD Projekt Red, Electronic Arts, BioWare, Epic Games, Bungie, Naughty Dog, Bungie, Amazon, Unity, and more all laid off staff, with Polygon suggesting that around 7,000 jobs have been lost in 2023.

The reason for these mass redundancies is tricky to discern. The rising cost of game development, as well as an unstable global economy, are surely part of it, as is a slowdown in growth following the boost given to the industry because of the pandemic; in 2022 sales of video games fell by 8 per cent, according to GamesIndustry.biz. Nevertheless, there has been growth in 2023, particularly as console shortages eased up. Still, it leaves already stretched game devs in a precarious position and, as next year progresses, we will undoubtedly hear horrific stories about overtime and so-called “crunch culture”. 

AT LEAST THE GAMES WERE GOOD… MOSTLY

Despite instability for those working in the video game industry, the games that were released this year were, for the most part, absolute bangers. The major successes were also somewhat surprising. The breakaway hit of the year has to be Baldur’s Gate 3, the long-awaited CRPG from Larian Studios, which set a new standard in the industry. Faithfully recreating the open-ended experience of playing a tabletop RPG, it rewarded players for their curiosity. It was also horny as hell. And while the game benefited from a lengthy period in early access, it was still refreshing for a major single-player title to release in a relatively polished state, and without any microtransactions to boot. Larian has continued to fastidiously provide updates and patches to improve the game, moving faster than most developers.

Remedy Entertainment also had a hit on their hands with the sequel to their cult hit Alan Wake. Blending survival horror with a True Detective style crime thriller, it proved that Remedy are some of the medium’s greatest storytellers, weaving in metanarratives that leaves both the game’s protagonists and those playing the game questioning what exactly is their reality. Elsewhere, Star Wars: Jedi Survivor proved that George Lucas’s space opera still has some legs in it, while Spider-Man 2 was a reliable superhero romp.

Of course, Nintendo also launched The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. As most expected, the game was excellent, building on the advances of its predecessor while expanding the sandpit players could explore. New gameplay mechanics like the Ultrahand, ascension and recall all prevented the game from becoming a stale sequel, encouraging players to experiment and think creatively when it comes to puzzle solving. It also boasted a better plot than Breath of the Wild, which was more than welcome.

The surprising miss of the year was Starfield. The first new IP from Bethesda Game Studios, the developers behind The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, in over a decade, its approach to game design felt flat and dated in comparison to the agency experienced by players in Tears of the Kingdom and Baldur’s Gate 3. Graphically it also paled when placed next to blockbusters such as Cyberpunk 2077, which successfully concluded its redemption arc this year following its disastrous 2020 launch. Final Fantasy XVI was likewise lacking; plagued by unpredictable performance, muddy graphics, bland side quests and overly linear gameplay, it was saved from total failure thanks to its vibrant medieval fantasy setting and its intricately political narrative.

Then there are the duds. Somehow not one but two terrible Lord of the Rings games were released this year. Of course, a video game about Gollum would suck. That it would also be a buggy mess filled with trite and clunky gameplay makes sense, as does the fact that it became the worst-reviewed game of 2023. Still, there were others vying for that crown: survival MMO The Day Before finally made its way out into early access after years of delays, only to be plagued by terrible reviews from players. Things got so bad that the studio shut down days after the game’s release. Better to go out with a bang, right?

WHAT’S NEXT?

With so much in the air in video games, it’s hard to predict exactly where we’ll be 12 months from now. It’s likely that Nintendo will announce the next iteration of the Switch, while we could also see unnecessary mid-generation updates from PlayStation and Xbox. Given Microsoft’s aggressive dedication to cloud gaming, it’s highly probable that we’ll see advancements in that space, too. In terms of game releases, players can look forward to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Dragon's Dogma 2, Black Myth: Wukong and Hellblade II. Bring it on.