It was 2014

I'll make it short, but here is my small opinion of what I liked and disliked playing in 2014. Even if this year (like most previous recent years), I first played to games that were released in 2013, I decided to speaks  only of the games released in 2014 just to make things easier to include in a top 3.

• Hardware 2014:

This year, the console I played the most is the WiiU, probably because I only purchased a PS4 in November. It was fun and there were enough good games for me spread during the year (probably because I am playing less and less games anyway). I still think the Wii U deserve it's failure success, due to several mistakes that are easy to find later of course, but harder to predict when building it. I will probably never take the time to write my deep thoughts about it (and they will not change anything anyway ;).

• My Top 3 games of 2014:

- Hearthstone

Even if I kinda stopped playing it right now, between September 2013 and  sept. 2014, I played Hours and hours of HS, and all this for free… and i'm sure I will get back to it at some point. It's called Addiction and it's a marvelous fun game, even if I liked the game more at the beginning with interesting balanced deck building for everyone, when now, it's more based on having strong cards to win.

- Diablo 3 - RoS

I came back to D3 when RoS came out on my Mac, and I loved it as much as D3. I played a lot of it, but my surprise is how Good and fun the game is on Ps4… I actually created a all new character on it and completely finished the game, even getting further than my main on Computer.

It seems a "classic" choice, but RoS is one of the game I played the most this year, having fun every time.

- Geometry Wars 3
Geometry wars 3 is NOT the best GW to me, But I played it a lot since its release in November, and will continue actually for few weeks to try to beat few hight scores here and then. It is to me the best "Shoot them up" done since GW2, and a must have for any gamer.

• Disappointments:

- Pay to play Online:

So far, the PS4 experience is good and even if I bought it for no specific reason one year after its release, I know it will be the console I will turn on the most in 2015. On the other side, the PAY TO PLAY ONLINE deal of the PSN, now equal to the Xbox live, is a real disappointment to me, and was a hell of a big advantages the PS3 had over the 360 on the previous generation (it is actually one of the reason I never came back to my Xbox 360 once I had bought my Ps3 slim).

So the best Online Console available right now is the Nintendo WiiU, and the SteamBox will probably perfectly offer what's missing from Nintendo's home console to play online like we should after this.

Another thought on PS4, the "Share button" is really well done (for the ones who are interested of using it), but to me, should have been something included in the PSN price, for instance, PSN would have been a pack of Free games per month + Video Game Stream + Share Play. But Online games stay available for free. I tried my two weeks for Free on PSN, and will now simply never play online on this console (which is not bothering me anyway, it would have been just fun to sometimes jump casually into a game with a friend).

- (Some of) The Video Game Press (and forums):

Let's face it, I was disappointed to read lots of things written this year, Leaks and Point of views are completely made for "clicks" and are not driving the industry or the readers in the right way. I DON"T read everything, so let's not put everyone in the same basket, and I'm sure some websites are amazing and are interesting, so it's my fault not reading the good ones, BUT the one I'm used to read regularly or casually in French and English this years were just playing against the industry that make them what they are, and as a Game Dev, it's sad to see them trying to play a game that is not in their interest and is not of their strong points.

To finish on the subject, I don't really understand the "you tubers" trend (and I usually don't get how and why few guys have that many followers), but good for them for living of their passion, as long as it stays one, and it helps build positive community to share what we all like… Video Games!

!!! Happy New Year 2015 !!!