Kotaku: Best of 2007

Timewasters of the Day: Best Freeware Arcade Games of '07

Maggie Greene — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 13:30:28 MST

Indiegames has put together a convenient wrap up of their top 20 free arcade games of 2007. There's something for everyone, and games running the gamut from simple to complex, with graphics to match. Garden Gnome Carnage not sounding like your cup of tea? Maybe Cottage of Doom or Winter's Heart will be up your alley. Most entries give a quick overview, screen shots, and a video of gameplay.

Best Freeware Arcade Games 2007 [Indiegames]

2007's Best Freeware Games Chosen By The Authority

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:00:00 MST

The world's best gaming deals can't beat "free!", so for those without a gift card in hand this post-holiday season, you may want to take a gander at The Independent Gaming Source's best freeware games of 2007. The number of titles, across an amazingly broad 30 categories, point out the year's best shooters, platformers and RPGs that can be had without anything more than some disposable bandwidth. Topping the list is a game that I only recently discovered myself while searching for Gradius pics, a Warning Forever-style top down boss fight-only shooter named Fraxy. The Japanese freeware game lets players create their own levels (bosses) with an intuitive editor. Other titles you may already be familiar with, including Knytt Stories, Guxt, Sam and Max: Abe Lincoln Must Die and the now free Command and Conquer.

Best Freeware Games of '07 - 30 Categories! [TIG Source]

Playboy Picks Best, Jiggliest Games of 2007

Michael McWhertor — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:40:39 MST

You've seen our picks, maybe noticed what Time, Maxim and others had to say about gaming in 2007, but Playboy's choices are finally in. They not only went safe, picking Bioshock as their game of the year, but went with their demographic, opting to choose the 2007 game with the "Best Jiggle Factor." It might not have been my choice, as I like my gaming girls covered in slime, but I suppose Heavenly Sword deserved to walk away with some sort of accolade this year. Ninja Gaiden Sigma oversight aside, it's a fairly solid list.

Playboy's Best Games of 2007 [Playboy]

Next-Gen Picks Top Ten Blunders Of 2007

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 17:20:09 MST

"Best of" awards are fun, sure, but it's the screw ups that give us the most joy during the depressing holidays, not the accolades. Watching others fail so spectacularly makes our own lack of accomplishment that much less memorable. Fortunately, Next-Gen knows what we like and have rounded up the year's biggest blunders in its latest list, which not only includes the familiar Sony blackballing incident from March, but also touches on other fun and interesting topics like the dismissal of Jeff Gerstmann and the whirlwind of confusion surrounding this year's PlayStation 3 SKU confusion. Even better are trips down memory lane with execs Shane Kim and Jack Tretton.

I won't spoil number one, but it's certainly the most expensive of the lot. Let loose the finger pointing and HAHA-ing!

TOP 10 BLUNDERS OF 2007 [Next-Gen - thanks, Duane!]

Next-Gen Announces Top Thirty Video Games of 2007

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 18:20:39 MST

We've heard from Time and Maxim so far on the best games of 2007 and Next-Gen has already chimed in on what it considered the year's most innovative design decisions, but the online game business pub has weighed in proper with a best of list that might be the best one yet. Yes, I'm building a ranking list of lists. Obviously, we all know what opinions are like, and the staff of Next-Gen certainly gives themselves plenty of breathing room with thirty positions to fill but there are some solid choices in here. Super Mario Galaxy at number one? I can get behind that. Rock Band at number two? OK. They even remembered to give props to Super Stardust HD.

Anyone looking to fill in some holes in their gaming library would do well to give the list a once over. It certainly made me realize I needed to finally pick up Pac-Man Championship Edition.

NEXT-GEN'S BEST 30 GAMES OF 2007 [Next-Gen]

Sony Makes Fortune's Annual 101 Dumbest Moments in Business

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:20:03 MST

The folks at Sony have the dubious distinction of making Fortune's end of year wrap up on the boneheaded business decisions of 2007 not once, but twice. While Microsoft also made the list for reasons related to its PR firm Waggener Edstrom Worldwide mistakenly sending an internal profile of a Wired writer to the Wired writer himself, its blunder wasn't directly game related, as Fortune's picks for Sony were.

The mag points to Sony's use of an eviscerated, beheaded goat as a centerpiece for a God of War II promotion as 61st dumbest business move of the year. Close by, at number 63, was the decision to use a bombed out Manchester Cathedral as a backdrop for the PlayStation 3 game Resistance: Fall of Man. Hey, they may have lost a few fans in the church, but this one seems a bit harsh, Fortune editors. It's not like they actually bombed the cathedral for reference shots.

101 Dumbest Moments in Business [Fortune - thanks, Kenneth!]

USA Today Picks 2007's Best Games (For Kids)

Michael McWhertor — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:20:32 MST

Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who may be on the lookout for something appropriate for the kids this holiday—strike Manhunt 2 from your lists, first of all—may want to refer themselves to USA Today's picks for the best kid fare of 2007. Sure, it may be easy to tick off things like Super Mario Galaxy and Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros' Treasure, but what about the littlest tykes? And what about those who will go Wii-less this year?

USA Today points to a couple of titles that fell under our radar, including DVD games and PC titles such as Guess How Much I Love You and JumpStart World Kindergarten. Of course, the editor must be commended for her choice of Rock Band, which is just about perfect for the kids. Sure, there will be some snarls of anarchy from the pre-teen crowd this Xmas, but it's, like, educational and stuff.

Best 2007 video games for kids [USA Today]

Next-Gen Picks Top Ten Game Design Innovations Of 2007

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:40:00 MST

The Kotaku calendar indicates that we should be up to our eyeballs in "Best of 2007" lists by the start of next week. Fortunately, instead of focusing on the top ten games of the year based on some vague merit—that's typically just a list of the year's most hyped, biggest name titles—Next-Gen opted to focus on innovation. Don't worry, some of the bigger software is included, such as Mass Effect and Call of Duty 4, but a few titles that wouldn't normally make the cut are included.

While some of the inclusions will be contested—Warhawk gets props for dumping single player?—and some are certainly recycled—Ultima Online "innovated" with its graphical overhaul years ago—the argument could be made that at least these efforts were successful. Others, like Portal just being Portal, will probably find few detractors.

They might not have been my choices, but I suppose I'll have to back that up with my own list.

TOP 10 GAME DESIGN INNOVATIONS 2007 [Next-Gen.biz]

Maxim Announces Top Ten Video Games of 2007

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 20:40:47 MST

Sure, TIME's list of the best ten games released this calendar year had its controversial entries, but I highly doubt anyone will dispute gaming bible Maxim's choices. Basically, all you really need to know is that 2K Games The Darkness surpassed Metroid Prime 3: Corruption in Maxim magazine's year end wrap up of the best games of 2007. What else did The Darkness beat out? Halo 3, Rock Band and Mass Effect, who sadly didn't make the cut, despite one of those featuring hot girl-on-girl action. At least Halo 3 nabbed the coveted "User Pick" for top spot. Maybe similar mags Stuff or King will throw them a bone. Anyhoo, enough teasing. Here are the top ten games of 2007, as decreed by the editors of Maxim.

1. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
2. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock
3. The Orange Box
4. BioShock
5.God of War II
6. Super Mario Galaxy
7. The Darkness
8. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
9. John Woo's Stranglehold
10. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition

We'll be tabulating the LOLs, ROFLs, ROFLMAOs, WTFs and GTFOs as soon as possible and plan to provide nice pie charts.

Best of 2007: Video Games [Maxim]

Nielsen Ratings Show WoW Tops PC Gaming, PS2 Tops Consoles

Michael McWhertor — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:40:00 MST

The Nielsen Company has issued its "Top Ten U.S. Lists for 2007," revealing its findings for top performers in television, movies, the internet, DVDs, music, books and, of course, video games. It should come as little surprise that the number one PC game played in the United States this year was Blizzard's World of Warcraft. Its users averaged over 17 hours of gameplay per week, according to Nielsen, which may help, in part, explain the consumption of $17.6 billion worth of carbonated soft drinks, a factoid also contained in the report.

The rest of the PC gaming genre's top performers are below, with video game console usage stats after the jump.

Top 10 PC Game Titles in the U.S.
Apr-Nov 2007

1. World of Warcraft
2. The Sims
3. RuneScape
4. Halo: Combat Evolved
4. Halo 2
6. Counter-Strike
7. The Sims 2
8. Madden NFL 07
9. Grand Theft Auto
10. Counter-Strike: Source

It's somewhat surprising to see both the original Xbox and GameCube still outperforming their successors, but I suspect those two older consoles won't hold their spots next year. A bit less surprising, however, to see the gap between those still using their PlayStation 2s versus those playing on a PlayStation 3.

Video Game Console Usage
Apr-Nov 2007

1. PlayStation 2 - 42.2 %
2. Xbox - 13.9 %
3. Xbox 360 - 11.8 %
4. GameCube - 7.1 %
5. Wii - 5.5 %
6. PlayStation 3 - 2.5 %
7. Other - 17.1 %

Oh great. I suppose we're in for a flood of comments from the Other fanboys now. They're the worst.

The Nielsen Company Issues Top Ten U.S. Lists for 2007 (PDF) [Nielsen]