Many takes that were regarded as fact throughout 2020, like Cyberpunk 2077's hype and Nintendo Switch Pro rumors, have not carried over into 2021.
2021 has been a mixed bag for gaming, with many assumptions and hopes about this year being proven incorrect time and time again. Numerous delays, disappointing game launches, and releases that weren't what audiences hoped for were seen all throughout the year. Quality launches seemed few and far between this year, and plenty of takes people had about gaming in previous years were shown incorrect.
Previous years have been some of the most difficult in game development. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a major strain on the industry, affecting everything from development schedules causing delays, to the continued low stock of PS5 and Xbox consoles. People being home more often than ever before only magnified the issues, as the demand for new games is increasing alongside the difficulty to get these games developed and released.
Throughout late 2019 and 2020, the world saw several gaming rumors swirl through media platforms and major gaming announcements made by developers. The hype generated for things like new console variants and long-awaited games such as Cyberpunk 2077 in previous years have been brought down tremendously. The reality ended up being that several of these hotly anticipated pieces of hardware and games wouldn't exist in ways players had hoped for, and takes that many players were absolutely certain of in 2020 don't quite ring true anymore.
The Nintendo Switch has been a major success, outselling the NES in lifetimes sales, and nearly matching the Wii's lifetime sales this year. Although players saw some of the best Switch games in 2021, some players have noted the Switch has relatively weaker hardware when compared to contemporary consoles such as the Xbox and PlayStation lines of consoles. As the console entered its fourth year on the market in 2021, rumors began to pop up about a potential updated Nintendo Switch system with more powerful hardware and 4K graphics capabilities.
Many assumed that this new Nintendo Switch would follow the footsteps of its handheld predecessor, the 3DS. The 3DS saw a budget alternative in the 2DS, and later the New Nintendo 3DS line, featuring better hardware and additions such as a second C-stick for controlling the camera. Rumors and purported leaks during this time claimed that Nintendo would be announcing a new 4K Nintendo Switch model, with many of these rumors claiming a "Nintendo Switch Pro" as a working title. This was, however, proven false when the announcement of a new console was the Nintendo Switch OLED model, which, while providing a better screen and a new white color for the console, did not have more powerful hardware, and is considered as a "sidegrade" by Nintendo rather than the next generation of Nintendo Switch many players had hoped for.
Cyberpunk 2077 had very high hopes throughout its development cycle. Announced all the way back in 2012, seeing trailers at E3 2018 and 2019, the game generated a lot of hype from how long it had been between announcement and any form of a release date being announced. Set in the Cyberpunk universe of tabletop games and featuring incredibly customizable Cyberpunk characters, a vibrant, lived-in world, multiple movement options and character classes, Cyberpunk 2077 was setting itself up to be the future of video games.
Unfortunately, the game received numerous delays, changing from a 2019 release date, and ultimately ending up with a late 2020 release date. Players were unhappy, with small groups even sending death threats to the developers, but many were understanding, hopeful the added time spent on the game would help make it that much better when it finally released. Upon release, however, the game received massive criticism for feeling unfinished, with numerous bugs and performance issues across every console Cyberpunk 2077 released on.
Though many games face buggy releases that can be swiftly fixed with post-launch patches, the bugs that Cyberpunk 2077 launched with were much more severe, with the game being pulled from the PlayStation online storefront and a class action lawsuit against Cyberpunk 2077 being launched for failure to deliver on expectations for the biggest game of the year, as well as the developer downplaying whether the game was ready prior to launch. Anyone wholeheartedly excited for Cyberpunk 2077 throughout 2020 faced disappointment when the year ended.
Much of the disappointments in the gaming industry throughout 2021 have come from the numerous game delays seen. The COVID-19 pandemic has put a massive strain on game development. Working from home has caused a strain on productivity, as sharing files and receiving support is now at the mercy of internet speeds, which can dramatically slow down development. Despite a rather understandable issue for many, it can't be denied that players feeling hyped for 2021 releases of many titles are disappointed that the wait will go into the next year.
Cyberpunk 2077's first free DLC was pushed from 2021 into 2022 this year, with developers wanting to focus more on fixing the game. Harry Potter fans were disappointed when the open-world game set in the Harry Potter universe Hogwarts Legacy was delayed into 2022. The same goes for Lord of the Rings fans with The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, a stealth game set in Middle-earth, being delayed from Holiday 2021 to 2022. PlayStation fans seeking a new racing game for their new PlayStation 5 consoles are also going to have to wait for 2022, as Gran Turismo 7 has been delayed until March of 2022, also initially expecting a 2021 release date. And, possibly most devastating of all, God of War 2 was delayed until 2022, meaning the sequel to the critically acclaimed game won't see continuation until the new year. It's fair to say anyone who was hopeful for new titles in 2021 had at least one game pushed back.
Despite the challenges 2020 and 2021 brought, 2022 could be the best year in gaming players have seen in a long time. With several of the titles delayed this year finally seeing release, in addition to long-awaited games like Starfield, Gears 6, Path of Exile 2, and even more, players will have something to look forward to. Takes like knowing a new console is to be announced, games with a lot of hype being expected to be as good as the marketing says, and expectations for games being released on the initially announced release date will never go away, but hopefully 2021 has taught players to remain realistic while also holding onto the hype that these announcements bring.
