The year in gaming in pictures (photo gallery)

We’ve given our readers a lot to mull over for 2012 (see our roundup). Our year-end stories include predictions about the game industry 2013, our take on the gaming trends of 2012, the best massively multiplayer online games of the year, and the biggest disappointments of 2012. But we haven’t yet reminded everyone about how 2012 looked to us. Here’s our retrospective on the year in gaming from a visual perspective. Check out the 54 pictures in the photo gallery below. Most of the pictures were taken by Dean Takahashi, but we also have a shot each from Tanya Takahashi and Rich Prugh.

The year in gaming 2012: Don Mattrick at E3 Don Mattrick, the head of Microsoft's game business, opened the Xbox 360 press event at E3. In 2012, Microsoft led the pack in hardware sales. http://venturebeat.com/2012/06/08/microsoft-e3-2012-press-conference-recap-in-limerick-orm/_mg_8228/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Kixeye’s Will Harbin skewers rivals Will Harbin, the chief executive officer of Kixeye, belittled his social gaming rivals and said his firm makes real games for social hardcore gamers. http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/31/kixeyes-recruiting-video-lobs-serious-f-bombs-at-rivals/ Source: Kixeye
Apple rules: All your base are belong to us Apple generated billions in revenue for itself and app developers in 2012. Source: Tanya Takahashi
Ubisoft’s E3 Just Dance 4 dancers Guitar games died, but Ubisoft ruled the dance games market with its Just Dance series. http://venturebeat.com/2012/06/05/e3-2012-ubisoft-press-conference-round-up/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Jesse Schell and David Perry at Dice Summit awards Both of these men had reason to celebrate in 2012. Jesse Schell is remembered for his keen observations on gamification, and David Perry (pictured right) for selling Gaikai to Sony for $380M. http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/02/schell-games-to-launch-community-designed-puzzle-clubhouse-episodic-game/ http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/02/sony-buys-gaikai-game-streaming-service/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Nintendo of America’s president Reggie Fils-Aime welcomes outside developers to the Wii U Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said the Wii U would launch with at least 23 games. http://venturebeat.com/2012/06/05/nintendo-confirms-23-games-at-e3-video-streaming-and-more-for-wii-u/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Chris Griffin of Betable bets big on real-money online gambling Real-money gambling brought a smile to the face of Chris Griffin of Betable, which converts social casino games to online gambling titles. http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/09/betable-could-disrupt-social-casino-games-by-cleverly-fusing-them-with-legal-real-money-gambling/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Epic’s Tim Sweeney honored at Dice Summit At the Dice Summit, graphics wizard Tim Sweeney was honored for 20 years of work in 3D gaming at Epic Games. http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/09/epics-tim-sweeney-predicts-the-next-20-years-in-gaming-technology/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Rodger Raderman of Nukotoys fuses apps and collectible cards Rodger Raderman, the CEO of Nukotoys, showed off his cards that fuse apps and toys. http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/21/nukotoys-launches-its-intelligent-hybrid-apps-that-combine-toys-and-games/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Eric Hirshberg leads the Call of Duty charge Activision Publishing chief executive Eric Hirshberg bet big on marketing Call of Duty to the masses. The result: games that sell $1 billion worth in 15 days. http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/12/activisions-eric-hirshberg-putting-creative-people-in-charge-of-video-game-companies-isnt-a-douche-move-exclusive-interview/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Todd Howard takes Game of the Year for Skyrim Skyrim creator Todd Howard took the top honors for Game of the Year at the Dice Summit. http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/08/skyrim-creator-todd-howard-shares-secrets-of-video-game-design/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Sony’s Shu Yoshida shows off his PlayStation Vita Shu Yoshida pitched the PlayStation Vita for its superior graphics and real hardcore gameplay. But sales were slow in 2012. http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/13/sonys-shu-yoshida-bets-the-playstation-vita-will-thrive-in-the-u-s-interview/ Source: Dean Takahashi
EA’s Kristian Segerstrale anticipates a digital world with many game platforms At the Game Marketing Summit, Electronic Arts' Kristian Segerstrale anticipated a global multiplatform digital games market. http://venturebeat.com/2012/04/18/game-marketers-strive-to-stand-out-among-a-sea-of-social-noise/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Sony’s PlayStation Move didn’t move Sony anticipated a great virtual-reality style experience at the Game Developers conference, but PlayStation Move sales were weak. http://venturebeat.com/2012/11/15/sonys-playstation-3-hits-70m-sold-good-enough-for-third-place/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Wooga’s Jens Begemann loves Facebook games Jens Begemann, the CEO of Wooga, saw his company shoot to the top ranks of social games on Facebook. http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/17/interview-how-germanys-wooga-took-facebook-by-storm/ Source: Dean Takahashi
EA’s Lucy Bradshaw unveils SimCity remake EA's Lucy Bradshaw touted the brand revival for SimCity, which launched on social networks and will soon have a deeper version on the PC. She also slammed Zynga for copying. http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/06/ea-revives-sim-city-for-2013-launch/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Seamus Blackley sees arcade revival in mobile games Xbox co-creator Seamus Blackley's Innovative Leisure seeks to revive arcade game designers as mobile gaming app makers. http://venturebeat.com/2012/02/02/seamus-blackley-launches-innovative-leisure-mobile-game-startup-with-atari-arcade-veterans-exclusive/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Thatgamecompany scores big with Journey Kellee Santiago helped shepherd Journey into the market. It became a bestseller, but she left Thatgamecompany after it shipped. http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/09/kellee-santiago-describes-the-making-of-thatgamecompanys-journey/ Source: Dean Takahashi
John Schappert resigned from Zynga; many followed Gaming veteran John Schappert resigned the No. 2 job at Zynga after a tough quarter. http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/08/zynga-coo-john-schappert-steps-down/ Source: Dean Takahashi
AC III shifts to the American Revolution Tell these guys to duck. Assassin's Creed III switched its setting to the American Revolution and reignited sales. http://venturebeat.com/2012/10/30/assassins-creed-iii-wins-the-battle-but-loses-the-war-review/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Melissa Blau touts real-money online gambling Online gambling consultant Melissa Blau of iGaming Capital believes social casino games will disrupt the gambling industry. http://venturebeat.com/2012/04/27/the-deanbeat-follow-the-people-follow-the-money-into-casino-games/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Ian Dallas co-created the innovative title The Unfinished Swan The Unfinished Swan was a wonderfully creative PlayStation Network title from the mind of Ian Dallas and his team at Giant Sparrow. http://venturebeat.com/2012/10/20/unfinished-swan-interview-part-one/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Jen-Hsun touts mobile games with Tegra chip Jen-Hsun Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, has touted 3D games for years. But now he's betting on Android games with Tegra mobile chips. http://venturebeat.com/2012/12/18/nvidias-next-tegra-4-processor-may-come-with-72-graphics-cores/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Bart Decrem scores five app hits at Disney Mobile Bart Decrem, the head of mobile games at Disney, steered the giant to five top mobile app hits such as Temple Run Brave. http://venturebeat.com/2012/12/12/after-five-no-1-mobile-game-hits-disney-mobile-to-launch-three-new-holiday-games-and-four-big-updates/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Microsoft’s E3 press event Yusuf Mehdi looked tiny on stage at Microsoft's Xbox 360 press event at the Electronic Entertainment Expo. He touted the new Xbox SmartGlass app. http://venturebeat.com/2012/06/07/microsofts-yusuf-mehdi-says-xbox-smartglass-takes-an-open-view-of-mobile-console-integration-interview/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Gears of War designer CliffyB moves on from Epic After 20 years, Gears of War game designer Cliff "CliffyB" Bleszinski left his post at Epic Games. http://venturebeat.com/2012/10/03/cliff-bleszinski-leaves-epic-games/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Bethesda markets Elder Scrolls Online at E3 At E3, Bethesda Softworks advertised its upcoming Elder Scrolls Online game as a giant title. http://venturebeat.com/2012/05/03/the-elder-scrolls-onlin/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto shows off the Wii U At E3, Nintendo's game design chief Shigeru Miyamoto showed off the tablet for the company's new Wii U game console. http://venturebeat.com/2012/06/08/nintendo-e3-2012-press-conference-recap-in-limerick-form/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Sony The consumer electronics giant filed 3,032 patents. Source: Dean Takahashi
Sonic the Hedgehog at E3 Sonic the Hedgehog made his usual appearance at E3, but Sega didn't have a strong year for new games. Source: Dean Takahashi
The GamesBeat crew at E3 GamesBeat's E3 coverage team included Mike Minotti, Rus McLaughlin, Jacob Lopez, Rob LeFebvre, Dan "Shoe" Hsu, Eduardo Moutin, Stefanie Fogel, and Dean Takahashi (not pictured, Sebastian Haley). Source: Dean Takahashi
Dan “Shoe” Hsu enjoys the Wii U at E3 Dan "Shoe" Hsu gives the Wii U a spin at E3 (with art from Samir Torres). Source: Rich Prugh
Street Fighter models at E3 These models were showing off hot cars alongside a Street Fighter poster at E3. Source: Dean Takahashi
Nintendo of America’s sales and marketing head Scott Moffitt Nintendo of America sales and marketing chief Scott Moffitt waited until after Election Day to begin the Wii U marketing blitz. http://venturebeat.com/2012/11/11/nintendos-scott-moffitt-tells-us-what-we-need-to-know-about-the-wii-u-launch-interview/ Source: Dean Takahashi
E3 models show off World of Warplanes Game marketing never changes. These E3 models showed off a fighter replica in a promotion for World of Warplanes. Source: Dean Takahashi
Microsoft’s Halo 4 promo in the bathrooms at E3 This Halo 4 promo advised E3 attendees to wash their hands. Source: Dean Takahashi
Gree takes the THQ booth at E3 Naoki Aoyagi, the CEO of Gree International, took the spotlight at E3 by taking over THQ's booth. By year end, THQ filed for bankruptcy protection. http://venturebeat.com/2012/06/10/gree-e3-naoki-aoyagi-interview/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Nexon’s glamorous E3 party Nexon rented out a big nightclub for its E3 party in celebration of the rise of free-to-play PC games. Source: Dean Takahashi
Sony Online Entertainment’s John Smedley Sony Online Entertainment head John Smedley (pictured at E3), says the company's Planetside 2 shooter game is a hit. http://venturebeat.com/2012/12/12/sony-online-entertainment-chief-says-planetside-2-online-frag-game-is-a-smashing-success-interview/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Victor Kislyi of Wargaming unveils World of Warplanes at E3 Wargaming's World of Tanks closed 2012 with more than 45 million players. Company CEO Victor Kislyi touts upcoming World of Warplanes at E3. http://venturebeat.com/2012/12/20/wargaming-closes-2012-with-a-whopping-45m-world-of-tanks-players/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Mark Pincus, the CEO of Zynga, unveils slate of new games Zynga was flying high a year ago, but it had its share of troubles in 2012. The social-gaming giant is looking to real-money online gambling to shore up its financial picture. Source: Dean Takahashi
Zynga veteran game designer Mark Skaggs shows off The Ville Mark Skaggs showed off Zynga's people-simulation game The Ville. But the title missed expectations and set off a lawsuit with EA, which accused Zynga of copying The Sims Social. http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/03/ea-sues-zynga-alleging-the-ville-is-a-blatant-clone-of-the-sims-social/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Will Wright advocates personal gaming on mobile platforms Will Wright, the creator of The Sims, argued for the creation of personal gaming. But his Hive Mind startup got locked in a lawsuit and only recently settled. http://venturebeat.com/2012/11/01/simcity-pioneer-will-wright-settles-game-startup-hive-mind-lawsuit/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Game investors expect iPad gaming explosion Jeremy Liew (center) of Lightspeed Venture Partners and game investors/analysts believe the iPad will be a big winner in games. http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/10/gaming-investors-say-the-ipad-will-be-this-generations-console/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Don Mattrick and Bing Gordon at GamesBeat 2012 Game pioneers Don Mattrick (left) and Bing Gordon discussed Xbox Live as a platform at GamesBeat. http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/10/bing-gordon-legendary-game-exec-and-kleiner-perkins-vc-speaks-at-mobilebeat-2012/
Riccardo Zacconi of King.com discusses big win in Facebook games At GamesBeat 2012, AJ Glasser of Inside Network interviewed Riccardo Zacconi of King.com, which rose out of nowhere to become the No. 3 publisher of social games on Facebook. Zacconi described the company's new shift into mobile. http://venturebeat.com/2012/10/30/king-com-launches-mobile-game-as-part-of-strategy-shift/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Casey Hudson catches heat from fans for Mass Effect 3 Casey Hudson guided the development of the Mass Effect trilogy. The series was a big seller, but its ending drew a lot of flack from fans. BioWare enhanced the ending to make it more palatable. http://venturebeat.com/2012/03/21/gamers-held-the-line-mass-effect-3-ending-is-being-addressed/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Tencent’s David Wallerstein makes big investments in Western games David Wallerstein is a high-ranking executive at China's Tencent, which invested in Western game companies such as Epic Games and Riot Games. Wallerstein told us he wants to invest in triple-A game companies. http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/19/chinas-tencent-marches-to-the-west-in-search-of-kick-ass-games-interviews/ Source: Dean Takahashi
The Chartboost chow wagon at Casual Connect Seattle Chartboost wanted to catch the eyes of developers at the Casual Connect conference in Seattle. So naturally, it gave out free food. Source: Dean Takahashi
John Vechey, the co-founder of PopCap Games, was riding high after EA paid $750M-plus for his company John Vechey scored big as a co-founder of PopCap Games, which EA acquired for $750 million-plus. But PopCap had hard times this year and had two rounds of layoffs. Vechey wrote a heartfelt blog post about the cutbacks. http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/21/bad-day-for-gaming-continues-as-popcap-games-confirms-layoffs/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Kevin Chou, the CEO of Kabam, made a gutsy move into mobile games Kevin Chou made a gutsy move to diversify Kabam beyond hardcore social games on Facebook to other social networks and mobile platforms. Now, Kabam's revenues are well above $100 million, and the company had the top-grossing game on the Apple iTunes App Store for 2012 with Kingdoms of Camelot: Battle for the North. Facebook games are now just 30 percent of revenues.
Co-founders of Red Robot Labs saw millions of downloads for their Life is Crime location-based mobile game Red Robot Labs raised funding and created a big location-based mobile game hit with Life is Crime. Now, the company is investing in third-party games, and it also recently released Life is Magic on the iPhone. http://venturebeat.com/2012/08/22/red-robot-labs-to-invest-2m-in-third-party-developers-making-location-games/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Perceptual computing is the next wave PointGrab showed off webcam-based software that can recognize close-range hand gestures for what Intel calls "perceptual computing," or new ways to control computers. http://venturebeat.com/2012/09/11/intel-reinvents-the-pc-for-the-age-of-perceptual-computing/ Source: Dean Takahashi
Games go broader The body recognition found in Microsoft's Kinect game system is going broader. Here, depth camera maker PrimeSense shows off an application for gesture recognition in fashion e-commerce. It's another example of how games are reaching beyond their traditional borders. Source: Dean Takahashi