What was life like before Fallout 4 was announced? We're not sure we want to remember. After its Earth-shattering E3 2015 gameplay reveal, the game jumped to the top of near everyone's lists, with many already calling Fallout 4 the game of the year.

It says a lot about a game when people are already considering it a game of the year winner (not contender) without ever having played it. It's also a testament to the considerable hype machine Bethesda has built not just with Fallout 4, but also the Fallout series in general, taking the post-apocalyptic RPG series to new heights. Bethesda's efforts to usher in a new era for the franchise while also celebrating its past will ensure that 2015 is remembered as the year of Fallout.

Innovating with Fallout

First off, Bethesda is using Fallout as a platform to enact innovation in the gaming industry. Most notably, they are achieving this by bringing mods to consoles. As announced at E3 2015, Fallout 4 PC mods will transfer to Xbox One, and eventually to the PS4 as well. With Bethesda spearheading mods on consoles, something they've reportedly been pushing for since the days of the original Xbox, it could have wide-reaching effects across the industry as a whole, and leaves the door open for other developers to incorporate mods on console as well.

Bringing Fallout to Mobile

E3 2015 was dominated by Fallout, thanks to announcements like the previously mentioned console mods, as well as the epic Fallout 4 presentation. However, Bethesda also made E3 week memorable by announcing the quirky mobile game Fallout Shelter.

Tasking players with managing the lives of vault dwellers, Fallout Shelter is a cutesy casual game that has huge widespread appeal. The game earned Bethesda over $5 million in its first two weeks available, and with the highly anticipated Android version coming on August 13th, Fallout Shelter's success should only grow. The game's popularity has potentially introduced the quirky post-apocalyptic world of Fallout to a brand new audience of gamers, which could in turn drum up even more interest in Fallout 4.

Revisiting the Classics

2015 has already seen the release of Fallout Shelter, and in a few months, Fallout 4 will hit the scene as well. However, 2015 couldn't be the year of Fallout without Bethesda paying due attention to the classics that came before. And what better way to do so than with the Fallout Anthology? For the uninitiated, the Fallout Anthology is a PC collection of the first Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout Tactics, Fallout 3, and Fallout: New Vegas (sorry Brotherhood of Steel fan), all packed together in a mini-nuke! Better yet, there's even enough space for Fallout 4 to fit snug in the back.

Xbox One owners are also getting some classic Fallout love later this year. Xbox One pre-orders of Fallout 4 come with a free digital copy of Fallout 3, which of course means that Fallout 3 is being added to the growing list of Xbox 360 backward compatible games on Xbox One. With Bethesda supporting the backward compatibility movement right out of the gate, don't be surprised to see Fallout: New Vegas available on Xbox One not long after.

Fallout 4 - Game of the Year?

Here we are, the atomic explosion of a game that truly makes 2015 the year of Fallout. Playing the old Fallout games is still great fun, but Bethesda knows what we're really all waiting for, and that's the release of Fallout 4. After years of waiting, speculation, and E3 events gone by without any mention of the next entry in the Fallout series, Bethesda blew the roof off the Dolby Theater at E3 2015 with gameplay footage and a November 10th release date.

Simply put, the game looks absolutely incredible. It seems like a step up from Fallout 3 in every conceivable way, and is packed with content. With over 400 hours of gameplay in store when Fallout 4 drops this November, players are going to have their hands busy. While it may be a bit too early to crown Fallout 4 the definitive Game of the Year, in the minds of many, it's the video game that defines 2015.

By innovating in the industry with mods on consoles, delivering an addicting mobile game in the form of Fallout Shelter, re-releasing the classic games in the series, and blowing everyone away with Fallout 4, Bethesda is making sure that 2015 is forever remembered as the year of Fallout.

Those excited for Fallout 4 will be able to play the game on PC, PS4, or Xbox One when it releases on November 10th.