It's been said a hundred times and it'll be said a hundred more, but 2020 was a different kind of year. The gaming industry felt it across the board, as several games were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it still managed to come in strong, and Microsoft is celebrating that with its year in review video.
These videos tend to happen at the end of the year and are nothing new, but the content in them certainly is. Alongside the console launches of the Xbox Series X/S, Microsoft's video shows off several of its announced or released games, including everything from Microsoft Flight Simulator to Fable. Perhaps most importantly, the video ends on the message of "thank you for being part of our community."
In this way, Microsoft highlights everything it has done and is doing, while keeping the focus on what makes it so great: the teams who put the games together and the community that plays them. Indeed, it's almost impossible to watch this video and think about COVID-19, and that itself is a feat in and of itself.
Many are hoping 2021 is a better year, but it's hard to say that 2020 wasn't a good year for games. Celebrating everything accomplished is a great way to prepare for the most anticipated games of 2021, and it's a widespread. Microsoft isn't the only company celebrating the good parts of the year.
Nintendo also recently released some year in review statistics, where players could see how much time they've spent in Animal Crossing: New Horizons and elsewhere. As 2020 comes to an end, 2021 is likely to be another big year for gaming, regardless of platform. And that's reason enough to look forward to the new year.
The Xbox Series X is available now.