This year seems really weird for video games

Anyone else get this feeling? This year has been really odd so far. Of course you have stuff like the Mass Effect 3 controversy and that whole Tomb Raider thing but there's others as well. The PS Vita is doing poorly, even in Japan. The Wii U is coming out and excitement doesn't seems up there like it was with the Wii. Apparently now Vivendi is trying to sell Activision Blizzard. Even some of the games are kind of strange. We have Halo 4, the first major Halo game not made by Bungie. We even have a fighting game based off of Persona 4 coming out this year. That's weird. There's also this general odd vibe going on. The industry is shifting into a transitional period so everything is starting to change.

What do you guys think? Weird year or pretty normal? Also anything worth pointing out that I missed (I'm sure there is).

Pretty much feels like every other year to me. 
Aside from everyone getting fired all over the place and then of course the Credits for the Call of Duty games getting shorter and shorter and basically just showing one thing on screen by now: 
"Copy/Paste Person: *insert name here* "

Video games are in a weird place right now, but hey the games are still awesome.

Yes, I think it has been a pretty weird year for games.

Nothing amazingly exciting is happening, actually, nothing exciting has happened in a good few years. We're in a rut, the next gen consoles need to hurry and kick of something new; In my opinion.

Next year is gonna be awesome. Seems like every game that I was excited for got pushed to 2013.

Considering that the game I've sunk more hours into this year than any other so far is an RPG for the Wii that almost didn't come out over here, it's a weird year, but I'm enjoying it.

I have to admit, it kind of seems like a boring year for video games. There's a handful of mildly interesting stuff, but the only games that have really piqued my interest are Dishonoured, Pikmin 3 and Burnout Paradise 2 err... Need For Speed: Most Wanted

I guess it's weird that one of the most notable games I've played this year is a visual novel about handicapped girls that can be traced back to 4chan, sure.

Uh its been fairly normal I think. I've still managed to spend way more money than I should on games again.

It’s a really slow year; I guess that most companies are working on next gen.

Weird in that their are few good games? Absolutely.

Just like every single year, I look at it now and think "Man, some fucked up shit sure has happened." Then come next year, I look back on it and think "Man, last year was just like every year."

I think this year is still an off year. Not like last year when every game with a 3 in the title was slightly worse than their counterpart with a 2 in the title, but off in a different way. In a way that is like the industry realized last years sequels were not exciting so they know they have to try something new but don't know what that something is yet.

VIDEO GAMES ARE DEAD.

Not really.

Everything is good, nothing stands out.

@Mushir:

I agree with you. I was really excited for Prey 2, Bioshock Infinite and Tomb Raider. Now, I have to wait for them until next year.

Pretty normal year so far. Tons of games purchased. Way too many to play.

the most disturbing thing this year is that the Battleship game looks playable

In that Dishonored is the only game I really, really want to play and the only game that's really been interesting me lately is a sixteen year old JRPG?

...yeah, I'd say it's been a pretty weird time for me.

Somethings not right.....  

Let's hope Assassins Creed 3 doesn't get pushed back.

I don't think so...

We still got our annual Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed after all. Quite a few games are getting pushed back to next year, but that happens every year, it's just that it is more high-profile games this year...

Need some GTA 5 news been way to long.

This year has had more than it's share of weird game related controversies agreed, but it just seems like a year when not so many good games dropped, and some that looked promising underdelivered. And far off next-gen looking games stole everyone's attention at E3 too. That feeling could change this fall/winter though with Borderlands 2, Black Ops 2 , Halo 4, AC 3, and Far Cry 3. But there's always a pleasant surprise every year it seems and I can't think of any right now for this year. Console cycle closing blues maybe too.

I'm not a big fan of the series, but Ninja Gaiden III seemed very weird considering its venerable lineage.

I find myself clearing out my backlog rather than adding to it this year. THAT IS SO WEIRD SON.

This is a transition year, so we really only get to see rehashes.

The industry has begun a transition, and I definitely agree with OP that there seems to be something in the air. Things are changing, but we aren't far enough into this transition to know for sure where we are headed.

Nah its like this at the end of every generation from what I recall. As far as stuff like mass effect controversy every year has a game or two that riles everyone up, remember how people were acting like skyrim was gonna ruin the elder scrolls franchise before it came out.

Console transition period, yes.  Live through a few of them, you start to get a feel for the rhythm.  I rode out the PS1/N64 -> PS2/Xbox jump by upgrading my PC and pcing it up until half way through that gen.  When that gen was on the downswing I hopped on board and played through all the hits.  By the time I was done with that, 360 and PS3 had established libraries.  
 
What I'm saying here is that PC takes the forefront during the final year and change of a console cycle.  Purchase thee a graphics card and download Steam.  
 
I need to follow my own advice.  It's time to go back to PC for a couple years I think. 

I'm not a big fan of the series, but Ninja Gaiden III seemed very weird considering its venerable lineage.

@Socialone said:

I'm not a big fan of the series, but Ninja Gaiden III seemed very weird considering its venerable lineage.

Team Ninja has no soul without Itagaki.  No drive.  No vision.  

I'd agree it's been very, very strange. The most exciting and agreed upon games so far this year are an indie platformer that goes COMPLETELY INSANE with its puzzle logic, an indie art game film-ish thing that tugs at our heartstrings more than anything other game ever because co-op, a Rhythm Heaven game, and a smattering of more controversial titles.

The second half of this year looks more regulated, though.

Well, it's a little frustrating that there's a bunch of games being pushed to next year, especially Bioshock =(

It also seem that the majority of games are pushed back to different dates weird.

Most of the assumed to be great games got pushed back till next year and we're in one of those end of a generation funks right now. I think another issue is that the number of big series has dwindled so much when compared to previous generations that without sequels to games like Gears, Uncharted, etc. the year seems barren which is a sad reflection of the current state of the industry. However, there's still some great stuff coming out,

Persona 4: Arena > Darksiders II > Hitman: Absolution > Halo 4 > AC3 > Dishonored > XCom:EU > RE6 > Borderlands 2 (GOTY) > Torchlight 2 > Far Cry 3 > Spelunky > Endless Space > Rainbow Moon > Deadlight > Sleeping Dogs > Sniper 2 > Dust: An Elysian Tale > Jet Set Radio > Worms Revolution > Doom 3: BFG Edition > Mark of the Ninja > Retro City Rampage > Phobos > Hell Yeah! > Vessel

Now, not all of these are going to be great but most of them look pretty damn good and the influx of cool indie stuff has me excited.

Its been weird for sure, but totally in all the right ways. 2012 is full of music rhythm games, thats kinda awesome.

The only odd thing to me is not being hyped for a new Guitar Hero & DJ Hero, nothing excited me like the road to release of those titles.

Seems pretty par for the course so far. If anything, it might be a bit more dull. But some excellent games have come out, and some really bad ones as well. Nothing game changing though.

the ps vita not doing well in japan isn't weird. It has no monster hunter, so of course it won't sell.