Best of April Fools 2012
For some, April fools draws reference from the French calendar reform of the sixteenth century, whereby the start of the year was moved from the end of March to January 1st. In the gaming industry however, it’s the time where fallacies flow in thick and fast, as outlandish trailers and announcements are made by some of the biggest players around.
2012 was no different, so we thought we would wade through all the tomfoolery and showcase some of our favourites.
Half-Life 3 on Steam
In a move only bound to antagonize long time fans, Valve presented the most heartbreaking of pranks, presenting their store front as seen in the picture below.
Ready to cry in excitement? Well sadly, clicking on this naturally enticing link would lead you here.
At least Valve see the humour in it all. Pity about the fanboys.
Chrome Multitask Mode
Ok, so Google’s practical joke didn’t actually have much to do with the gaming industry, but their video was just too damn good NOT to include it in our list.
For anyone who thinks the corporate giant hasn’t given multi-tasking enough thought, think again. Developing an ingenious method to boost both productivity and brain aneurisms is just another day at Google HQ. We won’t spoil it for you, but prepare to be amazed.
Mass Effect Cartoon – Debut Trailer
Love incredibly cheesy, yet wonderful 80’s cartoon shows? We sure do and so does IGN it seems. They love them so much in fact, that they premiered their very own trailer for an upcoming Mass Effect Cartoon series.
No, your eyes do not deceive you; so check out just what kind of shenanigans Commander Shepard and the gang will be getting themselves into – it’s astounding.
Assassin’s Creed for Kinect
The hardcore audience has been demanding a logical and considered use of Kinect since its inception and it seems as though our prayers have finally been answered! Meet Assassins Creed Kinect – your one and only chance to be a real life silent, parkour master assassin.
This bad boy rid Kinect of cute, candy named animals in favour of hidden blades through the scalp. Start warming up now people.
Nintendo Dubstep Experience 3D
Out of all the April 1st efforts, there was only one that was our clear favourite. Meshing the cute and cuddly styling of Nintendo with the intense world of wub-wub, the creation of Nintendo Dubstep Experience was both an incredibly inspired choice and a stroke of utter genius.
It’s to 1UP’s credit that the video possessed not only outstanding production value, but that it was absolutely hilarious as well. Scary thing is, its also totally plausible. Now where can we sign up to pre-order?
The Not so Good: SEGA Bass Fishing of the Dead
Not everyone can strike comedy gold, and 2012 just wasn’t Sega’s year. The announcement of SEGA Bass Fishing of the Dead had potential. After all, combining zombies, shotguns and broad brim hats must have seemed like an obvious concoction; it just managed to pay off.
It was a valiant effort guys, but maybe next year hey?
That’s our list, but if any of you guys have any favourites, feel free to paste them on over below!
