Top 5 Biggest Surprises in Gaming for 2013

The year 2013 had some great moments that wowed gamers, some moments that disappointed or confused the gaming world, and some that just plain surprised and shocked gamers. To remember these shocking moments, here are the biggest surprises of 2013 for gamers.

5. Nintendo Announces 2DS Console- The handheld Nintendo 3DS has been the highlight for the company as the Wii U continues to struggle. However, when Nintendo announced that they were releasing the 2DS, many fans were confused. Build as a video game system for younger children, this brick of a handheld removes much of what makes the 3DS unique, and looks ugly doing it. The sudden announcement and release of the new handheld definitely was a surprise for gamers in 2013.

4. The Last of Us multiplayer- Many fans of the critically acclaimed game had low expectations for the multiplayer component of The Last of Us, but for the most part the mode is very fun and exciting to play. While the adventure of Joel and Ellie was the emotional core of the game, fighting it out with other players in tension filled matches helped push the game to game of the year levels.

3. Riley the Call of Duty dog becomes a star- Did anyone predict that during the Xbox One announcement that a CGI dog would become the highlight of the presentation? When the fairly poorly planned announcement shifted from watching television on the Xbox One to Call of Duty, many fans mostly focused on the dog squad mate capable of ripping out throats and stealing our hearts, earning Riley a place on this list.

2. Sony's frequent jabs at the Xbox One before launch- The Xbox One was announced back in May 2013, and Sony quickly pounced on many of the unpopular features of the console such as always on DRM and obtuse used games policies. Even when Microsoft fixed these mistakes, Sony then poked fun at the company for going back on their original idea. Overall, Sony has been very antagonistic towards the competition, something gamers would not of expected from the company.
1. The Xbox One is announced, promptly modified after backlash- There were plenty of rumors surrounding the Xbox One before it was launched, but nobody saw the backlash coming against the company for the original Xbox One. With a mandatory Kinect and internet connection, weird sharing policies, and other flaws, the console was unpopular to say the least. What is even more surprising is that, less than two weeks later, Microsoft took away most of these policies and admitted defeat. The sudden turn by Microsoft, as well as the company actually listening to their fan base, is the most memorable surprise of 2013.