I made some people angry this year. Let’s reflect on that.

When the year nears its end and the holidays loom, everyone starts publishing year-end overviews. Top Games. Big News Stories. Etcetera. I thought it would be interesting to look back on the things I wrote on the Multiplayer blog that generated the most heat.

In other words: these are the things that made people call me an idiot. Were the people right?

What follows are selective quotes from the most controversial stuff from the Multiplayer blog. Most of this involves posts in which I gave my opinion. It seems people didn’t yell at me for my reporting. Thanks for that!

Onward…

I had said: It sure does look like Nintendo may stop making games that can only be played by one person.

A Multiplayer reader said: “So now it’s Nintendo’s fault that games are leaning towards multiplayer? WTF? Where is your scathing article on Microsoft and their forcing of online gaming and micropayments down gamer’s throats? I know that there are a lot of Wiiphobes out there, but all of this biased anti-nintendo garbage that gets pumped out everyday by the gaming media needs to stop.”

***

I said: This new “Resident Evil 5” trailer makes me uneasy. And I quote: “My problem is that it presents a fantasy I don’t desire. … Shooting zombies is something I can get behind, just as I can support video game fantasies of shooting Nazis or even causing mayhem in a big city. But when I see a town of what looks like impoverished African villagers — the very image of global poverty, the very spectacle that since my youth has been coded in me to evoke sympathy and charity — I don’t want to pull the trigger.”

A Mulitplayer reader said: “How does everthing turn into race? Yeah I’m Black too, and it’s only a video game. DAMN! I mean every shooting game has somebody being shot, Look at all the R.E games, I don’t see a problem with the game, It’s not like they’re saying lets kill n—–s or cr*ckers, quit trying to turn little things into big things.”

***

I had said: If Capcom really is going to bring “Okami” to the Wii, maybe they shouldn’t add stuff — but actually, maybe they can cut some stuff out?

A Multiplayer reader said: I do love the irony. Most games are too short or don’t have enough to do, and when a game comes along that gives people their fill, they complain it’s too long and theres too much to do. I’m intensely glad you are not a game designer and most likely never will be.

***

I talked to a PlayStation executive in charge of firmware upgrades about the high number of mandatory upgrades on the PS3.

A Multiplayer reader said: “Eric Lempel, this dork Multiplayer does NOT speak for the majority of Sony fans!!! We want updates as soon as a new function is ready, instead of having to wait for some stupid “fall release” where we have to wait months to get the updates. I love the fact that we get updates at least once a month.”

***

I had said: If these rumors are true that Bungie might be leaving Microsoft (this was before any confirmation, of course), then let’s brainstorm who might make “Halo 4.”

A Multiplayer reader said: “There will not and cannot be a ‘Halo 4′ there will however be another game similar to ‘Halo’ involving Master Chief. If you did your research (including the Halo books) and link the story, it is all over. As for the publisher of the next game it WILL be Bungie they own the Halo name and they will stick with bringing us amazing FPS games.”

***

I had said: I canceled my “World of Warcraft” account after 14 consecutive paid but unplayed months — and boy that process was surprisingly easy.

A Multiplayer reader said: “MTV sucks and is the lamest nullist fake pile of putrid $~~? that has ever been freed from the foul bowles of a plague ridden rat from the era of the black plague.”

***

Well? Did I make you angry too? I hope we kept things interesting for you here at Multiplayer. We’ll try to do so again in 2008!