25 things GameZone and gamers are thankful for on this Thanksgiving Day

Turkey, stuffing, and rolls, oh my! Indeed, there’s no doubting that Thanksgiving is a joyous holiday. However, as we prepare our tables for fattening, scrumptious food, and our recliners for Thursday afternoon football, we may forget one vital aspect of Thanksgiving: thankfulness.  There’s a lot to be thankful for, but even more so as gamers. Think we’re kidding? Think again, because we’ve compiled a list of 25 things we here at GameZone are thankful for, and things gamers in general should give thanks towards.

  •  We are thankful for 343 Industries. We never really fell out of love with our beloved Master Chief, but they sure helped us uncover a deeper infatuation with our masked hero.
  • We are thankful for first-person shooter e-vac helicopters. They always seem to find a way to get hit by a RPG just before we get on board, don’t they?
  • We are thankful for Doritos and Mountain Dew. Just when we, gamers, thought we could break the gaming stereotype of being fat and lazy, you sweep in with your double XP codes and tell us gamers, “oh hell no!”
  • We are thankful for Red Dead Redemption and Assassin’s Creed 3. These two titles made skinning animals a more terrifying experience than all of Resident Evil 6.
  • We are thankful for Microsoft. It’s been an amazing ten years of Xbox LIVE. 2002 seemed like an innovation itself, but looking back we can only wonder if the company really knew what they were about to present to the gaming world.
  • We are thankful for Peter Molyneux. We can’t help but think that the term “revolutionary” wouldn’t be as popular in our industry if it weren’t for that bald, gentle giant.
  • We are thankful for the “Take Back Mass Effect” movement. As chaotic as that fiasco was, it proved to the entire industry that gamers still call about their single-player experiences.
  • We are thankful for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. We now know that in 13 years we’ll be able to shoot a sniper through a ten-foot concrete pillar that’s holding up a LA highway.
  • We are thankful for Xbox SmartGlass. Because anything Wii U does, Xbox can do too…sort of?
  • We are thankful for Nuketown 2025. We’d love to live in such a nice community like that one day. Minus the radiation…and explosions…and creepy manikins. 
  • We are thankful for Sony. They’ve finally brought PS Vita users Playstation Plus and a slew of excellent, free titles.
  • We are thankful for Borderlands 2. Because now every time we head to the restroom, we look for some precious loot underneath the lid (and not the loot we’re about to drop).
  • We are thankful for NASCAR The Game: Inside Line. We don’t know how Activision fit that title on the game’s cover, so for that, we’re thankful.
  • We are thankful for Gearbox. Earlier this year we, and the developer, learned of a Borderlands fan’s unfortunate passing. The developer then delivered a tear-jerking eulogy read by none other than ClapTrap himself.
  • We are thankful for TellTale Games. The Walking Dead episodic series has proved to be a thrilling adventure, and certainly a candidate for “Game of the Year.”
  • We are thankful for NBA 2K13. We know it’s tough to deliver a steller experience with other, “hopeful,” titles breathing down your neck…cough cough NBA LIVE.
  • We are thankful for Child’s Play. Gaming isn’t just something we do for a living, or just another hobby. Indeed, for some of us, gaming has meant putting the idea of cancer out of our minds for a short moment while we save the day, even if we can’t fully do that here in our time.
  • We are thankful for titles like BioShock Infinite, Gears of War: Judgment, and Grand Theft Auto V. They’re just a friendly reminder that our wallets are screwed for 2013.
  • We are thankful for Kinect. Who knew real-life surgery could be like a controller-free version of Operation?
  • We are thankful for Major Nelson. That man spends hours writing and tweeting stories about the latest avatar gear that we’ll never, ever think of purchasing.
  • We are thankful for Dishonored. Bethesda proved that new, innovative IPs aren’t dead and gone. Oh, and Corvo is still a sweet name.
  • We are thankful for Medal of Honor: Warfighter. A for effort, right?
  • We are thankful for Halo 4’s Needler. You don’t know what you got till it’s not a primary weapon anymore.
  • We are thankful for EA. Mirrors Edge 2 is finally a thing, but has its time come and gone?
  • We are thankful for you, the readers. GameZone wouldn’t be what it is if it wasn’t for your continued support. You make what we do so worth it.

And there you have it: 25 things we are thankful for on this glorious Thanksgiving Day. This list only scratches the surface of possible “thanksgiving” in our industry. What are you thankful for? Let us know by commenting below, and have a happy turkey day!

You can follow Tate Steinlage daily ramblings of college life, Sporting KC, and yes, gaming at @SteinlageT on Twitter.