The 2024 1UP Big 3
Gaming's Consequential 3
This will be my first article laying out the 1UP Vault’s big three. These three categories look at the most industry-impacting, influential, and consequential of the year. The studio that had the most significant impact on the industry, the device that made the most noise, and the person in gaming that was the most important to the industry. I want to note, specifically regarding the person of the year, this focuses on industry impact, NOT how likable they are. It’s like the Time Person of the Year; it’s not an award. So with that, let’s see who made it in my inaugural Big 3.
The Studio of the Year
Team Asobi
Team Asobi started working on tech demos as part of Sony’s Japan Studio. That studio, which made the PlayStation 4’s The Playroom, would go on to deliver the 2024 Game of the Year at Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards. When PlayStation 5 launched, the studio launched Astro’s Playroom as a pack-in with the system. The praise came in as people fell in love with the little robot. So we all wondered if they would release a full-true AAA game.
With PlayStation’s 30th anniversary in the background, Sony revealed that Team Asobi had another Astro game ready. Astro Bot launched in September and completely flipped the discussions around Game of the Year. Its colorful, frenetic fun and PlayStation easter eggs became a symbol for the brand’s thirty-year celebration. In a world where Nintendo is expected to churn out the industry’s best platformers, Team Asobi surprised gamers by delivering their own critically acclaimed family game. This wasn’t just a success story for the team but the culmination of a passion.
Director Nicholas Doucet at the Game Awards made sure to let everyone know their respect and love for Nintendo and Mario. It was evident in his speech that this studio wanted to do more than just make a good platformer for PlayStation; they wanted to add something special similar to what Nintendo has given gamers. Team Asobi showed what a studio that is in this for the passion and love can give out at a time when the corporate side of the industry seems to be taking over. They’re special.
The Device of the Year
PlayStation 5 Pro
No hardware dominated the year more than the rumors, reveal, and the launch of the PlayStation 5 Pro. While it's true the Switch 2 dominated the rumor mill, the PS5 Pro actually came out. The system did have a weird reveal, as Mark Cerny’s sleepy ASMR voice explained Sony’s goals for the system but chose to show a PS4 game. Digital Foundry would eventually get time with the system and be able to give better details about what the system could do. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was the primary game that showed the system’s capabilities. However, it came at a price - LITERALLY.
The system controversially came without a disc drive. If you wanted one, you had to either swap your current PS5 Slim’s drive or buy one for an additional $80. As for the console itself? An expensive $699! Now to play devil’s advocate - If you adjust for inflation, the 2006 cheapest PS3 would be about $779 compared to today’s money. But remember, gamers HATED that price, and it almost killed the brand. Sony did this not only because components haven’t gotten cheaper but because they expected this to be a low-sales device. Still, the system’s high price led to questions on what that means for the future of console prices.
The PS5 Pro was released and immediately became a hot-button debate among hardware enthusiasts. On one hand, the system does look better than the PS5 and, in some titles, really feels like a pro system. On the other hand, some games seem to have such weak upgrades that it's hard to see what exactly they did. I guess developers aren’t quite used to tools like PSSR. Whether 2025 becomes the year we finally see PS5 Pro show its worth, the system still had enough impact to be my inaugural device of the year, just in time for the brand’s 30th anniversary.
The Person of the Year
Satya Nadella - Microsoft Chariman and CEO
The industry landscape is currently in a weird and slow transition period. I have been telling many people for several years now that the industry will look completely different by the early part to the middle of the next decade. The primary platform brand that arguably started these changes is the Xbox brand. While we can look at the face of Xbox Phil Spencer as the man spearheading it, it’s Microsoft chairman and CEO Satya Nadella pulling the strings. Nadella has become more involved with Xbox’s business, which will only increase after his company spent $70 billion to purchase Activision-Blizzard.
Nadella has already started to carve out a legacy in the tech space and within Microsoft’s history. When he took over, the company seemed to lack a mission statement and moved away from its software-first approach, as the Steve Ballmer era tried to create alternatives to the iPod and Android. The first big thing Nadella did was bite the bullet and shut down Windows Phone. He would focus the company on cloud computing and bring their mobile software to Android and iOS devices. After what many believe was some coaxing by Phil Spencer to keep it, Nadella kept the Xbox brand alive and slowly gave them more power to make their own decisions. The result was a reinvigorated Microsoft that finally had an individual identity that wasn’t trying to copy Apple or Google.
According to reports, Nadella began to get more involved with Xbox about the time the Xbox Series consoles launched. He issued an edict that he wanted Game Pass to grow and opened his wallet to make significant acquisitions. His increasing presence in Xbox and gaming culminated in 2024. With the Activision deal done, Xbox began planning to go beyond the console and expand Xbox to an ecosystem. It was also a year with many layoffs at the company. While many immediately targeted Phil for criticism, and President of Xbox Sarah Bond had a weird moment when asked about them - no doubt Nadella asked for the cuts. Don’t get me wrong, Phil is the face and leader of the Xbox brand, but Satya Nadella is very much the head guy in charge.
Nadella’s impact this year was big, even if you didn’t notice. The Xbox brand is very much Microsoft gaming now, not just Xbox. Satya Nadella is a power broker and player in the industry now. For his impact on the Green X and gaming as a whole, Nadella is my pick for the 2024 person in gaming.