PC
The PC has always been the most versatile platform for gaming and 2012 was no exception. This year, alternative models of distribution truly took over, from the continued rise of free-to-play with Tribes: Ascend, PlanetSide 2 and the ever-popular League of Legends to the Kickstarter boom that's led to some of the year's best games and secured the future of many more. Alongside all the advances in distribution, development methods and gameplay styles, there was also plenty of incredible work done in many more traditional PC-based genres such as adventure games, loot-driven action-RPGs and MMOs. More than any other year, the PC platform has proven to be the most exciting and unpredictable, and a strong indicator of where the industry as a whole might be headed next.