In many ways, 2021 felt very much like a New Game Plus mode of 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to ravage populations around the world and life as we knew it has changed fundamentally, as a result. Never the less, 2021 still had a few highlights here and there, and our Vamers 2021 in review will take a look at the content our audience most enjoyed, as well as a few personal highlights from the team.
Onward and upward
The pandemic has clearly changed how developed nations consume content. As such, more and more people have embraced the online nature of a world where it is not necessarily safe to leave their home (all within reason, of course). From a much higher reliance on e-commerce services for food and essentials, through to using the Internet to work and study remotely; it is clear how being ‘connected’ is as integral to modern society as running water and electricity.
With the above in mind, it pleases me to report how Vamers 2021 was our biggest year yet. Over 2.5-million people visited the site resulting in over 3.8-million pageviews. Furthermore, our socials channels experienced over 250 000 combined annual engagements; and Hans’ YouTube channel received over 270 000 views. These statistics are nothing short of incredible, and we are truly thankful for all of the support you, our dear readers, have shown. It gives us the motivation to continue producing class-leading content, and for this we are indebted to you.
Most popular posts of 2021
Our change to producing original content over ‘news’ articles in 2020 was both exciting and anxiety inducing. News content, for many websites, is a livelihood – it was for us too. Almost two years on, however, Vamers is thriving! Readership quadrupled in 2020, and has almost doubled again for 2021. This more than proves how our readers are quite receptive to long lasting quality content with substance, versus time dependant/fleeting information.
Regarding the most popular posts for Vamers 2021, they have been broken down into the top five most popular for the year (naturally older posts have higher views) as well as the most popular for each month of the year.
Top five
- 10 Games Pass Simulation Games worthy of your time
- Apple Pay South Africa – supported banks, how to use & more
- Vamers Valeo: Zack Snyder – Redefining Superheroes
- Top 10 hilariously bad voice overs in Video Games
- Dead Movie Franchises That Need Video Game Adaptations
Top post per month
- Jan – 4 Immortals Fenyx Rising Tips you need to know!
- Feb – Nerf Elite Shockwave 2.0 RD 15 Review – Ultimate Action
- Mar – Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood Review – Familiarity at its worst
- Apr – Apple Pay South Africa – supported banks, how to use & more
- May – Recommended Mass Effect DLC Order for the best experience!
- Jun – Friends: The Reunion Review – The One Where They Reunite
- Jul – 10 Mods that Fundamentally Change PC Games for the Better
- Aug – Devilsdorp Review – The Truth will set you Free
- Sep – Useful Apex Legends Tips to Become a Better Predator
- Oct – Five actors who could play Nathan Drake instead of Tom Holland
- Nov – Huawei nova Y60 Review – Budget Superstar
- Dec – All The Marvel Shows Coming To Disney Plus In 2022
Vamers Crew Favourite Posts of 2021
Reflecting on the past year is a cathartic process. It allows us to review past work and determine where we could improve and what resonated well with our interests and audience. In so doing, it is also important for us to review the work of our fellow crew members for both moral support and improvement purposes.
The following lists are personal in nature, and reflect the top five favourite posts for each of the full-time members of the Vamers Crew.
Hans Haupt
- Dismantling the misconceptions around Video Games Journalism
- 5 Reasons Why You Should Grab 3 Friends and Try Back 4 Blood
- Game of Thrones Redeemed Review – Fixing the unfixable
- Dead Movie Franchises That Need Video Game Adaptations
- Recommended Mass Effect DLC Order for the best experience!
Edward Swardt
- Hello EGAD; and Goodbye traditional scores
- Five actors who could play Bruce Wayne in Batman Beyond
- E3 2021’s biggest winner is Xbox Cloud Gaming
- These are the Ten Most Awarded Games of 2020
- How games influence adult preferences
Arielle Pieterse
- Resident Evil Village Review – Another Hand Bites the Dust
- Vamers Valeo: Scarlett Johansson – A Widow’s Tale
- Friends: The Reunion Review – The One Where They Reunite
- 20 Unbelievable Lord Of The Rings Facts
- Black Widow (2021) Review – Requiem for an Avenger
From the entire Vamers Crew, we wish you all a wonderful new year (or at least a somewhat better year than 2021). We all look forward to continuing to produce work we can be both proud of and that you, our audience, will enjoy. Be safe, be kind and see you all in 2022!
Owner, founder and editor-in-chief at Vamers, Hans has a vested interest in geek culture and the interactive entertainment industry. With a Masters degree in Communications and Ludology, he is well read and versed in matters relating to video games and communication media, among many other topics of interest.