While dance-pop and electronic dance music (EDM) continued to dominate nightclubs, mainstream radio experienced an unexpected influx of indie, acoustic, and alternative sounds:
Titles like Journey and Fez proved that small-budget, artistic games could capture mainstream attention and critical acclaim.
Online video evolved from a platform for amateur clips into a legitimate arm of mainstream entertainment. 2012 proved that internet trends could dictate global culture.
On network television, mockumentary-style comedies like The Office (heading into its final season) and Parks and Recreation were cultural touchstones, while Modern Family continued its dominance at the Emmy Awards.
Christopher Nolan completed his gritty superhero saga with The Dark Knight Rises , setting a new standard for comic book adaptations.
, which began its transition from a DVD-by-mail service to a content giant, forever changing the "water cooler" conversation into "binge-watching" culture. Gaming and Social Interconnectivity In the gaming world, 2012 saw the release of on consoles, which turned gaming into a creative sandbox
Featuring Kimbra, this minimalist, art-pop track became an inescapable global anthem, winning the Grammy for Record of the Year.
In cinema, 2012 proved that audiences were hungry for massive, interconnected narratives and epic conclusions to long-running franchises.
: Released on the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series, it became the most successful Bond film to date. The Hunger Games