Looks different, doesn't it? Yup. I decided the new year should bring something new to the blog, so I did a complete redesign. It took a lot of work to get it to be how I wanted it after I found the template. Hope it serves you guys well. Nothing layout wise has changed, so don't worry about finding anything. I have added a couple things however. You'll see that I now have my Live gametag at the top corner of the page rather than the "about me" that blogger provides. I am also implementing two new things to the page. I will have a video and a screen of the month. This month's is the CGI Mass Effect 2 trailer and a screen from Spec Ops: The Line. Check back every month or so to see the new vid and screen. The intent was to make it look smoother and cleaner, while giving it a more modern and up to date feel. Now, on to the real business.
2010 brings a little thing called predictions. 2009 brought many surprises in the gaming world. New motion control peripherals and cameras, new sequels, and even some newcomers to the field. 2010 will see these things succeed or fail. So, what do I think will happen this year? Well, it's still really early to make any good predictions, but I'll start with some for your reading pleasure. Keep in mind this is only a few, and as gaming conferences come up I'll do prediction blogs for them seperately. But to start of the new year, let's get a few out anyways.
-Nintendo will announce an upgrade to the Wii with HD graphics. It will be able to sustain high quality graphics like the 360 and PS3, and it will go to 1080p. The new Wii will be an upgrade, not a replacement, much like the DSi to the DS. It will be fully backwards compatible. It will be around $250-$300.
-Nintendo will also announce several first-titles for 2010 releases, like Metroid and possible a new Star Fox. The new HD Wii will release with the new Zelda, which won't come out until 2011 at best.
-The new Legend of Zelda game will be much different from any other game in the series. It will be a very dark story, darker than Twilight Princess, and it will not follow the same flow as other games. Likely guesses are less dungeons and more high action and adventure setpieces.
-Microsoft will release Natal in the fall under a new name with "LIVE" in the title. It will cost a max of $100, and it will come seperately and also be packaged with a new Xbox 360 for $300. This new package will have a redesigned 360 in some way, and will be for the purpose of getting the casual crowd with it's packaged-in Natal.
-Gears of War 3 will be announced and shown in some way or form. It will use Natal for more than just menu navigation.
-Many other 360 titles will announce title updates to allow menu navigation in their games with Natal.
-Sony will announce more second-party titles, possibly a new Jak and Daxter and/or Sly Cooper. A new inFamous is also likely, as is a Resistance 3.
-Sony's motion wand will NOT have a good release, and Natal will become much more popular. Expect a release much like the Playstation Eye.
-Blizzard will announce a game for consoles is either in development or that a current game, such as Diablo III, will be ported to a console.
-Diablo III will be pushed even more into 2011.
-All game sequels in 2010 will oversell their predeccessors EXCEPT for BioShock 2. Sorry, Diego.
-All games will reach record sales this year. But not as much as Modern Warfare 2. Hell no.
-Medal of Honor will fail in a blazing fire.
-Steve Ballmer will be fired. YEAH!
-Activision will of course sell some stupid peripherals to everyone. And everyone will buy them in hordes. Damn you 5-button plastic guitars. DAMN YOU.
-Bobby Kotick will again say that video games are not for fun but to make money, and that developers should not have fun making games. Then he will immediately after be attacked by several Activision employees, who will beat him up with Guitar Hero guitars, DJ hero tables, and Modern Warfare 2 night vision goggles.
-Mickey Rourke will return for a sequel to Rogue Warrior, entitled Rogue Warrior: I Need Money Badly.
-Michael Pachter will be right about everything. As usual. Again. And again.
Okay, maybe some of those end ones are a bit of a stretch.
Woo, I like the new layout! :D
ReplyDeleteI think BioShock 2 is going to be great, thank you. Who knows, maybe the multiplayer will "advertise" to more people. It could mean Bioshock 2 gets more replayability, and therefore more time in the minds of consumers.
And about Jak, you said The Lost Frontier came out already, and I have yet to play it. But regardless of whether it's good or bad, Jak is dying. The series is losing momentum very quickly. Which is a shame. It took years for The Lost Frontier to come out, and it wasn't even made my NaughtyDog. So... yeah.
Oh, and you're forgetting that in this year, Jack Thompson will somehow get his license back and destroy the videogame industry with his newly acquired jesus-abs.