In 2007, a new hierarchy established itself in the video game industry. The Nintendo Wii remained a national phenomenon that was one of the must-have impulse buys of the year. The Xbox 360 consistently churned out hits and maintained the highest software attachment rate of any of the modern consoles despite falling behind the Wii in hardware sales. The Playstation 3 proved itself attractive to those types of people who do not like to have many games worth playing.
However, my bold prediction for 2008 is that it will be the year in which the PS3 will storm back into contention in the console wars.
This column will break down the titles set for release throughout the year in order to show that while the other two systems also have key releases in '08, the lineup for Sony looks like it will force people to consider the PS3 after a mediocre start. It is important to note that to predict a year of games in February is like predicting the date of a storm nine months in advance. Some of these titles have tentative release dates and are surrounded by speculation, so what is listed here may not?and in the case of "Final Fantasy XIII," probably will not?see the light of day before Dec. 31.
If any system falls behind in 2008, I think it will be the 360. Many of its hyped titles are not console exclusives. Success will hinge on "Ninja Gaiden 2," and considering how well-received the first 3-D rendition of the series was, the sequel should not disappoint.
"Banjo-Kazooie 3," a title that I have personally longed for since the days of Nintendo 64, should also be released this year. Rare, the same company that gave us the "Donkey Kong Country" games and "Goldeneye," produces "Banjo-Kazooie." The "Banjo-Kazooie" games were great platformers that once rivaled "Mario," but since Rare left Nintendo for Microsoft, no new "B-K" games have been released. If Rare plays it right, "B-K 3" will be a great game.
"Halo Wars," a spin-off of Microsoft's most popular series, will also release in 2008, as will "Fable 2," a role-playing game whose predecessor received acclaim from critics and fans of the genre. I fail to see much else that is intriguing for the 360 in the coming year, but that does not mean that the games are not out there.
The year of the Nintendo Wii can be summed up in three words: "Smash Brothers Brawl." Despite the praise I lavish on Sony in this column, "Brawl" is my most anticipated title of the year. For those not in the know, "Smash Brothers" is a series in which classic Nintendo characters pummel each other into oblivion. I will force myself not to ramble on about "Brawl," because I could talk about it forever?at least it will get its own article when it hits stores in March. But the Wii has some muscle beyond "Brawl" in '08.
The next rendition of "Mario Kart" is TBA '08, so while we cannot be sure when it will find its way into stores, it will almost surely be in this calendar year that we can get our hands on a cornerstone of drunken multiplayer games. The Wii also looks to generate new hype with more of its Wii-centric software.
In 2008, Nintendo looks to release "Wii Music Orchestra" and "Wii Fit," two games that will surely make fans of "Wii Sports and Games" that feature the lovable "miis" squeal with glee. The Wii will also get some much-needed role-playing games in 2008, including "Dragon Quest Swords" and a sequel to "Tales of Symphonia." In addition, new Wii remakes (wiimakes?) of classic PS2 titles "Bully and Okami" make their way onto the Wii, which is a good thing for those who might have missed out on them during their original release. Also, check out "No More Heroes," a mature title for Wii that features a light saber-bearing bad ass protagonist who cuts people in half vertically. Yeah, it looks awesome.
That sounds like a pretty good year for Wii. So what can Sony do to top a year like that? It all starts with "Metal Gear Solid 4," which features Solid Snake and centers ofnstealth combat. It's not often that a character appears on the seminal titles for two different consoles in two different games in the same year, but Snake is just that much of a man to do it. He is one of the newcomers in "Smash Brothers Brawl," while he stars in "MGS4."
"MGS4" has been one of the most hyped-up games since the PS3 launched, so expect it to be great. Solid Snake's game is not the only sequel to a popular series for PS3 in '08. "Resistance 2: Rise of Man" is the sequel to the popular launch title "Fall of Man."
"Killzone 2" is the sequel to the much-hyped but disappointing "Killzone" for PS2, a game that fell flat due to a number of complaints, including jumpy controls, frame rate issues, and many glitches. "Gran Turismo 5," the hyper-realistic racing title, should also be released this year, pitting it in direct competition with "Mario Kart," even though one focuses on racing simulation while the other centers on absurd action. Beyond that, "littlebigplanet" looks like a unique title that elicited much praise when a demo was shown in 2007. Perhaps what could be the biggest surprises of the year are the as-yet unconfirmed "Final Fantasy XIII" and "God of War 3," neither of which are likely to be out before 2009 but may get pushed to be out in time for the holidays. If this happens, the PS3 has a great year ahead.
All of this has been said without focusing on the multi-platform titles. This is where the PS3 should really thrive: "Grand Theft Auto IV," "Devil May Cry 4," and "Silent Hill 5" will all appear on PS3 and 360, but became popular as Playstation games. Their major user base has always been Playstation fans, and I believe that the majority of them will stick with the system that they are accustomed to.
Notice how many games this year are sequels. There is very little in this article that is not followed by a number. That means that the games that made the PS2 the best system of last generation are now ready for release this generation, which is why Sony has set the PS3 up with a chance to redeem itself.