2009 will be a dull year for gaming
(Credit:
Nintendo of America)
If 2008 was the Year of Gaming, 2009 will be just the opposite. At least, that's what Lionhead Studios' Peter Molyneux said he believes in a recent interview with the BBC.
Speaking to reporters, Molyneux said he thinks 2009's upcoming game releases are "all looking a bit dry...All the triple-A titles came out this Christmas, and while there is stuff in 2010 we can look forward to, off the top of my head, I cannot think of anything next year that really excites me."
Off the top of my head, I can think of a few upcoming games that excite me: Halo 3: ODST Killzone 2, Halo Wars, BioShock 2: Sea of Dreams, and Resident Evil 5. But besides those, after looking at the upcoming release calendars for the three major consoles, as well as the Nintendo DS and Sony's PlayStation Portable, I have to agree with Molyneux.
But maybe my skepticism is rooted in the fact that 2008 was such a great year for gaming. It was the year that was headlined by a slew of great titles, such as Fable 2, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, and Grand Theft Auto IV. Most importantly, it was the year that saw gaming increase in popularity by an astounding rate.
In comparison, 2009 is shaping up to be an incredibly dull year for gaming.
Out of the hundreds of titles that will hit store shelves, did you notice that I was only able to pick a handful out of the bunch about which I'm really excited? The rest are either derivative games that will offer little value to the gamer or are unknown titles that could set a new standard or fall flat. Based on the information available for most of those games, I'm guessing the latter will be the most likely result.
But if we step away from games for a moment, what else can we really get excited about in gaming? I doubt any of the console makers will announce follow-up hardware this year, and unless Sony decides to drop the price of its PS3, don't expect any changes in the sales of the three major consoles.
We might see a DS and PSP redesign during 2009, which would make some happy, and surely one title will make its way to the PC that will captivate audiences the way Crysis did during 2008. And maybe the iPhone will play a bigger role in gaming, thanks to the App Store and its relative popularity.
But is that really all that we can look forward to? Just one year ago, we were looking down the barrel of what would become, arguably, the greatest year in gaming. It saw the Wii take off, a slew of games receive high marks from most major reviewers, and a couple titles set new standards in the market. Meanwhile, more people became gamers, and the video game industry itself made an even better case that it's the logical replacement for film as the chosen form of entertainment for millions of people across the globe.
Although 2009 will probably see an increase in gaming's popularity (largely thanks to the Wii), it's not shaping up to be a memorable year for those who are already gamers. With just a handful of possibly exciting games, no prospect of hardware changes, and a slew of derivative titles, 2009 looks as if it might be a gaming year that's best forgotten.
Obviously, I hope that won't be true. But so far, I'm looking forward to 2010.
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Don Reisinger is a technology columnist who has written about everything from HDTVs to computers to Flowbee Haircut Systems. Don is a member of the CNET Blog Network, and posts at The Digital Home. He is not an employee of CNET. Disclosure.
Thank you.
missed this when i read it the first time.
"We might see a DS and PSP redesign during 2009" ? the new DS is already out in japan and will be here before mid-year. remember? it has two digital cameras.
dont you get tired of your readers hading your @$$ to you?
According to Neil Schneider, President and CEO of Meant to be Seen (MTBS), Blitz Games Studios has confirmed that Sony ?fully intends? to support stereoscopic 3D gaming and Blu-ray 3D on PS3 in 2009 with their Blitz Tech engine. MTBS is a stereoscopic 3D certification and advocacy group.
Andrew Oliver, CTO of Blitz Games Studios says, ?3D gaming on console is coming and we license the tech.?
?The best part is console support will only need a bios upgrade to work,? Schneider writes. ?We are told that the ability to add this capability via bios may be unique to Sony PS3 versus the other console solutions.?
While 3D games have been possible for sometime many people are still weary of wearing the glasses, and making the paradigm shift. Personally I see 2009 as a year that is pretty exciting. The reason for this lies within most of the games that were mentioned in your article. We will start to see a push in the technology in terms of quality within games, lighting, textures, game play etc.
Sony is going to have to drop their price, no doubt about it. I would anticipate this happening around the release of Killzone 2, and that coupled with a hard marketing push they may actually get a launch right this time around. While Sony may not have dropped their price over the holiday season, and may not have had the sales that other consoles had, (if their numbers are correct) then it is still relatively impressive that they could increase sales from last year over the holiday, only proving that with a price drop you should see product movement.
While I praise Nintendo for what they have done with the gaming community and extending it's niche, I still believe this will be short lived. A lot of hype comes from the fact that they're getting older people to play the console. But keep in mind that with tough economic times, mom and dad, and possibly grandma won't be bowling for long as they may need to be spending time looking for supplemental income. If this becomes the case, and humans are creatures of habit you'll find that Wii collecting dust in no time, and Wii sports would be the only game that really peaks the interest of these new comers. For children you can keep your software moving, for adults it will be short lived. Never the less Nintendo deserves a pat on the back, and for the older adults if anything, opening their eyes to the possiblities of games and technology uniting families.
There are many great games coming out this year, and as much as I love to see a new game, I also know that I have about 6 unfinished in my library as I speak. Even if there aren't as many releases as we saw last year, you have to look beyond that and see the development leaps from this year from last. That in itself is exciting, after all aren't we alll just waiting for the next best thing? If that's the case then support what developments you like and you can help shape market trends, then in 2010 and beyond you can look forward to even better goodies!
The PS3 does need to drop in price if Sony is to keep selling it and turn it a profit. They released it a year early and right at the beginning of a recession. Two very bad moves by Sony. If they expect to even come close to Microsoft or Nintendo, they need to bring the price into the same realm. If a person is going to buy a console, and they see a $400+ PS3, a $200+ 360 and a $250 Wii, it's usually going to come down to the Wii and 360, especially when third party games are involved.
I'm also excited for CitiesXL on PC which is like Simcity 4 on steroids.
PS. You forgot about Infamous
The article made the comparison between games and film. Think of it this way, do you only watch movies when they are in the theater? If you miss them in the theater, do you never make an attempt to see them again. I know I love nothing more than finding a great movie I've never seen long after it's left the theater. As a long-time gamer, I love discovering a great game that I missed the first time around that much more.
My suggestion to all of you, if 2009 is in fact a "dull year for gaming", is to look for any gems you may have missed in the past. That's my plan. Truly great games are timeless.
1. Master of Orion II
2. Fallout 3
3. Sword of the Stars
'nuff said
gta4 dlc
killzone 2
gran turismo 5
halo wars (though i can't stand halo)
f.e.a.r. 2
bioshock 2
madden 2010
nba 2k10
street fighter 4
tekken 6
resident evil 5
god of war 3 possibly
a new call of duty made by activision prolly modern warfare 2
dc universe online
fight night round 4
possible half live episode 3
new guitar hero and rock bands
infamous
mafia 2
ufc 2009
Peter Molyneux has no idea what he's talking about if you can't find 5 games that'll interst you out of that lineup your not a real gamer you just play what everyone else tells you is good
But you're forgetting a few though. Uncharted 2 is easily my most anticipated game of the year. That along with the new Burnout Paradise expansion pack coming out as well we a new Professor Layton set for 2009 for the DS. Prototype could also be promising as well as Wolverine.
But a few I'll have to tell you I 100% disagree with on whether they'll be in 2009 or not; like HL Episode 3 for starters. Valve has it's head so far up Steams butt right now there's no way that they'll release Episode 3 in 09, if anything they'll announce it at a major conference around fall for early 2010. It's sad but there's absolutely no indication Valve is planning on that this year. Also there will be NO Rock Band 3 in 2009 although I'm sure that there will be tons of downloadable songs as well as the fated Rock Band Beatles edition (like the ACDC edition song pack) probably coming in 2009. As far as Guitar Hero I think they'll do more "Aerosmith-esque" song packs that they'll sell for FULL PRICE (robbery) and mark my words...next one is Jimmy Henrix. It's already been slightly leaked.
Oh and if you haven't figured it out yet, which I'm sure you have....if you're not talking about one of Peter Molyneux's games and bowing at his feet, then he throws a tantrum about all other games and calls them stupid basically. Childish in a way unfortunately.
it just took another company as will wright was too busy playing with spore.
that makes it not dull for quite a bit of us city nerds.
CitiesXL, cant wait!
I'm playing some SC4 to warm up to it.
- by W1gglesnarf January 7, 2009 5:39 AM PST
- Why is it people always write articles about gaming who obviously have not played anything since pong? The wii is the bottom feeder when actual playable games are concerned, and there is many worthwhile games comming out this late fall (unless delayed of course) for most of the platforms. Your list for playable games in 2008 is seriously lacking. Not to mention you have obviously forgotten about the PC. Even though most titles are multi platforms but there are many comming out for the PC that are pointless to play on a consol (RTS's). And to those fan freaks out there. I play on all current platforms.
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (61 Comments).....cnet find someone who actually plays games to write about them....