We here at BreakmanX.com strive to be journalists first and foremost (though we don’t always succeed in that regard), so in the interest of being a true journalist, I realized I should be doing what every good journalist does at some point in his career: predict the future. I mean, far be it for me to limit myself to only reporting what has and is happening, that’s for goddamn amateurs. REAL professionals report on things that haven’t happened yet.
So without further ado, I give you my predictions for Two Thousand and Eight (or, in Spanish: 2008).
1. Overall sales will not overcome last year’s numbers. People say the market is growing, and it is, but we simply don’t have the same AAA titles in the tubes that we did this holiday season. Sure, there are some big ones on the way, but not as many and not as big. Don’t be surprised when doomsayers start claiming the industry is in a decline; it’s not, people, we’re just in a lull.
2. The PS3 will actually enjoy some modicum of success. Sony’s finally starting to get their head screwed on right, and are actually starting to listen to the gaming public. Features like the in-game XMB and Blu-Ray to PSP are actually in the works, whereas before they were not. Their old shitty ad department is gone, Home is coming soon, and big exclusives like MGS4 and LittleBigPlanet are due out this year. These facts combined with the fact that HD-DVD is in its death throes will mean that people are actually going to start buying the things. The PSP, however, will continue in its mediocrity, maintaining an even but slow number of sales. FF: Dissidia will show a temporary burst in sales, as Crisis Core did in Japan, but they’ll slow back down again.
3. All the current-gen console systems will see a price cut. Really, it’s just about that time. They’re all seeing lower manufacturing costs by now, and Sony’s going to have to clip the PS3 price tag to get the sales they want, to which MS and Nintendo will respond in kind. Wiis will be just as hard to find though, at least for the first half of the year.
4. Yes, Spore will come out this year. Will Wright understands a push when he feels one and EA isn’t going to let him sit on this one much longer. Other vaporware notables: Duke Nukem Forever will be released, Starcraft: Ghost will resurface in some fashion, and expect a new DS Metroid.
5. Did I say MGS4 will be exclusive? It will be… for a while. Sorry, Sony fanboys, Konami has spent waaaay too much money on development for this game that they’re just not going to see back if they limit it to the PS3. They’re not stupid. Expect a 360 announcement later in the year.
6. Kevin McCullough will become the new Jack Thompson. If you don’t recognize the name, do all of us a favor and DON’T LOOK HIM UP. The man wrote an article depicting Mass Effect as a game full of sodomization and "virtual orgasmic rape". Basically, he’s a right-wing nutjob (and I’m not saying that this guy is a nutjob because he’s right-wing, I’m saying the man is fucking insane) who believes video games are evil and is even less informed than J.T. It’s a cry for attention, and a lot of people have responded angrily, but listen to me, people. He’s not worth it. Don’t even give this moron the time of day by clicking on his site because he’s in it for the clicks, aka ad-revenue. Despite any warnings the best of us may give (even Penny Arcade is pleading with people to ignore him), he will still reach a level of infamy this year due to his idiotic ramblings.
7. Digital distribution is in it to win it. Expect Game Boy games on Virtual Console, Square-Enix remakes on PSN, and (here’s the crazy prediction, because every set of predictions has to have at least one) Microsoft will announce, if not implement by the end of the year, Dreamcast releases on XBLA. How’s that make your head spin?!
