Visionary Top 5: Microsoft

With video game publishers focussing more and more on what’s around the corner, rather than looking ahead to what’s due a year from now, predicting the big games and moments of 2009 isn’t easy. But that hasn’t stopped us gazing into our gaming crystal ball and bringing you our predictions on what’s going to happen next year. Here, we run down our top tips for all you Microsoft fanboys out there.

Full Xbox 360 game downloads

Microsoft has been leading the way with its console digital download service, currently offering gamers the Xbox LIVE Arcade service and Xbox Originals (a selection of games first released on the original Xbox), but in 2009 the company will take this one step further. Starting with big hitters Halo 3, Gears of War and Forza 2, full Xbox 360 games will be released on Xbox LIVE Marketplace. By the end of the year over 50 games will be available on the service at a sub £20 price point.

Microsoft will enter the handheld game market

Call us cowards, but we’re hedging our bets slightly on this one. While we reckon Microsoft will enter the handheld gaming market in force in 2009, it might not be with its own brand new gaming handheld. While we’d prefer that to be the case, offering brilliant portable versions of Halo and Gears of War, simple games released for the Zune is also a possibility. So, you’ll either see a new handheld announced for release in 2010 or a string of big name game announcements for the Zune, in an attempt to compete with the increasing popularity of the iPhone as a games platform.

No price cut to Xbox LIVE

Xbox LIVE seems to be going from strength to strength, despite the fact that it costs £40 a year to use properly. While Microsoft’s rivals offer free online gaming services, neither Sony nor Nintendo offer such a complete, universally supported service. Anyone who’s used LIVE as their primary gateway into online gaming will find it hard to switch to another service, whether they’re free or not. You generally have to pay for quality, so don’t expect Microsoft to suddenly roll out a free Xbox LIVE Gold-like service, despite fans’ protestations on forums. The stack of money the company is making from subscriptions is sure to outweigh any pressure to cut the price.

No FFXIII in UK

Correctly guessing the UK release date for Final Fantasy XIII feels like playing pin the tail on the donkey after you’ve had a few too many drinks. Whatever you do, you’re going to end up looking like an ass. Let’s assume that Final Fantasy XIII arrives in Japan late in 2009. We reckon there’ll be at least another six months of agonising waiting before it finally arrives in the US because of all the translation work. Whether or not Europe gets the game at the same time is debatable. While The Last Remnant arrived globally on the same date, based on previous experience with the FF series, we’d be grateful for an autumn 2010 release in Europe.

Triple whammy of exclusives for Christmas

Picking the big three Christmas games for the Xbox 360 is tricky considering Microsoft has revealed very little about its 2009 line-up, but we reckon these three have a good chance of doing big business from September onwards. Halo 3: ODST is the only confirmed title, and it’s guaranteed to be the system’s biggest seller of 2009, if not the biggest selling single game on any platform. Alan Wake has been around for years, but seems to be getting closer. The recently released trailer certainly looks extremely promising. And last, but not least, is Turn 10’s Forza 3. While there have been rumours that the studio is working on a new PGR, we reckon Forza 3 is a safer bet. Expect a game with visuals Forza 2’s already impressive simulation handling model deserves.

Agree? Disagree? What do you think will be the big games and moments for Microsoft fanboys in 2009? Let us know in the comments section below.