VideoGamer.com’s Visionary Top 5: Predictions for 2008

Welcome to VideoGamer.com’s Visionary Top 5 series. 2007 has been an amazing year for gamers – some say the best ever. Will 2008 be able to match it? VideoGamer.com gazed into the crystal ball to find out what gaming’s greatest minds have in store for us next year. Today we predict the biggest games and events of 2008… Merry Christmas!

Game of the year: 2008

We’re going out on a limb here, with Gears of War 2 taking the crown for best game to be released in 2008. We of course don’t know for sure if the game will make it to retail as Epic and Microsoft have said nothing on the matter, but we’re hopeful. Four-player co-op will be in, the campaign will dwarf the original’s in length and a proper storyline will be written – details on why Marcus Fenix was in jail, who the woman is and the exact details surrounding his father will be revealed.

Also rans included Wesley’s guaranteed game of the year Street Fighter 4, Insomniac’s Resistance 2, GTA IV, Metal Gear Solid 4, Resident Evil 5 and anything by Rare.

Platform of the year

2008 is destined to be great, mainly due to the games listed above, but there’ll no doubt be more games that come out of nowhere to excite us too. As for which platform will come out on top, it’s a tough call. In terms of the number of high quality games we’re going to predict that the Wii takes fourth spot, with the PC only having a marginally better year in third. The top spot will be fought between the Xbox 360 and the PS3, and we’ve got a sneaky feeling that the PS3 will just edge it. While 2007 was hard for the console, 2008 will see Sony’s devs hitting their stride and focussing more and more on the new platform, instead of splitting time between it and the PS2. It’ll likely come down to the big winter releases, where the giants go head to head.

What will happen in 2008

Rare will finally come good and release some breathtaking games for the Xbox 360. We’re predicting at least three titles, with at least one being a contender for game of the year. PS3 sales will rise and the online service will be improved, with Home being a key factor. EA will finally get rid of its unfortunate reputation as creators of rubbish – something that they’ve been working hard to get away from for a while now. As far as quality games go, EA will ship some of the best of the year. There’s going to be a few mergers and buyouts too. We reckon THQ and Take-Two would be a good match. THQ has plenty of high-selling mainstream IPs whereas Take-Two could offer the more hardcore games that THQ is lacking. Together they’d be able to take on the might of EA and Activision Blizzard.

What won’t happen in 2008

Right off the bat, Final Fantasy XIII isn’t being released in 2008, at least not with English language as an option. It might scrape into stores in Japan, but we’re not too optimistic about that either. GTA IV won’t be delayed any further, releasing in April as is widely predicted at the moment. Metal Gear Solid 4 won’t be released for the Xbox 360, instead coming to Microsoft’s console early in 2009 after a significant period of exclusivity on the PS3. World of Warcraft won’t lose any popularity, with subscription numbers rising throughout the year. Last and not least, Wii third-party titles won’t improve in quality, with gamers having to suffer the same long waits between quality Nintendo titles. Oh, and James won’t play a single game.

Also in 2008…

Deputy editor Wesley reckons that his beloved Chelsea will win an amazing quadruple of titles in 2008: Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carling Cup. Oddly enough, James thinks the mighty Tottenham will win three titles: FA, Carling and UEFA Cup. I think someone’s going to be disappointed. Video producer Nick thinks he’ll get married in 2008, ideally to the woman that plays Anne Boleyn in The Tudors and Associate video producer Simon is hoping for a ‘casual dress’ at work policy all year round. I can’t wait for the scientific breakthrough of all time, when it’s revealed that the fat in pizza, fish and chips, kebab, curry and burgers is good for you, and the comeback for Kellogg’s Honey Nut loops.