New Game World

2008 Gaming Preview

By Peter Suciu

While the video game industry often evokes comparisons to the movie business, these two types of entertainment are quite different. Movies draw mass crowds to the cinemas (at least that is the business model), while games are often devised as experiences for the individual or small groups. More importantly, while movies are big business during the holiday season and then taper off, new releases of top caliber games don’t dry up the same way in the winter months. Electronic entertainment remains an all year business, and while some of the biggest games may have been released in the last few months – notably Halo 3 for the Xbox 360, as well as Rock Band for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 – 2008 will see the release of many highly anticipated titles.

           

Grand Things for 2008

The single most popular gaming series for Sony’s PlayStation 2 continues to be Grand Theft Auto, including GTA: III, GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas. Never short on controversy, this three-peat made the PS2 the must own gaming console, and while the titles eventually made their way to the PC and Microsoft’s Xbox console, the exclusive releases gave Sony an easy win over the competition.

The delay of Grand Theft Auto IV until this coming April can be seen as one of the causes for the under performance of the PlayStation 3 this past holiday season, but even when the game finally drops this spring it won’t give Sony an easy win. That’s because, for the first time, the title will arrive at the same time and date on the Xbox 360, which could give an edge to Microsoft’s system.

        

Yet GTA: IV is just one of more than a dozen highly anticipated video game titles, many of which will be available on multiple platforms including the PS3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and PC. Among some of the most anticipated games of the year are Fallout 3, a post-apocalyptic adventure; Mercenaries 2: World in Flames, where players battle a corrupt regime in Venezuela; and Alone in the Dark, a survival horror game that will feature mini-episodes, modeled like a TV series.

And while the consoles manufacturers will continue to battle for domination in the video game arena, the PC could see a major resurgence with numerous titles being rolled out, including exclusive releases for the Windows Vista operating system. Microsoft has continued to push the “Games for Windows” brand, a moniker widely adopted by publishers of PC game titles.

Likewise, the PC will remain the premier platform for online gaming, both of the casual nature and for the hardcore gamer.

On the casual side, game services such as Electronic Arts’ Pogo and Yahoo! Games continue to draw in players for a quick game of Reversi and poker, where games are often free to play or feature limited ads as part of the revenue stream. These sites attract thousands of eyeballs on a daily basis and have more hits per month than many news and entertainment Web sites.

               

Digital Worlds

The hack and slash sword play of World of Warcraft was mocked in the 2006 South Park episode, which went on to win an Emmy award. But the game is only stronger because of it, and in 2008 there will be new Worlds of Warcraft to conquer with the release of the Wrath of the Lich King, which opens a new continent, adds new spells and equipment and much more.

Today these online worlds, known as massively multiplayer online roleplaying games, attract tens of thousands of players, many who pay anywhere from $10 to $25 a month to be part of this persistent community.

For this reason, the ruling fantasy game will face new competition from a couple of established brands. While Dungeons & Dragons Online and Middle Earth Online continue with their struggle of good over evil, a new age is dawning. Namely the Age of Conan, a massively multiplayer game based on the popular book series, from Funcom, which will arrive this summer for the PC as well as the Xbox 360. This game will feature DirectX 10 graphics, something that could make the Warcraft faithful pack up their swords for new digital lands.

And Electronic Arts, along with Mythic, mark a return to the online roleplaying world with Warhammer Online, a game that will focus heavily on player vs. player warfare. One fact is clear for 2008: these subscription based games show no sign of slowing down anytime soon.