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My 2008 Videogame Predictions
These are just my unfounded baseless but still somewhat educated predictions.
1. Grand Theft Auto IV will be pretty good but we are not going to see it until fall 2008.
2. Sony is going to change up their backwards compatibility plans yet again to make a new PS3 that has full hardware compatibility with all PS2 and PsOne games. They are going to call it the PS3 Retro Edition or something like that.
3. Microsoft is going to unveil a motion sensitive Xbox 360 controller to fight the Wii. Also the are going to show off a high end DVR capable IPTV Xbox 360 that has a built-in HD-DVD drive.
4. Nintendo might actually start to make enough Wii systems to go around.
5. HD-DVD fans predict the death of BluRay while BluRay Fans are certain that just being around a HD-DVD disk will give you a nasty rash. Meanwhile the rest of the world will get on with watching DVDs and playing games.
6. Penny Arcade Expo 08 in Seattle supplants all other trade shows once people realize that the LA Convention center is overpriced and it gives you nasty butt sweat in summer time. Plus we had Wil Wheaton, Pink Godzilla Games and good coffee. Nuf said.
7. The Nintendo DS is going to continue to expand the market place of videogames to boys and girls and people who never really were that interested in games before.
8. I predict that the TV Writers strike lasts so long that TV gets filled up with mindless reality TV shows to the point where playing videogames surpasses watching TV as the socially acceptable national pastime.
Jake at January 2, 2008 
Games
Comments
[b]My predictions for 2008[/b]
(I wrote them a lot earlier, but re-post them here, translated from German)
I had a pretty good track record in the last years so my predictions are:
3 prediction for hardware:
* 2008 will be the Year of PlayStation 3
Great (mostly exclusive) titles, developers finally unlocking more power from the hardware & Sony taking Japan and Europe (at least from Xbox 360) in a storm because of good pricing models.
* Microsoft will not release a Xbox 360 with built-in HD DVD drive
Microsoft does not support the HD DVD beyond the already existing HD DVD add-on drive. It's sufficent for Microsoft and they won't gamble on which format might win the format wars.
Commercially it entirely makes no sense whatsoever for Microsoft, a HD DVD drive built-in would only drive up the costs/prices of Xbox 360, which barely can't compete with the price-reduced 40GB PS3.
* Nintendo DS stays strong, Wii also, but does not as well as in 2007
Nintendo can count on their two strong consoles DS and Wii - but third party has a bumpy ride on Wii and a lot of crap games/ports for Wii will hamper the system.
3 prediction for software
* Metal Gear Solid 4 stays Sony-exclusive (at least in 2008)
Sony will make sure that they get more exclusive deals for PS3.
* Final Fantasy XIII comes in 2009
In Japan maybe year-end-2008 but not in US/EU.
* Wii Fit sells well
Along with SSBB it will drive sales of Wii.
Posted by: Jim at January 8, 2008 7:24 AM
How can Sony beat the 360 in Europe when EA Sports games run at a faster frame rate on the 360 AKA FIFA and Konami, Evolution Soccer is only on the 360?
Posted by: Jake of 8bitjoystick.com at January 8, 2008 8:13 AM
Pretty easy... the PlayStation brand is just "strong".
It's stupid but it's the one and only explanation. I know a lot of people who simply bought a PS3 because it's the next PlayStation not because it has great games or stuff...
So it's mostly "tradition".
Posted by: Jim at January 10, 2008 12:00 AM
