SSMB's Gaming Predictions: 2013

[Patticus]

Whenever a new calendar year hoves into view, every year we seem to wonder how the next could get any better (or, ahem, worse) than the last one. We know something of what's coming already of course; a handful of names and dates, usually accompanied by some media and a few details. However, half of what will make the next year great is what isn't known at the start of it; the sometimes bitter reality at the end of those extensive hype campaigns, unexpected sales figures, instant classics emerging from nowhere, and of course those surprise announcements at the year's trade shows.
 
So, with that in mind, what would you predict of this year? Or do you have something to say about other peoples' predictions? Please don't make tiny posts, by the way, it's nice to see a little thought go into these things. Here's a few of mine:
 

Hardware:

• New XBox revealed, to release in October.
• New PlayStation revealed, to release in Q1/Q2 2014. Details on hardware sketchy at first, though Sony is obviously trying hard to reveal as much as it can. Likely that some major announcements are being saved for close to the New Xbox's release, to steal thunder and sales.
• Valve's console thingamajig revealed, to release "when it's done." Everybody gets overexcited.
• Vita sales get a shot in the arm when a few more AC: Liberation-style games (that is, spin-offs of console favorites which aren't just ports) are announced at E3 and release in the late months of the year. The boost isn't enough to make the system any less of a joke, however, and things continue to look a bit bleak by year's end.

Software:

• Darksiders 3 to be announced and teased, most likely at E3, but will not release in calendar year 2013, or even 2014. No gameplay for it will be shown this year, either.
• Doom 4 is announced and trailed. The Hype Train goes into overdrive. The game releases sooner than expected, to great fanfare.
• Fallout 4 announced and revealed at E3. Everybody impressed. Releases in Q3 on all formats, with PS4/New Xbox ports promised for mid-late 2014. Wii U gets it in calendar year 2013.
• Mass Effect 4, without the 4 and with a subtitle, begins a new story arc for the ME universe. Opinions are somewhat mixed, but cautiously optimistic.
• Nintendo announces and trails Pikmin 3DS, The Legend of Zelda 3DS, a new F-Zero, a new Smash Bros. game, Wii Fit U and an exclusive new project from The Behemoth.
• Sonic 4: Episode 3 finally gets revealed and released. It turns out to be the best one yet, but by this point nobody actually cares, so it largely falls under the radar. Sega takes the hint and decides that Episode 4 will be the final episode, followed by the release of a special all-episodes compilation pack for download and retail release, containing new little cut-scenes linking everything together.
• The new "main series" Sonic game from Sega looks promising. SonicCycle.jpg gets passed around yet again.
• The Walking Dead: Season 2 announced and trailed at E3, to release early in 2014 to much critical acclaim.
• Yet another Final Fantasy game.

 

I hope that this thread might be revived in a year's time, so we might look back on our foolish hopes and/or prescience and smile, and so we can predict the year 2014 with equally gleeful* abandon.
 
*May not be all that gleeful.

 

 

GO!

[Tori Himemiya]

My only prediction for 2013 is....

NEW DARKSTALKERS!

Can't find anything in better quality though.

[Blue Wisp]

• Darksiders 3 to be announced and teased, most likely at E3, but will not release in calendar year 2013, or even 2014. No gameplay for it will be shown this year, either.
• Sonic 4: Episode 3 finally gets revealed and released. It turns out to be the best one yet, but by this point nobody actually cares, so it largely falls under the radar.

 

On top of that I'd say:

• Half Life 2: Episode 3/Half Life 3 gets teased again, but no news.
• Metro: Last Light delayed.
• A new Call of Duty game gets announced, and gets mediocre criticism due to it "being the same shit every game" even if it's not true.
• Sony talks about how "successful" the Vita is. They don't believe themselves.>

[Semi-colon e]

Metroid game announced for 2014 (or even 2015) on the Wii U, we see very little but people go apeshit that Metroid isn't dead but at the same time cautious because of Other M. Review and game sites will constantly make jokes about Other M akin to how every Sonic game gets loads of jokes about it based on say 06. It will get old within 3 hours.

[Patticus]

On top of that I'd say:

• Sony talks about how "successful" the Vita is. They don't believe themselves.>

 

Don't they pretty much have to do that? I mean, would it not be bad business to go up on stage and be all, "Well yeah, it sucks, sorry guys!"

[Badnik Mechanic]

1: People will start to ask why the Wii-U isn't getting the third party games that people want.

 

2: THQ will finally shut down.

 

3: Aliens Colonial Marines will not sell as well as Sega hopes it will.

 

4: Sega will make more IOS/Digital only games than they have done in the last 3 years combined.

 

5: Soul Sacrifice will be awesome.

 

6: FF13: Lightning Returns will absolutely bomb. Fanboys will constantly defend it.

 

7: Microsoft will announce some kind of super douper home network entertainment system which means you can control all your entertainment from one device or some other elaborate home control scheme that nobody actually needs or wants.

 

8: Nintendo will announce more stuff that isn't actually in production and won't see the light of day for the best part of 3 years.

 

9: Sony will make a montage.

 

10: The next main Sonic game will be announced and will be on the PS360, Wii-U and will also be a launch title for the 720 & PS4/Orbi.

 

11: Capcom & EA will do more bullshit with on disk DLC and various other dodgy decisions about it's online services.

 

12: We get another Assassins Creed game and I still don't care.

[MykonosFan]

Hardware-wise we're definitely going to see what Sony and Microsoft have to offer this year. I don't know if I can see a new system launching this year, but anything can happen, neither company probably wants the Wii U to get too much of a lead.

 

Software-wise, I think we are pretty much guaranteed to get footage of the next Half-Life. I know it's the gaming community's biggest running joke now that DNF released, but by now it just seems a bit too ridiculous for its own good. The footage will definitely impress, but there won't be much. Fans will be angry after being given so little after so long despite being given anything at all.

 

We'll also probably get a good look at what Monolith Soft and Retro Studios have been cooking up for the Wii U. Nintendo will probably whip out two additional announcements of new installments in major series to rally up excitement for its console to those who are still on the fence. I'm hoping that they learned their lesson about announcing games two years before they're actually finished and these games will be announced with release dates being a few months later. I don't think we'll quite see a Smash teaser at E3, probably later in the year.

 

Also, my deepest hope is that Yakuza 1&2 HD and Yakuza 5 are announced to come out of Japan. 

Edited January 5, 2013 by Mykonos

[FourCartridge]

Fallout 4 announced and revealed at E3. Everybody impressed. Releases in Q3 on all formats, with PS4/New Xbox ports promised for mid-late 2014. Wii U gets it in calendar year 2013.

I'd like to see it too, but where can the series go from here? Society has for the most part been rebuilt IIRC. Functioning government in California, steady food and water in DC, Vegas may or may not be independent, Seattle is in MMO-turf, though I've heard about New England being a place for it to be set.

 

 

Sonic 4: Episode 3 finally gets revealed and released. It turns out to be the best one yet, but by this point nobody actually cares, so it largely falls under the radar. Sega takes the hint and decides that Episode 4 will be the final episode, followed by the release of a special all-episodes compilation pack for download and retail release, containing new little cut-scenes linking everything together.

Sonic releases a good game only for it to be overcome by it's reputation for disappointment? Kinds sounds like the series place as a whole if ya think about it... =P

 

 

The new "main series" Sonic game from Sega looks promising. SonicCycle.jpg gets passed around yet again.

 

Hasn't that been largely broken by Colors and Generations though?

 

 

Anyway, my personal predictions:

 

*Gen VI of Pokemon to be held off on for another year with either Black/White III or Gen III Remakes.

*Sony and MS 8th gen consoles to be announced at E3. The two constantly try to outdo one another for press and sales.

*Next main Sonic game to be PS/Xbox launch title. If the Wii U can't do it for one reason or another, the Storybook Series may be revived for another game.

[Eternal EX]

-Next main Sonic game is announced. Soniccycle.png goes around and SSMB breaks another record.

 

-Next Madden, NBA 2k and WWE game is announced. Eh

 

-Next Call of Duty game is announced and I bash the franchise once more.

 

-Microsoft finally releases some info about the next xbox before releasing it in the fall/winter

 

-Sony mentions their next system. System does not show up till sometime next year

 

-Crysis 3 is released and people go ape about how amazing it looks, but it's lackluster in gameplay

 

-Battlefield 4 is announced then later released. i jump on hype train

 

-343i makes it's first weapon nerf to Halo 4 and I praise god. Seriously they really need a weapon nerf

 

-Ubisoft teases it's next game.

 

-Ubisoft has yet another killer E3 and I go ape shit because of how awesome it is.

 

Yeah that sounds about it.

[SuperLink]

• Nintendo announces and trails Pikmin 3DS, The Legend of Zelda 3DS, a new F-Zero, a new Smash Bros. game, Wii Fit U and an exclusive new project from The Behemoth.
• Sonic 4: Episode 3 finally gets revealed and released. It turns out to be the best one yet, but by this point nobody actually cares, so it largely falls under the radar. Sega takes the hint and decides that Episode 4 will be the final episode, followed by the release of a special all-episodes compilation pack for download and retail release, containing new little cut-scenes linking everything together.

These sound a little optimistic- (especially the Nintendo one)

 

Still it's been ~2 years since Nintendo announced any new games, maybe they'll do that this year.

 

Really I'm not totally sure what to expect this year but I'll give it a shot.

• WiiU misses out on 3rd party support for the first half of a year, catches up a bit in the second half and gets maybe a port or two of games like Tomb Raider
• NextBox revealed and possibly launched late in the year, won't match the western success of the 360 but will prolly do better in Japan
• More devs will crumble and/or "go indie" as developing retail games for mega-power machines gets too expensive and risky, less experimental retail games on these systems due to fears of no sales (that is until development costs of "next gen" games drops dramatically), expect everything retail to be guns, fitness, dancing or sports.
• SEGA will release and/or publish only 3-5 games the whole year, maybe drop off retail games altogether, their digital game business continues to be clumsy and over-optimistic. However the fact that they don't have the money for style over substance or quantity over quality anymore, their final(?) retail games will actually be pretty good.
• Nintendo (hopefully) integrate WiIU and 3DS eShops and give the 3DS Miiverse (maybe too optimistic) as well as release eShop apps and integrate eShop with other platforms like phones/facebook/twitter/etc.
• WiiU's success will be "eh" until it gets more big announcements, fixes, and a price drop, price drop is likely closer to PS3/NextBox releases. Won't match Wii's success, but will easily beat N64 and GC's success and be a success in Nintendo's eyes, hopefully with a better game lineup than the Wii in the end yes Iwata I used the word success
• I have no idea what to say about Sony actually, I kinda thought they would hold back on power for the sake of monies but then the Vita happened and I can't see it getting much more support on the horizon until late this year.
• uh
• video games come out on some days sometimes

Edited January 4, 2013 by SuperLink

[Patticus]

I'd like to see it too, but where can the series go from here? Society has for the most part been rebuilt IIRC. Functioning government in California, steady food and water in DC, Vegas may or may not be independent, Seattle is in MMO-turf, though I've heard about New England being a place for it to be set.

 

New England could be a possible setting, as could Louisiana, Florida and the mid-north of Illinois. There are lots of places they could go. And they are going there; Fallout 4 is definitely being made.

 

Hasn't that been largely broken by Colors and Generations though?

 

 

 

These sound a little optimistic- (especially the Nintendo one)

 

Oh yeah, it's incredibly optimistic, but I never said this topic wasn't for optimistic and perhaps unattainable hopes. And sometimes, just sometimes, those hopes really do get met, even exceeded.

[Chaos Warp]

-Next main series Sonic game comes out. Fans see it as great, but some say it is playing it too safe again.

 

-Sakurai teases Smash 4 with a small animated teaser trailer, but we get nothing else until next year.

 

-E3 is lackluster once more except for Ubisoft (again) and Nintendo, who announces a new Zelda and 3d Mario for the Wii-U. Sadly, no Metroid, Star Fox, or F-Zero. Nintendo fans are overall satisfied but still disappointed that Nintendo forgot about it's other IP's just because they don't make billions.

 

Oh, and.....

 

-SEGA SURVIVES (pleasebetruepleasebetrue)

Edited January 4, 2013 by Chaos Warp

[TheOcelot]

Okay lets see:

 

• In late 2013, Rayman 4, new full 3d game is announced (about fucking time to).
• MGS5 teasers in late 2013 point towards a late 2014 release. Oh and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is a massive success.
• A new Crash Bandicoot game is announced.
• Even more DLC for Sonic Jump.
• Fallout 4 announced late 2014 for next gen consoles.
• The new Tom Raider game sells well but gets poor reviews.
• Sonic Colours is ported PSN & Xbla arcade.
• Knuckles Chaotix is ported to PSN & Xbla (no Whitehead involvement).
• SEGA annnounces a new Ecco The Dolphin game.
• Sonic Team announce Sonic CD DLC
• A new Spyro game is rumored but not confirmed.
• New Batman game (prequel) is announced. Mark Hamill does not reprise is role as Joker the Magnificent.

Edited January 4, 2013 by Robin John Blake

[SuperLink]

I think I finally finished editing my points, I was probably a little negative oops.

I guess 2012 in gaming was a bit of a let-down so I've curbed my enthusiasm so to speak.

 

EDIT: One last prediction:

 

• Nicalis will still never release anything in Europe (ever)

Edited January 4, 2013 by SuperLink

[Patticus]

Here's another prediction:

 

Assassin's Creed III's a Brotherhood-style "sequel" is anounced, and is set in two major cities of the late 18th century, each with surrounding countryside areas: revolutionary Paris and early industrial London. Following what many thought of as the major misstep of III's rural American setting, this game promises fixes to many of that title's issues, and in so doing will pave the way for better future AC games.

[Candescence]

My personal prediction:

 

Euclideon will release its Unlimited Detail tech in (hopefully) Q1 this year (within a few months, basically), and turn 3D CG graphics as a whole on its head, while also releasing a much more impressive demonstration, forcing naysayers to eat their words, and basically allowing unprecedented graphical quality done in such an efficient manner that you could run it on an N64 with ease. Nintendo's systems benefit most from this tech for obvious reasons (including, likely, being able to use multiple Wii U gamepads with limited framerate drop). Devs can finally stop pushing polygons and focus on shit that actually matters. Sony and MS start panicking when they realize UD basically renders the hardware arms race meaningless for the most part, as it's much more difficult to use better specs as a selling point when the lower-priced competition practically looks the same.

 

I honestly think it's very stupid to call Unlimited Detail a 'scam' or 'fake' at this point, considering what I've researched about it, and I'll be saving some popcorn for when it does happen. I bet there'll be a lot of people trying to resist the inevitable transition from polygons to point clouds for whatever reason, including Epic Games (U4 will seem much, much less impressive by comparison), plus MS and Sony (who would benefit far less from the change than Nintendo will).

Edited January 4, 2013 by Masaru Daimon

[Tornado]

New PlayStation revealed, to release in Q1/Q2 2014. Details on hardware sketchy at first, though Sony is obviously trying hard to reveal as much as it can.

 

Details are sketchy at first, until the Chinese plant building the thing "accidentally" releases every detail about it's design and construction 3 months before Sony is ready to announce it; at which point Sony will announce it at a major event and still say it is news.

[Lady Soniko]

• Majora's Mask is hinted for release on 3DS after Nintendo finally gets the hint that it's wanted
• DICE stop being pricks, drop Battlefield 4 long enough to announce Mirror's Edge 2 and stop teasing us in Battlefield maps with subtle hints that it's obviously coming.
• SEGA still proceed to bring out Episode 3 with another in the works for the following year.
• SEGA stick to another Unleashed formula game, and stick to Nostalgia to sell it again being too afraid to test the waters with something new again.
• Metal Gear Rising does brilliantly
• Anarchy Reigns does poorly due to SEGA's fuck up and lack of advertisement
• Level 5 and Capcom announce Translated and Region bound Ace Attorney 5, Professor Layton Vs  Attorney to be shipping in late 2014
• Nintendo shed some more light on Bayonetta 2 which will cause an uproar.
• Hopefully a New Metroid, Zelda, Mario and Star Fox announced for Wii U, add F-Zero too because why not.

[SuperLink]

I honestly think it's very stupid to call Unlimited Detail a 'scam' or 'fake' at this point, considering what I've researched about it, and I'll be saving some popcorn for when it does happen. I bet there'll be a lot of people trying to resist the inevitable transition from polygons to point clouds for whatever reason, including Epic Games (U4 will seem much, much less impressive by comparison), plus MS and Sony (who would benefit far less from the change than Nintendo will).

As lovely as this all sounds, not just for Nintendo and indies but for all of gaming evolution (development costs into gameplay rather than visuals?? No wai) I'm going to remain sceptical until it happens because I found out about this thing like 2-3 years ago and it sounds too good to be true (plus we haven't heard anything for ages, it could still need years more work)

 

Details are sketchy at first, until the Chinese plant building the thing "accidentally" releases every detail about it's design and construction 3 months before Sony is ready to announce it; at which point Sony will announce it at a major event and still say it is news.

Plot twist: The major event will announce it with a port of Ridge Racer and Sony will relive its celebrated glory of 2006.

Majora's Mask is hinted for release on 3DS after Nintendo finally gets the hint that it's wanted

Last I recall, Nintendo know of the demand and want to do it, they just want to make an original 3DS Zelda first. Edited January 4, 2013 by SuperLink

[Lady Soniko]

Plot twist: The major event will announce it with a port of Ridge Racer and Sony will relive its celebrated glory of 2006.

 

Correction - Sony release a Re-Make of Ridge Racer Type 4, since it's the best Ridge Racer in the series, that'll surely sell well!

 

obvioussarcasm/

 

Well, not Sarcasm about Type 4, that game was really good!

Edited January 4, 2013 by Black☆Rock Shooter

[Candescence]

As lovely as this all sounds, not just for Nintendo and indies but for all of gaming evolution (development costs into gameplay rather than visuals?? No wai) I'm going to remain sceptical until it happens because I found out about this thing like 2-3 years ago and it sounds too good to be true (plus we haven't heard anything for ages, it could still need years more work)

That's only if you haven't been keeping an eye on things, there's been a few things here and there that have come out from Euclideon (check the Unlimited Detail topic for more). Going by Bruce Dell's words on the matter, the best educated guess for when UD's next demonstration will be released along with the SDK is about 16-18 months after August 2011, which was the previous demonstration. 18 months is more likely at this rate. Euclideon are also obviously gearing up for a release, they've been updating their website recently (mainly with "coming soon" preview pages), and are also working on an UD side-project for the geospacial industry which they've already shown to interested parties behind closed doors.

 

I'm willing to bet that Euclideon are gearing up for something big fairly soon. They're probably trying to make the next demonstration as best as it can be (with the help of some ex-THQ artists). And I can't wait.

 

Edit: I should also note that there are GPU-based things that do have an effect on gameplay, not just visuals, such as fluid dynamics (basically, actual fucking water), physics, lighting, etc. With UD making 3D rendering trivial, there's gonna be a LOT of space on GPUs for those sorts of things.

 

UD could also be a massive boon for CGI-based films, too. The rendering method would basically result in much, much faster rendering times, and possibly cause render farms to be unnecessary. Who knows?

Edited January 4, 2013 by Masaru Daimon

[Gregzilla]

• Doom 4 is announced and trailed. The Hype Train goes into overdrive. The game releases sooner than expected, to great fanfare.

 

PleasepleasepleasepleasepleasePLEEEEEEEEASE.  I FUCKING NEED THIS.

 

Anyways, my predictions:

• Nintendo announces a new 3D Mario game for the Wii U, as well as at least one spin-off.
• Retro Studios reveals their new project.  Seeing as how it is apparently something that "everyone wants them to do," I have 3 main guesses: an all-new 2D or 3D Metroid project, another Metroid Prime-style game, or a new Star Fox game.
• Not a ton of information, but by year's end we will get at least some pictures or trailers for the new Smash Bros.
• A new Zelda game for the 3DS.
• A new retail Sonic platformer with a small gameplay gimmick akin to the Wisps.  Nothing that drastically changes the core gameplay, but something they put in to try something new.  Reactions are mixed.
• Battleblock Theater - AKA Behemoth Game #3 - finally gets a fucking release date.

 

Now, these are predictions, not wishes.  If this was an all-out wish topic, I'd wish for a summer Doom 4 release, F-Zero Wii U, Power Stone 3, a new Godzilla fighting game, a new 3D Rayman, a 3D Kirby platformer, and an HD release of the original Rocket Knight Adventures.

[Carbo]

Nintendo have roughly five studios that have visibly been sitting idle for the past three years, and with their own Wii support having been dead for roughly the same time frame I wouldn't put it passed them to have a complete blow-out of information this year to counter how insanely quiet it is; if not at GDC then certainly at E3 to combat potential Sony and Microsoft reveals. Monolith and Retro Studios will have to have their announcements this year I suspect.

Microsoft's E3 and by extension new console is going to disappoint a lot of people - especially on the hardcore front. It was evident with last year's E3 that what once was built as the high year point of games has lost it's sights and become yet another unsubtle marketing tool for anything but such, and Microsoft is probably the only consistent console publisher to milk that mentality for what it's worth. The 360 has already made the transition from a hardcore gamer's wet dream to a family box with a redundancy of features and all of those, including the Kinect, are going to be integral, if not the main sell of the NextBox. With all that aside it's probably going to be the most powerful console this coming generation and will probably launch 2013.

Sony is probably going to have the hardest time surviving this generation from a gaming standpoint. Managing to justify or at least fixing everything that's gone wrong with the Vita up to this point is going to be one of the hardest hurdles they're going to have to manage all the while focusing on PS4. Taking the time to manage two consoles in their prime is a hurdle I feel Sony haven't entirely grasped and with their entire corporation still being financially fucked considering their lack of proper restructuring, I'd presume that Sony are going to spend the entirety of 2013 trying to remedy Vita's flaws while again letting the PS4's success be determined on what developers will make out of it and not themselves. I presume PS4 is probably going to be the "safest" console this generation with the specs being somewhere between Wii U and NextBox, and possibly some sort of new gimmick to it. The real question is whether or not they are going to aim for a universal launch as I can see Sony doing their typical action of launching in Japan for the holiday season in good time for a Q2 release in the west the following year. On one hand it would be a good idea for Sony to push and quickly establish their new platform for Japan consumers and developers before the Wii U's well performing numbers in that territory takes away most of that impact, but at the same time Sony's western influence was easily overshadowed by the Xbox 360 and I really don't think they're going to want to afford losing out on that race again. In any case, I expect 2014 more than anything else.

[Eternal EX]

Here's another prediction:

 

Assassin's Creed III's a Brotherhood-style "sequel" is anounced, and is set in two major cities of the late 18th century, each with surrounding countryside areas: revolutionary Paris and early industrial London. Following what many thought of as the major misstep of III's rural American setting, this game promises fixes to many of that title's issues, and in so doing will pave the way for better future AC games.

 

Eh. Sadly if that came true I'd be pretty pissed. Why you ask? They could just give us more DLC instead. Besides one would think it is too early for another AC game since it's main saga is over.

[Jango]

Hum, let's see:

 

-Activision releases another identical Call of Duty game, featuring a few new maps and weaps, nerds still go crazy, sell billions first week. Old schoolers ask for Crash Bandicoot return instead, Activision shows middle finger;

-The new Xbox and PlayStation 4 are announced, and will be release in 2014 and 2015 respectively;

-GTA 5 will be awesome, people will still claim San Andreas is the best GTA ever;

-Sega releases even more digital Dreamcast titles, they are Skies of Arcadia and Shemnue 1;

-Ken Balough returns to Sega Forums with Sonic 4 Episode 3, the war start again;

-The game is released near Christmas, better than Episode 2, still not great. At the same time, a teaser of the next 3D main game is show, and only Sonic is show, you can barely see what the game is about.

 

-The E3 will be better than last year, Microsoft will be the main attraction, Nintendo in second with brand new Wii U games and 3DS re-releases.

 

-Yearly football and Lego games;

 

How 'bout that?

Edited January 4, 2013 by Jango