What's going to happen in the world of gaming in 2007? by D'Marcus Beatty

We have made it through another year and into another. 2006 has come and gone, making way for the as yet enigmatic year 2007. The year 2006 was relatively good to gamers, giving us epic games like Gears of War, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, and Final Fantasy XII as well as two new consoles, the innovative Nintendo Wii and the insanely powerful Playstation 3. However, we also had to bear sad witness to the gradual decline of our longtime friends the PS2, the Gamecube, and the original Xbox.

Now 2007 is probably going to be an even more exciting year for gaming. First, the consoles are all firmly in place to start the console wars. Surprisingly enough, Sony, who has been at the forefront of gaming since its entry years ago with the original Playstation, seems to be taking third place behind Microsoft and Nintendo. Due in large part to the high price tag attached to the PS3 as well as the system shortages, Sony is currently responsible for one of the most bungled and disappointing system launches in gaming history, giving them an immediate disadvantage.

In addition to the consoles being in place, we also have a number of very high profile games that are coming out this year. Just like in 2004, a new iteration of Halo, Grand Theft Auto, and Metal Gear Solid are making their appearance. All three of these games are considered system sellers, as Halo 3 and Metal Gear Solid 4 are both considered reasons to purchase an Xbox 360 or a Playstation 3, respectively. Grand Theft Auto IV, which will be debuting on both the X360 and the PS3, will have additional downloadable content exclusive to each console. In addition to these games, there are also high-profile titles like Bioshock, Mercenaries 2, Alan Wake, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Metroid 3, Mass Effect, and Assassin's Creed. Each of these games are weapons for the consoles that they are being made for.

My first prediction for the 2007 is that the console placing isn't going to shift much. Xbox 360 has the lead and that lead isn't going anywhere. The Wii will continue to sell strong, and the PS3 will still pull up the rear because of its expensive pricing. Of course, shortages of the Wii and the PS3 are going to dwindle, allowing for more penetration. Overall, the numbers will increase, but the positions won't.

The trend towards classic and simple games will continue to proliferate as well due to both Xbox Live Marketplace and Nintendo's Virtual Console. The recent introduction of XNA tools for homebrewed game creation will also help Xbox Live Marketplace growth. Also, with a whole year's worth of Mondays, the gaming options for the Virtual Console is going to increase drastically, hopefully including gaming classics like Super Mario World, Super Metroid, Road Rash II, and Chrono Trigger as well as cult classics like River City Ransom and Zombies Ate My Neighbors.

Xbox Live will be thrown into pandemonium when the Halo 3 beta testing begins. Halo 3 will undoubtedly benefit from the beta testing as gamers will be able to send their feedback before the product is finished, which is a stroke of genius for Bungie. Despite being the number one played Xbox Live game (until its recent dethroning by Gears of War) Halo 2 disappointed many gamers with some of its choices, like depowering the pistol, decisions that could have been avoided with the earnest feedback of Halo enthusiasts. With the feedback of gamers going in before it is finished, Halo 3 has the potential to be the best version of Halo by far.