Prominent developers make 2009 predictions

Author: Joe Martin
Published: 6th January 2009
Comments (29) Stumble
Prominent developers make 2009 predictions

Fable 2 designer Peter Molyneux questions whether games will offer value for money in 2009.

The BBC has been chatting to prominent computer and video game developers lately and asking them what they think of the year ahead in terms of gaming line-ups and potential innovations, with the consensus being that 2009 won't be anything special.

"It's all looking a bit dry," said Fable 2 designer Peter Molyneux in his interview.

"All the triple-A titles came out this Christmas and while there is stuff in 2010 we can look forward to, off the top of my head I cannot think of anything next year that really excites me," he continued. Molyneux also questioned whether gamers would be getting decent value for money from their games this year.

We're sure Molyneux will change his tune when his next game, codenamed Dimitri, comes out though. Supposedly his next title will show-off some truly astounding new tech, but it's all very hush-hush right now.

Meanwhile, Ultima creator Richard Garriott was a bit more positive and lauded praise on Blizzard for "showing what good game development is all about" with the latest World of Warcraft expansion. Garriott's own MMO, Tabula Rasa, proved a bit of a flop last year and is currently totally free to play - pick yourself a copy up at the official site.

Garriott did say he wasn't done with game design yet though and that he'll soon be starting work on a new medieval-fantasy MMO game.

Sims creator Will Wright was the friendliest of all though, saying that he saw games this year moving away from a competitive focus and becoming more about social networking and teamplay. If that means a bit more Left 4 Dead-style co-op gaming then we're all for that, though social networking in games has a turbulent history at best.

What do you think 2009 will hold for gamers? Let us know in the forums and be sure to check out our thoughts on what the best and worst games of 2008 were.
Quote yakyb 6th January 2009, 10:11
Diablo 3 (maybe) thats all im interested in
Quote Baz 6th January 2009, 10:30
Dawn of War 2
Company of Heroes: Tales of Valour
Empire: Total War

All due out in the next 3 months, all set to be awesome - I'm set for the year!
Quote StephenK 6th January 2009, 10:30
Duke Nukem Forever! j/k :p
Quote Arkanrais 6th January 2009, 10:42
1up.com has diablo 3 listed for a September/October release last I checked, but buggered if I pay attention to any release dates other than official ones from blizzard. Diablo is the one game I would sink $1500 - $2000 (NZ$ that is) into a new PC to play it on (diablo 2 being the first PC game I sunk decent money on when it first came out [$120]).
Quote reflux 6th January 2009, 10:48
Early 2009 looks pretty good to me - DoW2, SC2, Mirror's Edge, FEAR 2....
Quote bowman 6th January 2009, 10:52
Molyneux is riding the console cock.

Diablo 3 is probably not coming out this year, as it is scheduled after Starcraft 2. But SC2 should be coming out this year. And that's enough to keep me occupied..
Quote HellRazor 6th January 2009, 10:54
If it makes it out this year, Half-Life 2: EP3. All I'm looking forward to, or have been looking forward to since I finished EP2!
Quote liratheal 6th January 2009, 11:04
Killzone 2?

Other than that, probably DoW2 (When is that slated for release anyway?)

And that 40k brawler thing that THQ Australia are doing. That looks fun.

Don't really give a **** about SC2 or Diablo 3.
Quote Darkedge 6th January 2009, 11:30
"Garriott's own MMO, Tabula Rasa, proved a bit of a flop this last year and has since closed down completely. "
Nope it hasn't, still running and still fun. Right now it's free to play - which is a bargain.

My list:
For MMOS interested in APB, the Agency and Aion this year
Single players - Killzone 2, Bioshock 2, Alan Wake, Deus EX 3, Ghostbusters, Mafia 2, to start with.
Lots coming out.
Quote Paradigm Shifter 6th January 2009, 11:31
Peter Molyneux really can't stand not seeing himself in the press, can he? If he's not talking up how wonderful his next game is, but he can't really talk about it a lot as it's all very hush-hush right now he's very sorry... it seems he's rubbishing other devs.

Every game he's made where I've actually listened to the hype he's spouted about it has disappointed me greatly. Black & White 1 & 2, Fable... they wow me for about a day, then monotony sets in... Dungeon Keeper, Theme Park, Populous and so on... they were great! But his recent efforts have been... not able to live up to his past successes.

There are rafts of games I want coming out in the not too distant future. I doubt I'll get all of them... Diablo 3, Starcraft 2, Dawn of War 2, FEAR 2... I do notice they're all sequels, but companies are wary of trying new stuff at the minute. :(
Quote SBS 6th January 2009, 11:43
Isn't that there MAG due out sometime this year? Almost cried when they said it was PS3 exclusive, so well suited to the PC.
Quote V3ctor 6th January 2009, 12:13
SC2 is coming in 3 "expansions" as Blizzard decided to milk the franchise... each "expansion" focus on one race of the game... so... I'll pass... I would like to have GRID 2 and a good Valve title... :)
Quote icutebluezone 6th January 2009, 13:28
I would like to See what fear 2 is going to be like. Loved the 1st fear and expansion pack.
Quote Nedsbeds 6th January 2009, 13:54
Is it too early to see Deus ex 3 out for next christmas do you think?
Quote Lepermessiah 6th January 2009, 14:46
man, molyneux is such an irritating idiot. Diablo III, Alan Wake, HL2 Ep3, Starcraft II, Fear II, MAFIA II (Mafia I was awesome on PC), etc....he has no big game coming out so he says 09 will be a down year. A game does not have to be a hyped AAA title to be great, he is a console whore.
Quote Lepermessiah 6th January 2009, 14:57
What about Dragon Age? Surely better then any recent RPG Molyneux has come out with, Fable is pretty average. Man, he needs to shut up, I am sure devs with games coming out in 09 liked hearing his arrogant comments.
Quote Bungle 6th January 2009, 15:20
Certainly looking forward to the first part of the Starcraft 2 Trilogy. Been too long since we seen Jim Raynor an Co.

Alan Wake and Prototype if they are released this year will certainly be worthy of attention.

Halflife Black mesa (hopefully)

The past few years have been great for gaming all round. No reason to believe the trend will change for this year.
Quote freedom810 6th January 2009, 15:32
2009 dosent look as good as some years, e.g. 2007 (amazing year), however killzone 2 really makes the year for me, cannot wait. It looks like its going to be epic!
Quote Veles 6th January 2009, 17:42
Quote:
Originally Posted by Article
Garriott did say he wasn't done with game design yet though and that he'll soon be starting work on a new medieval-fantasy MMO game.

Just what we need.
Quote supaste 6th January 2009, 17:45
I'm looking forward to Cities XL sim city style game which is going to be about city managment not whatever EA are doing at the moment with the series. Im might give the new colin mcrae dirt and test drive 2 a look in if they are released this year. Half life ep3 and thats about it for the time being.
Quote pendragon 6th January 2009, 18:20
huh I didn't realize Tabula Rasa had gone completely free! Nice!... I bet it's infested with lamers though :( ah well ... definitely looking forward to HL2:EP3, half life black mesa project, Diablo 3, and StarCraft 2 trilogy.. and if any other LEGO games come out, I'll be all over that :)
Quote Cadillac Ferd 6th January 2009, 19:29
If Starcraft 2 doesn't make it out this decade I'm going to be terribly disappointed.
Quote Sebbo 7th January 2009, 03:17
Halo Wars, Star Craft 2, LotR: Conquest, Dawn of War 2, Mad World, Halo 3: ODST, Sims 3, FEAR 2, HL2: Ep 3, Bioshock 2... certainly doesn't sound dry to me. though i think we can all agree that Peter Molyneux is an idiot when it comes to things outside his little universe

edit: forgot RE5 and Street Fighter
Quote CardJoe 7th January 2009, 07:27
Star Craft 2, Ep 3, BioShock 2 and Halo Wars don't have release dates though - and I'd be shocked if the first two made it out this year.
Quote naokaji 7th January 2009, 07:37
No AAA titles? Diablo III and SC2 are the fuc*** defintion of AAA titles.....

Molyneux, go back under a rock, stfu and don't come back until you made a new Dungeon Keeper, but without dumbing it down one bit for consoles.
Quote CardJoe 7th January 2009, 09:04
How many times do I have to say that StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3 are both not listed for a 2009 release at the moment?
Quote naokaji 7th January 2009, 10:11
Quote:
Originally Posted by CardJoe
How many times do I have to say that StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3 are both not listed for a 2009 release at the moment?

Both have a it's done when it's done release date, one can still hope though that atleast one of them will make it to the market in 2009.
Quote drlecter 7th January 2009, 17:46
Mafia 2....
Quote Sebbo 7th January 2009, 21:58
Quote:
Originally Posted by CardJoe
Star Craft 2, Ep 3, BioShock 2 and Halo Wars don't have release dates though - and I'd be shocked if the first two made it out this year.

Halo Wars is dated for next month. Blizzard reckons SC2 will be out this year, and Take Two say we'll have Bioshock 2 by the holiday season (though yeah, they haven't had a solid date set yet)
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