Looking Forward...

It is the end of another year, game of the years are being announced and shared by anyone thinking someone might be listening. Throughout 2009, we saw the release of numerous blockbuster titles, but all in all it was a down year. Be that a result of the "Modern Warfare 2 Effect" or our economy being in one of the deepest recessions it has ever seen, regardless, video gaming was softer this year than in the past few.

Throughout 2009 we saw the release of numerous games, and the hardcore market jumping in on a great majority of them. The reason for this year's dropoff is not coming from the hardcore market in the slightest. Actually, quite the contrary, it is coming from the casual gaming market. A market that reaped the benefits in 2008, upon the release of Wii Fit, was down year over year by a considerable margin. This can be illustrated by the dropoff in total Wii console sales throughout the year and as a result of less casual software being pushed out this year, less software was sold. Again, this is not all only the result of no games coming to the market, because certain titles did excel in the market, such as EA Sports Active, but a result of families not earning as much, people getting laid off, etc. When mom and dad do not have as much money coming in they are less likely to buy casual games for their children. The average hardcore gamer is male between the ages of 16-31. Generally, teenagers and young adults have more disposable incomes due to a lack of commitments. This seems like a much more rational explanation as to why sales are down year over year for the first time in a few years.

Looking forward of course, we have only light on the horizon. Think about it. The market is on its way back up. Thus, gaming will benefit as those families will have more money to spend on leisure activities, including video games. Obviously, this will not occur overnight, and 2010 will not have sales figures that blow a good year like 2007 or 2008 out of the water. However, 2010 is almost guaranteed in my mind to improve on 2009's sales figures. Even moreso on the software side, where the prices of new releases tend to stay constant, versus the constantly dropping prices of consoles.

In the first quarter of 2010, we have a fabulous lineup, enough to keep any gamer busy for at least a little while. Mass Effect 2, MAG, Bayonetta, and Darksiders all headline the first month of the year, while February rolls around the corner like a bat out of hell with Dante's Inferno, Bioshock 2, and Splinter Cell: Conviction. Personally I'll be buying at least 6/7 of those games, and eventually 7/7.

I'm done rambling now, but I would like to know; what game are you most looking forward to in the first two months of next year?