It's the Holiday Season. Where are the Games?

Labor Day Weekend is approaching in the United States which signals the end of the summer. I use this time to get my checklist ready for the upcoming holiday season of gaming. The holiday season is the best time to be a gamer. After a summer of mediocre titles and downloadable content, gamers are blessed with the return of awesome games. Last year we saw Uncharted 2, Demon's Souls, Borderlands, Assassin's Creed 2, and many other games that made the 2009 holiday season great. This year the only games I have on my radar are Fallout: New Vegas and LittleBigPlanet 2. Am I missing something?

I blame it on this motion control craze that's sweeping over the Xbox 360 and the PS3. Sony & Microsoft are trying to profit from the casual audience Nintendo has banking off since 2006. They got so caught up in adding motion controls they forgot about the hardcore gamers, much like what Nintendo did with the Wii. Microsoft's presentation of Kinect at E3 consisted of a bunch of casual games that could be found on the Wii, and Dance Central. Sony is hoping the September release of the PS Move proves to be a success by bundling it with "Sports Champions" which looks like Wii Sports HD. I'm already bored.

It's not all bad. 2011 is also shaping up to be an excellent year in gaming. Off the top I can name Dead Space 2, Batman: Arkham City, Gears of War 3, Mortal Kombat, and Madden 2012. We just have to deal with an abysmal 2010 holiday season. Microsoft is dropping Halo: Reach in two weeks so it'll be all right. Sony is hoping we all buy a PlayStation Move so we can replay games with motion controls. It worked with Resident Evil 4 on the Wii, but will I want to play Heavy Rain with the PS Move? Probably.

(6)

Chas Guidry

September 02, 2010

Professor Layton and the Last Time Travel is coming in little over a week, Medal of Honor is coming soon, Call of Duty: Black Ops is gonna' dominate my life for months after its November release (especially with the new currency aspect announced yesterday).

Halo Reach is also on its way, along with Final Fantasy XIV and Four Heroes of Light, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, NBA Jam, Enslaved: Oddsey to the West, Borderland GOTY, Scribblenauts 2, Kirby's Epic Yarn, EA Sports MMA, Super Meat Boy, The Force Unleashed 2, Gran Turismo 3, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, GoldenEye, and a whole bunch more.

I'd say this holiday season is gonna' be pretty packed. :p

5211_100857553261324_100000112393199_12455_5449490_n

Bryan Harper

I hadn't thought of Heavy Rain with the motion controls before.

Definitely sounds more thrilling than rotating the sticks gently through the game.

Alex Martin

If Assassin's Creed 2 was your thing, then you might be missing Brotherhood. That's out in November.

I'm with you though -- my Christmas list is pretty thin right now. (Yes, I have a rolling Amazon wishlist that functions for birthdays and Christmas and random acts of kindness.)

Errol James

September 04, 2010

@Chas

I like the list, but most of the games you mentioned are remakes or sequels I've come to expect.

GoldenEye doesn't feel right without Pierce Brosnan. I remember looking at my N64 and seeing the picture of Pierce Brosnan on the cartridge as I played. Daniel Craig is an insult.

Kirby got postponed to 2011, but looks fun.

I'm wating on reviews for Enslaved and Donkey Kong Country.

NBA Jam might be fun, and everything else you mentioned isn't my cup of tea. They look fun though

@Bryan

The thought of playing Heavy Rain during the last week of 2010 has been tempting. I might have to do it.

@Alex

I lost the magic with Assassin's Creed 2. I didn't finish my first run back in November. I started a new game in June and it didn't work out. I might give Brotherhood a look.