I write a lot. As some of my few but treasured constant readers may know, sometimes I write too much. GameSpot had me in their User Soapbox cycle for a while. What I had to do was limit myself to writing once a week. I was cranking out 4 - 5 editorials a week without enough time to write down every other topic idea.
This developed a good habit. I would write a blog then sit on it for a few weeks or so. If I still felt it was something worthwhile I would post it. That would also give me a little time to do a little more research or proofread it once more.
More often then not, what I write would become obsolete the week after I wrote it so I all my effort was in vain. Out of curiosity, sometimes I like to go back and sift through my recycle bin.
Back in December just before Christmas, on the 20th to be exact, I wrote a blog titled 2008 - Forthcoming Anticipation. I was right about a few things I predicted and wrong about some others.
Setting aside all humiliation concerns, I am posting it here. I hope you enjoy a good laugh at my Burnout Paradise mistake. I have added some commentary as well.
2008 - Forthcoming Anticipation (Redundant, I know.) 12-20-2007
2007 Has come and gone and in its wake has left a huge crater. A slew of incredible, highly anticipated games which many thought would either never see the light of day or simply not live up to expectations have finally been released into the wild. Are there any good titles left for 2008?
As we all recover from the beating our wallets took this Christmas season, is it too early to start thinking about the future? It is hard to believe that yes, there STILL are some great titles on the way. It amazes me to think about the fact that some AAA titles are still in the waiting room.
It MUST be an mind-blowing year to catch yourself saying things like, "OH YEAH! Gran Theft Auto IV is coming out isn’t it!?!"
I compiled a short list of games that I will be looking out for next year. Feel free to add any you think I missed.
Afrika - Why? Well, today’s consoles are capable of incredible graphics. We have yet to see a game where you can just sit and admire the graphical power of a console. Its always just flying by. It would be refreshing to see a game designed to push realism to its limits without worrying about weapon balancing. Of course I wouldn’t pay $60 for this experience but a $10 - $40 virtual walk through an Afrikan wild animal park might be fun. Hell I paid more for Planet Earth on Blu-Ray.
Alan Wake - Nearly as mysterious as Afrika, I can only imagine that this game is a mystery-style game along the lines of Indigo Prophecy/Fahrenheit. I’m hoping its not Condemned without the fighting aspect.
Grand Theft Auto IV - Framerate and graphics aside, I have faith that this game will be fun. As repetitive and unoriginal as this series is, I have to admit there is a guilty pleasure each and every single time they release a new version…err, sequel. - The game has released and my opinion hasn’t changed. The most finely tuned out of 6! GTAIII iterations. (GTA3, V.C., S.A., L.C.S., V.C.S., GTAIV)
Fable 2 - I am truly excited about this one. The music, the environment. The backstory. Something about this original game really pulled me into the game universe and an HD (hopefully heftier) version of this game would be welcome.
Mario Kart Wii! - Always quality, always fun at parties. - Short and plain, just like the game. Still true.
Saint’s Row 2 - I don’t consider myself a graphics-whore but I put screen shots of Saint’s Row and GTAIV side by side and I like the latter better. I don’t know if it is the road textures or the vehicle paint jobs but it looks prettier. Besides, I’d rather roll in an imitation Chevy Impala than a Citation. - Saint’s Row 2 isn’t out yet, but I have a feeling I am not too far off course with these assumptions.
Soul Calibur IV - I still have a special place in my heart for fighting games. Though I would prefer a storyline that doesn’t require any drug use for you to understand, the band-aid backstory isn’t enough to sway my interest in this title. It has a powerful feel and sharp graphics. The audio could use a little tweak. The sword "clanks" always sound like they are played through an 8-Bit audio card. - Little did I know Star Wars would invade this universe. There goes my hope for a more cohesive storyline. My fingers are still crossed for better audio.
Street Fighter IV - Not much news, some new moves hinted at in that stylistic watercolor video release a few months ago but I would love a return to the classic formula. I always like the EX series because they remained faithful to the 2d gameplay of the original despite its lackluster reviews. - 2D formula and some slightly modified moves like we suspected. Not many surprises other than those new Final Fight type characters. This is not a bad thing. When Street Fighter became a Circus Juggling competition I lost interest.
Bully - Let down when the XBox version of this game was dropped in favor of the PS2, I didn’t bother to pick it up. If it is released on the 360…(with achievements. 
…I will pick it up on day one. - Boy did I start this one on the right note. Let Down is the key term. I didn’t pick it up on day one since GTAIV was following so closely behind. I am glad I didn’t.
God of War III - Will Jaffe have anything to do with this product? If so, how much influence does a development head TRULY have? Can a PS3 version of God of War I & II be enough to make this title a success? Or will they have to change the game to bring it to the next level? Heavenly Sword set a pretty high bar in presentation, God of War with Heavenly Sword quality animation and voice acting would definitely be something I would be interested in. Whatever they do, I hope they stay away from multiplayer. If they want some online functions, perhaps something more along the lines of what Ninja Gaiden did. Selectable characters would be nice. The time seems ripe for the introduction of another character even though it wouldn’t quite fit into the storyline. - Still hoping though I’m not sure about a 2008 release.
Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 - I never liked this series before the series came to the 360. A lot of action, interesting mechanics and top notch graphics kept me playing the original for a good while. The online play showed promise but it really wasn’t rewarding enough for me to keep playing. - I may be renting this once I complete the huge library of games I own.
Wipeout HD - PS3 This game is taking too long to come out. Seriously, the formula is there. Perhaps they are waiting for an in-game XMB to support music replacement? I would be afraid to crack open the machine to swap out the CD’s like we did with Wipeout XL on the original Playstation. - This game is taking too long to come out. Wait, what?
echochrome - PS3 This title is original enough to have me interested but I’m not sure my interest will make it through the game’s entirety. I like puzzle games, but… - The demo is out. I downloaded it for both the PS3 and the PSP. I have yet to try it though. It doesn’t exactly scream excitement so I’m not anxious to play it.
God of War: Chains of Olympus PSP Will we ever get the title that will take advantage of the unlocked processor? A repetitive yet fun action game with a formula that seems designed for portability. No need for camera control (hopefully) will free your hands for the intense action. Hopefully slowdown won’t be an issue. - Some slowdown, but GREAT on the PSP. Wow. It seems harder in some parts to me than the original on the PS2. It is more forgiving though with contact detection and health.
Wipeout Pulse - PSP A PSP sequel too long in the making. I thought for sure we would be looking at yearly releases and who are we kidding, during those first couple of years the PSP could’ve used more A-List titles.
Games Due Next Year that I’m not excited about.
Burnout Paradise - The last 360 release really left a bitter taste in my gaming soul. The cement trash bins and exceedingly difficult perfect requirements left me puzzled. This game was so fun just a year ago, what happened? Then the new one comes out. Open world much like Need For Speed. There are a lot of things to do, well I should say, there are a few things to do, a lot of times. Seems cool, but in the shadow of games like Mass Effect and Rock Band…its definitely not anything I’m paying full price for. Maybe next year. - I have to admit the game news media had a lot to do with my change of opinion. I tried the demo and I wasn’t sold on it. The online play is what makes this game solid. I really dislike the point to point races but its all part of a greater, better package.
Gran Turismo 5: Prologue - PS3 - Lets call this interesting, not exactly "exciting." Car damage on some models? Show some confidence and stand up to those manufacturers! "Your car will not be represented in THE car sim, period!" The slim packaging, potential for a per automobile charge "feature" and all around mid-90’s formula has me losing interest in the series after every iteration. - I am still disgusted by Poliphany Digital’s refusal to include car damage or at least semi realistic physics in what they refer to as a sim. I bought this game because my PS3 is hungry for something, anything.
Haze - PS3 I don’t understand the hype behind this game. It seems to me that if Haze and TimeShift merged, together they may become a complete product. - Ouch. What a slam. I still stand by it though. From the uninspired mechanics to the meh character design. Its not just greys and browns, we have YELLOW!!!!
Killzone 2 - PS3 Cool character design for the enemy characters. Resistance meets Gears of War? I am just curious to see which side will eat Crow. Those who claim hype or those who are betting this game is a system seller. Unless this game gets awards, I’m not even renting it. - Sony hyped this game up so much I think they may have doomed it to fail. If it isn’t spectacular, the gaming public will eat it for lunch.
Sports - Any Football/Basketball/Soccer/Hockey/Baseball sports game. Not a huge sports fan but I DO know how fun they can be with a good group of friends. I still don’t see why we would have to buy more than one each generation. What it offers to me is enough to buy only one each generation, if that.
