As per tradition, I thought I’d take a look at my expectations for the gaming year 2024, focusing on three console manufacturers. It’s no secret that 2023 has been an impressive year, with many games delayed in release, but many also behind schedule. In the world of video games, a year is forever long, and what’s obvious today may seem completely obsolete twelve months from now, which means I may have to feel shame as I wrap up 2024.
I hope it’s still interesting, and I hope many of you will be eager to have your say on what’s happening this year. As usual I will go in alphabetical order. But enough rambling, here we go: Happy New Year to you, dear reader.
Microsoft
I firmly believe this – Call of Duty 2024 will be the most popular game in the series to date. This is based on the assumption that it will be the first game in the series to be released on Game Pass on day one, as Microsoft owns Activision Blizzard. It’s likely that more games from the publisher will be added to the subscription service this year, such as Diablo IV, World of Warcraft, and the old Call of Dutry. But it won’t really take off until October/November, when the 2024 games arrive. Normally, the series sells a lot, but when it suddenly becomes accessible even to those who don’t want to pay full price for a campaign or streaming multiplayer, will break all records in the series.
This still seems reasonable – As you know, Microsoft now has enormous development capabilities, and in 2022 we will start to be able to discern what it will look like from their perspective. Confirmed games include Avowed, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II and Towerborne. But it seems reasonable to think that Microsoft has more in the works, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Fable or Midnight South came out too. This should enable them to reach their goal of hosting a major match every three months for a constant flow of lavish entertainment.
It could really happen – While Mirosoft has an almost unreasonable amount of games announced right now – like Clockwork Revolution, Contraband, Eternal Wilds, OD, Perfect Dark, State of Decay 3, and The Outer Worlds 2 – I think they have something new to announce for the premiere time in 2024 or display. By the way, I think it’s time to show what MachineGames is doing beyond Indiana Jones (which we should see in 2024). It will probably be a graphics-heavy Wolfenstein, and Alliance should also show the next Gears of War (which I don’t think will be released this year). I also wouldn’t put it past Certain Affinity to show off its battle royale-inspired Halo, which I imagine will also be an action game later this year.
Unlikely but possible – It doesn’t seem entirely impossible that Lara Croft could become an Xbox character in the future. Embracer is facing financial difficulties and one of the studios speculated to be up for sale is Crystal Dynamics, which also owns Tomb Raider. Microsoft has already shown considerable interest in Tomb Raider and Crystal Dynamics is also developing the upcoming Perfect Dark. It seems like the perfect studio for Microsoft, and if they had the chance to buy them, I think they would in a heartbeat. But so far, Embracer has given no signs that this will happen, and while Gearbox (the developer of Borderlands) is more likely to be affected, I don’t think Microsoft is all that keen.
Amazing long shot – The previous generation was boosted by Microsoft and Sony releasing updated consoles during the hiatus. Rumors are circulating that Sony will once again release a more powerful Playstation 5 this generation, but I know very little about Microsoft. Plus, having one console with three different performance levels seems complicated. Most signs point to them releasing a smaller, slightly updated version of the Xbox Series X with a redesigned controller, but I really wouldn’t expect better hardware.
Here is an announcement:
Nintendo
I firmly believe this – The Switch continues to sell like hotcakes and is on track to become the best-selling gaming device of all time, taking the title from the Playstation 2. But Nintendo has learned that the console won’t take long to cool down before a replacement arrives, so this time they were proactive. The Switch might have performed better for another year, but in 2024 it’s time for a Switch 2 with better performance, new gaming features, and a hybrid approach.
This still seems reasonable – Mario Kart 8 turns ten next year and has now received its latest batch of DLC for the Switch version. The series is currently Nintendo’s best-selling product, and if they want to ensure the Switch 2 becomes a must-have, then Mario Kart should be announced as an upcoming game. In this way the console will first be sold simply because it is new, and then it will continue to sell because people are waiting for the new Mario Kart. A new 3D Mario or Smash Bros could also be coming, but we won’t see any announcements until at least 2025.
It could really happen – I thought about it last year too, but it’s been a few years since Retro Studios took back responsibility for Samus Aran’s next adventure, which was technically announced, even if we haven’t seen it yet. I think a decent, graphics-heavy Metroid Prime 4 would be a perfect first game for the Switch 2, considering Metroid games don’t usually sell well. As the competition wanes, they will fly off the shelves.
Unlikely but possible – Nintendo does what it wants, often ignoring what the fans want. Maybe that’s a good thing, otherwise we’d just have a bunch of similar sequels. So I think we can forget about getting a new Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, especially since Retro Studios is developing Metroid. But it’s not entirely impossible and seems like a perfect title to launch on Switch and Switch 2.
Incredible views – Is it time for a new tabletop F-Zero next year, especially considering we got a battle royale title this year? The answer is obviously no, forget about this series and enjoy Battle Royale games instead.
Here is an announcement:
sony
I firmly believe this – Even though it is clear that Microsoft is acquiring Activision Blizzard, Sony would have amassed a huge war chest. They’ve made a few acquisitions this year, but overall it’s been quiet on that front, but we all know how frustrated Sony is about losing Activision Blizzard. I firmly believe that they have taken their time, looking for the right company to acquire, and this year I think is the right time, because it is very dangerous to wait and see what the consequences are and only act when it might be too late. I realize he’s probably a publisher, not a developer. Square Enix and Ubisoft both seem like studios in the price range that I think Sony can handle well. Square Enix mainly aims to keep important series exclusive for PlayStation, while Ubisoft is now cheap and offers licenses so good that Sony can take advantage of them even outside the world of video games.
This still seems reasonable – There are many rumors that Sony is currently developing a Playstation 5 Pro, some of which come from such good sources that I choose to believe it is actually true. Even though the console is on par with the Xbox Series Providing a real console powder keg for connoisseurs, I think is the right choice.
It could really happen – Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End turns eight in 2024, and while Naughty Dog says it’s done with the series, there are signs Sony is in no rush to say goodbye. Eight years is a long, long time and I honestly would have thought we would have seen signs of life by now, but 2024 could finally be that time, as there are several potential developers who could be working on Nathan Drake’s new adventure. .
Unlikely but possible – As I write about Microsoft, Embracer is in financial trouble and there are rumors of interest in selling Borderlands developer Gearbox. If that happened, I’d expect Take-Two to buy it (since they own Borderlands and probably want the series’ developers too), but Sony is unlikely to be interested either. Gearbos has many great licenses and is a real high-volume powerhouse. It could also allow some sort of Borderlands exclusive to be made available more easily.
Amazing long shot – Killzone has always had a special place in the hearts of PlayStation gamers, but Guerrilla is now primarily associated with the Horizon series, which has become much bigger commercially. Even though there are rumors that Killzone will make a comeback, I think it’s best to forget about sequels, except maybe a remake of Blue Point (which wouldn’t be the worst thing). compassion.
2024-01-08 14:04:49
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