Don’t hit that pause button just yet. Despite the tanking economy and an increasing number of video game-industry layoffs, many believe 2009 will be a year of evolution for games. The combination of innovative new titles, long-awaited franchise follow-ups and desire for escapism could spawn a gaming renaissance.
“While game makers providing traditional retail product will continue to concentrate on high-profile sequels and licensed properties in an effort to mitigate risk, many of the field’s most exciting developments will actually be happening outside of your local GameStop,” said DigitalTrends.com publisher Scott Steinberg.
By focusing on surefire $60 sequels that are appearing on next-generation consoles for the first time — like “Resident Evil 5,” “Street Fighter IV” and “God of War III” — gaming publishers are expected to avoid economic pitfalls while independent developers are poised to provide cheaper, quicker and quirkier alternatives, such as $20-or-less downloadable games like “Flower” for the PlayStation 3 or “Darwinia Plus” for the Xbox 360.
“Why pay $60 for a game you don’t have time to play anyway when dozens of bite-sized, instantly intuitive and schedule friendly alternatives are available for $5 to $15 right from your couch?” muses Steinberg.
Steinberg also anticipates even more developers will extend their games’ out-of-the-box life with downloadable content. Rockstar Games is set to release “The Lost and Damned” exclusively on Xbox Live on Feb. 17. The “Grand Theft Auto IV” expansion will add new content and hours of gameplay to last year’s top-selling action game.
Several grander gaming innovations were teased at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Sony showcased 3-D editions of such games as “MotorStorm: Pacific Rift” and “Wipeout HD” while Microsoft introduced “Kodu,” a downloadable Windows PC and Xbox 360 program that allows amateurs — from children to adults — to create their own games.
“Video games are poised…