Stadia lingers on through the whole year, exists more as a tech demo than an actual product people are supposed to buy. Google does not put money into securing exclusives and, as a result, doesn't have any.
Something big happens in Europe in regards to game monetization. FIFA in particular is too big to be ignored. EA reluctantly responds by half-unfucking the game.
Series X gets the full blowout a month and a half or so before E3, just like what happened last generation. They already have most info out there but you also get to see a downscale, cheaper, version that nobody is going to want. Halo Infinite the "hype" game for it, but it looks extremely generic in the trailers. A Fable game is the other big exclusive talked about. Not named Fable 4. Nothing else first party from them makes waves, their shed of misfit toy studios put out a load of generic trend chasers/games people wanted in 2010. They are in it to win it though and parade an unending sea of mediocrity through the conference. A more downscale XB1 is also revealed. XBL is the current version/does not get new updates.
PS5 gets revealed in March, full blowout at E3. They are a little more classy than Xbox and might have people push new series. You also might get Horizon 2 and Last of Us 2 with better shadows (wooo.) Controller is basically the same as the current one, to enable backwards compatibility. It costs as much as the Xbox but is less powerful. PSN/PSN+ or whatever they call it remains unchanged.
All digital future is put off for another generation, both announced with disc drives.
Nintendo gets ANOTHER Pokemon game. Either a remake of an old game or a "Yellow" equivalent. Dexit still stands but a lot of "new" mons added back in. Metroid and Zelda trailers at E3. Mario Kart Tour gets a trailer too, everyone in the stream sneers. Neither come out this year. You do get the Prime Trilogy (finally), Xenoblade remaster, Animal Crossing (not a prediction, its out in March I think and they are pushing it in online marketing already,) and Bayonetta 3, which turns out to have not been in development hell afterall. No Microsoft collaboration announced, no Xbox Live on Switch.
As to PC gaming... Half Life Alyx turns out to not be the next Super Mario 64 afterall and VR still makes you vomit. Epic doesn't stop with the exclusivity buying, because its working. I hate online multiplayer and thats what PC gaming is these days, so I can't even predict what people want or will be given.
EA does nothing of note this year. They announce what the new plan/reboot for Anthem is going to be. Its a full on Realm Reborn overhaul trying to turn the assets into something that isn't extremely generic/grindy/boring. It fails.
Blizzard finds "success" with Diablo but its really a disappointment. Game moves millions but makes less than mobile/MOBA money and also is criticized by hardcore players for being very generic.
Bethesda has a product ready to go, its Starfield and its marred by monetization. The internet (well, my version of the internet,) hates it. Their whole E3 conference is a joke again, TES
, F76, Starfield being a looter shooter, a mobile game and NO TES VI.
Ubisoft takes the lid off of BG&E2 and oh no its Starfield again. Assassins Creed is back (its on a two year cycle now) and I guess the reports about vikings sound realistic to me.
Reports leak out of GTA VI in active development.
Metro comes out, it is good. Not mind blowing or anything but enough for people to wake up and say that they do, indeed, like GTA-like games and haven't had a new one in years while the Watchdogs team sits in the corner and cries.
FF VII remake part 1 is out too and its also good. Trials of Mana remake is also out, its "good" but really its actually bland and forgettable and costs way too much. Tomb Raider is rebooted into an Assassin's Creed game.
Amazon shuts their game studio down. Turns out that making games is hard.
