Now that the 2010 year of gaming is wrapping up successfully, I decided it was time to reflect on the onslaught of titles primed to takeoff in 2011. While several gaming lineups have already been revealed on all three platforms, you can’t help but wonder what other releases are being kept quiet until just the right time. This list is meant to elaborate further on that concept by unveiling games that will ultimately be confirmed at some point next year. What do you guys think of this list? Are there any other games you’d like to add to the list? Please feel free to do so in the comment section below.
11. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Call Of Duty: Black Ops dominated November sales and currently stands as Treyarch’s most successful game to date. This particular achievement wouldn’t have happened if Modern Warfare 2 didn’t originally raise the bar for series quality and expectations. While reports surfaced at the beginning of the year that Infinity Ward had lost several key employees to lawsuits, Activision has secretly continued development on the next chapter in the franchise. Given that there were a ton of plot holes left unanswered along with no official announcement of the game being cancelled, you can expect to hear more about this game in the months to come.
10. Paper Mario 3DS
While early reports will suggest that the Nintendo Wii’s momentum will undoubtedly slow down in 2011, the Nintendo 3ds is expected to shine in it’s place. With several high profile third party developers already on board with the technology, you can also anticipate that Nintendo will add a ton a familiar faces into the equation. Paper Mario 3ds was already hinted at prior to E3 2010, but was never actually confirmed. You can expect the title to finally be unveiled next year in some form or another.
9. Halo Kinect
Bungie’s final foray into the Halo Universe reached perfection with the arrival of Halo: Reach back in September. Now that Microsoft and 343 Industries have acquired the franchise, the bar must once again be raised to appease fans of the series. However, one advantage that this game will have over past titles lies in the endless possibilities that Kinect implementation can bring. Needless to say, news on Master Chief and the Covenant will take flight some time in 2011.
8. Activision/ Bungie project
After crafting five great Halo titles, Bungie decided to sign a 10-year developmental deal exclusively with Activision. While both companies have remained tight-lipped about what exactly they are working on, it’s more then likely that the partnership will result in the creation of a new IP. Given the amount of sequels that continue to dominate the market every year, an original title would be welcomed with open arms. Expect an announcement of this multitude to surface right around E3 2011.
7. Star Fox Wii
If you go back to E3 2010 and compare how each conference did among the 3 major consoles, then Nintendo would easily get the nod for most impressive. While Sony and Microsoft set their sights on Motion and 3d gaming, Nintendo decided to actually focus on games. Both Kirby and Donkey Kong returned this year, and I would expect the next title due for a comeback is Star Fox. A Star Fox 64 remake was already announced for 3ds, and I would anticipate that by E3 2011 you’ll finally hear news about the franchise making its Wii debut.
6. Resident Evil 6
Although it was overlooked due to disappointing sales, Alan Wake can easily be defined as one of the best survival horror games of 2010. The idea of creating both a dark and light dynamic to mimic good and evil was a fresh concept that I’m hopeful other developers will take note of. While I fully expect Alan Wake 2 to be revealed, a Resident Evil sequel with a new approach can restore the series to its roots. Given that Dead Rising creator Keiji Inafune has separated from the company, I would imagine that Capcom will be even more inclined to start letting fans know the next Resident evil game sooner rather then later.
5. Saints Row 3
APB was unquestionably one of the most underwhelming projects to get the shaft in 2010. By contrast, the formula of open world gameplay has become the bread and butter of companies like Rockstar and THQ. The announcement of Saints Row 3 seems like a certified guarantee especially when you know that the Grand Theft Auto series is due for another sequel.
4. Bayonetta 2
Sega turned a lot of heads when they revealed the action adventure thriller Bayonetta earlier this year. Many will say that the success of this title proves that new IPs are an industry standard worth maintaining. You can expect to hear more about this game relatively soon.
3. Assassins Creed 3
Soon after the success of Assassins Creed: Brotherhood, Ubisoft made it known that the next title in the series would debut in 2011. While exploring the Italian Renaissance era was a breathtaking feat, the promise of new venues should be more then enough to get the hardcore fan excited. If your looking for a clue as to what time period may be up next, then I would advise you to pay very close attention to the comics that are currently out on newsstands. The creative team has hinted time and time again that the next game will be heavily inspired by what your reading now.
2. Half Life 2: Episode 3 or Left 4 Dead 3
Valve made headlines at E3 2010 by crashing the Sony Press conference to confirm that Portal 2 was headed towards the PlayStation 3. While the VGAs claim that this will be the most anticipated game of 2011, Valve fans everywhere are still eagerly waiting to continue the adventures of Gordon Freeman. Gabe Newell stated before that there are many surprises in store for Valve in the year to come, and I fully expect Half-Life to be one of those surprises. As for Left 4 Dead 3, the life cycle of Left 4 Dead 1 DLC content is slowly starting to wear down. This became most noticeable once the DLC started to pair survivors of both games together. Even though it’s not exactly set in stone, the approach to do a new title isn’t totally out of the question especially if it allows the developers to explore a different setting unlike the last two games.
1. GTA V
After all the acclaim that Red Dead Redemption received in 2010, Rockstar Games managed to prove that they could easily be versatile in the content that they provide to their audiences. LA. Noire will continue that tradition well into 2011, with the announcement of another title to follow shortly thereafter. While Max Payne 3 may still be on the minds of many, don’t forget about the significance of Grand Theft Auto. Theoretically, Rockstar has an array of intriguing titles they can announce at any given time but release well past 2011. Expect GTA V to be one of the games that falls into that category.
Honorable Mentions:
Dante’s Inferno 2
Dante’s Inferno was a title that borrowed a great deal of combat elements from the infamous God of War series. While the game itself was met with mixed reactions, EA took it upon themselves to layout plans for a series. The ending of the first game pretty much confirmed a sequel would inevitably be forthcoming. Expect that to become a reality in 2011.
Killer Instinct Reboot
This popular fighting series has been deemed questionable by Rare, but I would predict that the return of Mortal Kombat might be just enough to persuade them into giving this series another try. After the release of Street Fighter 4, Rare executive Ken Lobb praised the success Capcom had on both the game and the Street Fighter HD version that was released on Xbox Live and PSN. He then made this statement:
Actually after KI2, we started KI3 so there was some early work done on it. Someday, maybe. I think in some ways – again, we don’t have any plans – but if we were going to do a KI3, we’d probably start with KI1 on XBLA, you know to a.) See if everyone is still interested in the IP, but also as a reminder of what it was like.
Take this comment with a grain of salt, but at least you now know it’s a possibility that Killer instinct 3 could become a fact one day.
