Traditionally the end of the year is a time for looking back at the year that’s been and reflecting on what was good and bad. However, it’s also a good time to look forward to the new year in prospect and ponder what we have to look forward to.

 

The Zero1gaming team did just that at the end of last year and we made a few predictions about the year to come.

So rather than just leave it at that I thought that  as we come to the end of 2014, now would be the perfect time to look up those old predictions and see how we did with our Nostradamus-like predictions for 2014…

This should be interesting:

 

What game are you most looking forward to in 2014?

Drew Pontikis – I’m unbelievably excited about Star Wars Battlefront. It’s the standout title that’s in the pipeline as far as I’m concerned, and frankly every console generation deserves a spankingly good Star Wars game.

Joseph Butler-Hartley – It’s obviously Watch Dogs, which was cruelly withheld from us this year. I’ve got my bandanna and baseball cap all ready.

Kimo Kuppe – Bayonetta 2 but since I remember the first ones lengthy release I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended up being the game I look forward to in 2015

Paul Izod – Dragon Age: Inquisition – No one suspects the Dragon Age Inquisition!

Oliver Smith – Shamefully last-gen though it is, Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow 2 is the one to watch for me. All those vampiric atrocities cannot come quickly enough.

 

Well, all told, that wasn’t too bad. In the main, nobody was too disappointed in their picks. Dragon Age; Inquisition was my game of the year and Watchdogs (despite Joe’s interesting take on the layout of the name) was also well received. And Drew’s choice of Star W…. ah… oh dear… that’s not gone so well has it?

Oh well,  better luck in the next part…

 

Which console are we all going to be playing in 2014?

DP – PS4. That said, people tend to buy what they’re friends play on, and I don’t know anyone who pre-ordered the PS4. Everyone’s getting the One.

JBH – I’ll be sticking to my PC and Wii U.

KK – Like JBH I’m stoked about my PC and Wii U and also my 3DS

PI – Xbox One for me personally – anything but the WiiU for most people in general I suspect.

OS – Considering my current financial position is somewhere between pauper and sewer rat as a result of it, I’ll probably go with PS4.

 

Well, that one looked like it went fairly well again. The WiiU has continued to be the lesser cousin to the big two, though I’m pretty sure the fact that Drew has had my copy of Titanfall on Xbox One for over 6 months might suggest his commitment to the PS4 might have wavered a bit…

 

 

Which month will Microsoft try and sneak the check-in online every 24hrs code back in with an XBone system update?

DP – June

JBH – November

KK – January

PI – Not at all next year, you cynics you.

OS – February

 

Well as you can see, apart from a solitary voice, our team was especially cynical back in 2013. Turns out Microsoft managed to avoid the temptation to make the console ‘always online’ for 2014.

Ah 2013… remember when the whole ‘always online’ thing was like the biggest issue in all of gaming… I just got all nostalgic!

 

Will anyone actually buy a PS Vita this year now it’s compatible with the PS4?

DP – Unless it comes as part of a PS4 bundle, no. That would be awesome though Sony should definitely do that.

JBH – Not unless Sony follow Nintendo’s example with the 3DS and put lots of effort into releasing better games for it.

KK – Probably but it won’t be me!

PI – I’m sure someone, somewhere will buy it. And there you will find someone with more money than sense.

OS – Maybe me. I’m desperate for its technical capabilities but cannot justify the purchase due to lack of great games.

 

Nope; I didn’t buy one and neither did you…

Moving on!

 

Which game is going to be the biggest surprise of 2014?

DP – I’m going to go with Homefront 2. The first one was brilliant online so hopefully the sequel picks up where that one left off.

JBH – Murdered: Soul Suspect. It sounds like L.A. Noire crossed with Beetlejuice. What’s not to love?

KK – Possibly Dragon Age: Inquisition which I hope will either be the savior of gaming or suck so bad it kills Bioware. Or maybe Nintendo could actually surprise me for a change and do something cool with Zelda U

PI – If I guess right then surely it wasn’t a surprise?? I’ll go with Baron Von Teacup’s Ludicrous Adventure for the Sega Megadrive – now that would be a surprise!

OS – God of War IV. Announced in January, here to disembowel everyone in November. You heard it here first folks.

 

Oh dear, not so well this time.

• Homefront 2…. No sign of it in 2015
• God of War IV – nothing
• Dragon Age: Inquisition – great game, but hardly a surprise and pretty sure it was neither the saviour of gaming nor killed Bioware…

However, Murdered: Soul Suspect was pretty good and I maintain that Baron Von Teacup’s Ludicrous Adventure suffered from an appalling lack of coverage to such an extent people would likely think it didn’t exist, making me look bloody silly!

 

 

Which game will be the biggest flop of 2014?

DP – Destiny. I so want to believe that it will be brilliant, but I know it’s going to be the biggest anti-climax since Remember Me.

JBH – The Elder Scrolls Online. I think MMORPG’s have had their day, and I just can’t see console owners flocking to spend £8.99 a month on another one.

KK – I spitefully hope with the rage only a jilted lover feels that it will be Dragon Age: Inquisition.

PI – Elder Scrolls Online – It will sell loads, but will fall flat as it will fail to hold the same magic as the solo games  – some games shouldn’t have multiplayer

OS – Titanfall. It’ll be good, no doubt – but such is the ludicrous level of expectation, it’s doomed to fall short.

DP – I think they’ll take the lazy option and go with Ghosts 2.

JBH – Call of Duty: The Ghosts Strike Back

KK – Call of Duty: Something Whatever Just give us your money, Suckers

PI – Call of Duty: Guns of the Revengeance Dog Infinite Scrolls Redemption Raider

OS – Treyarch will go minimalistic and it will be a WW1 game simply named Call of Duty.

 

Ok, first off; no points to either me or Joe, as Elder Scrolls Online was already a certainty to fail at that stage to all but the most blinkered of optimists, so no credit for that!

Arguments could be made for Titanfall and Destiny not living up to their hype I suppose, but both have done well critically and Destiny, in particular, as done some record sales numbers.

Also, some of the answers there seem to suggest we weren’t taking this as seriously as we might!

 

 

Will 2014 see a proper game fully embrace Kinect 2.0?

DP – No

JBH – Definitely not

KK –  Yes and it will allow gamers to finally interact with their anime wife like no game has ever allowed before, or should allow. This grope simulator will cause a negative birth rate to occur in the US and Japan.

PI – Fully embrace? No, as motion capture is not a precise or responsive enough input method for a ‘proper’ game by its very nature.

OS – Of course. Owners of FIFA15 have to take the console to their nearest football pitch.

 

Oh Kinect, you sad old thing. You’re still just about going, though mine has assumed its rightful place at the bottom of a pile of unused technology in a far-flung, spidery corner of my garage as far from an actual, working computer is can be achieved in my house.

Though on reflection I think we might need to get Kimmo some professional help…

 

The big one: will 2014 see Half Life 3?

DP – No. It’s just not going to happen

JBH – Maybe. Maybe not. Who knows.

KK – Yeah and also Duke Nukem Forev… oh wait that actually came out… Gonna go with yes just so I can lord it over you all if I’m right.

PI – Nah, we’d have heard something by now.

OS – Absolutely. It’s set to be released on the same day as Agent and The Last Guardian.

 

That is Joe, you commit to that definitive answer! Apart from that we have a controversial number of optimists there going for yes. Which is a bit of a blow to our credibility, seeing as Half-Life 3 seems as imminent now as it did last year… and the year before that… and the one before that…

 

So, all in all, not a stellar performance in our predictions for 2013 and none of us are going to be able to claim supernatural psychic abilities, but a few nuggets of insight in there, though amongst the piles of fail, admittedly.

 

Stay tuned for our predictions for 2015 and we look to improve on our record!

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