Let's put it out there. Post your predictions here. So that later when they're true you can point and say "I called it" or far more likely you can be shamed when you were wrong. And of course you can be called an idiot right now, no need to wait for that.
Mine:
- Xbox One will start behind PS4 and never really catch up. A kinect-less model will launch about a year after launch and that will help sales but not enough.
- There will be a gaming crash, but only on the iOS/Android gaming. With the cost of entry being so low the markets will get clogged with copycats and low quality games companies profit margins will continue to shrink and shrink. There will be a few break away fad titles (like Candy Crush Saga or whatever) but the smaller companies will get so good at copying these so quickly that the margin will be destroyed.
- The above "crash" will be a disaster for gaming companies that are heavily invested in that market. Square Enix, being one of those, combined with their inability to deliver software without skyrocketing costs will be forced to sell itself off in parts. Eidos will go to EA or some western house, Final Fantasy/Dragon Quest will go to Namco.
- Sega's quiet playing of cards in the background will pay off as they become a much stronger force in publishing as it grows through acquisitions.
- The 3DS will continue to grow in popularity and become a powerhouse in mobile gaming and will become the game of choice for jRPG fans
- Nintendo's WiiU will continue to limp along. Might be Nintendo's last full on console
- Nintendo might take their Wii U game pad idea and make a gaming tablet for Nintendo games. Perhaps there will be a Roku like connector to connect it to the TV but the gaming will happen on the tablet.
- Valve's SteamOS will be that final nail in Window's coffin that moves many of the younger generation to other OSes. With the younger generation out Windows brand continues its decline.
- Valve's steambox will do exactly what Valve does and cater to their base. There will be multiple SKUs and be expensive. It will be a "competitor" of the PS4 and Xbox One in a way, but it will not reshape the console market.and be a mass market competitor along side the PS4 and Xbox One. However, it will eat away at the market plays both consoles and PC games as many will leave consoles to the SteamBox.
- Bioware's next game will start off with a "tutorial level" that walks you through the basics of the game then lets you "explore" the world via a hub.
- Final Fantasy XV will be very action heavy, so much so that many will leave it. Further the story will be non-sensical but it will be so pretty that most will overlook it. Further there will not be a FFXVI next generation. Square Enix will do what they did with FFXIII and make a single flagship with several sequels. Instead of doing this as an after thought like with FFXIII it'll be their mission from the get go as such some of the games will feel "unfinished"
- Microsoft will create gaming apps that connect between the Xbox One and windows phones. Windows phones grow in popularity amongst dudebros.
- The next gen will be more about "gaming as a service" than actual hardware.
Mine:
- Xbox One will start behind PS4 and never really catch up. A kinect-less model will launch about a year after launch and that will help sales but not enough.
- There will be a gaming crash, but only on the iOS/Android gaming. With the cost of entry being so low the markets will get clogged with copycats and low quality games companies profit margins will continue to shrink and shrink. There will be a few break away fad titles (like Candy Crush Saga or whatever) but the smaller companies will get so good at copying these so quickly that the margin will be destroyed.
- The above "crash" will be a disaster for gaming companies that are heavily invested in that market. Square Enix, being one of those, combined with their inability to deliver software without skyrocketing costs will be forced to sell itself off in parts. Eidos will go to EA or some western house, Final Fantasy/Dragon Quest will go to Namco.
- Sega's quiet playing of cards in the background will pay off as they become a much stronger force in publishing as it grows through acquisitions.
- The 3DS will continue to grow in popularity and become a powerhouse in mobile gaming and will become the game of choice for jRPG fans
- Nintendo's WiiU will continue to limp along. Might be Nintendo's last full on console
- Nintendo might take their Wii U game pad idea and make a gaming tablet for Nintendo games. Perhaps there will be a Roku like connector to connect it to the TV but the gaming will happen on the tablet.
- Valve's SteamOS will be that final nail in Window's coffin that moves many of the younger generation to other OSes. With the younger generation out Windows brand continues its decline.
- Valve's steambox will do exactly what Valve does and cater to their base. There will be multiple SKUs and be expensive. It will be a "competitor" of the PS4 and Xbox One in a way, but it will not reshape the console market.and be a mass market competitor along side the PS4 and Xbox One. However, it will eat away at the market plays both consoles and PC games as many will leave consoles to the SteamBox.
- Bioware's next game will start off with a "tutorial level" that walks you through the basics of the game then lets you "explore" the world via a hub.
- Final Fantasy XV will be very action heavy, so much so that many will leave it. Further the story will be non-sensical but it will be so pretty that most will overlook it. Further there will not be a FFXVI next generation. Square Enix will do what they did with FFXIII and make a single flagship with several sequels. Instead of doing this as an after thought like with FFXIII it'll be their mission from the get go as such some of the games will feel "unfinished"
- Microsoft will create gaming apps that connect between the Xbox One and windows phones. Windows phones grow in popularity amongst dudebros.
- The next gen will be more about "gaming as a service" than actual hardware.