Triple3: The Nine Games of 2010 – Part 2

For those who missed it (or simply can’t see it on the homepage), we posted Part 1 of our Top 9 Games of 2010 yesterday afternoon (read it here).  We have revealed the first two games on the list, and for some they might wonder – what games do they plan on adding next?  As stated in Part 1, Dark Void is a brand new, unproven IP and has been relatively low key.  Preorders are low as of post time, and when someone thinks Capcom right now they think Dead Rising 2, Lost Planet 2, and the (unannounced) revamped version of Street Fighter IV that we all know is coming.  This is not to say no one has heard of Dark Void but we want to promote it because the game does look like serious fun.

Battlefield Bad Company 2 is the sequel to a hit, and the game is sure to sell well no matter what we may say of it.  Some people will buy it just for the Battlefield name, others will buy it because they want to continue the story from the first game.  The series will certainly see its fair share of newcomers as well.  With a publisher like EA behind it, no doubt Bad Company 2 will sell on top of the charts when it hits and for good reason.  The game looks solid and DICE has been one of the better (though more linear) developers around in recent years.

However there are still seven more games to go that we are anticipating more than Dark Void and Battlefield.  What are they?  Well let’s reveal the next two:

ModNation Racers
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: United Front Games

What Is It? Exclusive to the PLAYSTATION 3 system and developed by United Front Games, ModNation Racers is the newest installment to PlayStation’s innovative Play, Create and Share genre. ModNation Racers is a thoroughly fresh take on classic kart racing that empowers the player to personalize their entire game. Players can express themselves by creating their own Mod character, styling their own racing kart and even building – in just minutes – an imaginative track that can be shared with the rest of the PlayStation community via the free PlayStation Network service. The easy-to-use editing studio tools make this creative process accessible to players of all levels. Not feeling creative? ModNation Racers presents a humorous story with a wealth of pre-made characters, karts, tracks and challenges for all players.

Why Are We Anticipating It? One big word: LittleBigPlanet.  Sony’s attempt to put the gamer in charge of keeping a gaming community alive was a smashing success.  LBP has gone on to continue to be one of the most popular games on the system today and the level of creativity the community has shown has not died down.  It’s no surprise to us that we should anticipate the next game in the Play Create Share lineup – ModNation Racers.  Taking some ideas out of the LBP world, ModNation focuses on…well as you can guess it, racing.  I cannot speak for everyone, but I love racing games and as soon as I saw the E3 trailer for this game I was immediately anticipating it.  To be able to create any type of racetrack I want and to be able to share it with others made me nearly wet my pants.  Ok, so maybe not that severe but nonetheless I am pumped.  I’ll admit when I say I am one of the worst level designers on LBP, but my desire in that game was to create a Motorstorm-esque level.  I can now do this with racing focused tools on ModNation Racers.

From the trailer it looks like we can add weaponry, and essentially anything we want to a race track.  Looks like a perfect game to recreate the PS1 forgotten classic, Motor Toon Grand Prix.  Kart racing has become boring as of late, but allowing us to customize everything freely and to the way we want it may just be the rejuvenation this genre needs to get back into households.

Little is known about this game.  All we really do know is that there will be a private beta opening up soon and right now the only way in is if you buy yourself a copy of LittleBigPlanet Game of the Year Edition.  More is sure to come out of the beta and if the game is truly coming out in 2010, we should be hearing loads of new info by the beginning of Spring.  Why does it rank #7?  Simply because the experiment worked, and we can’t wait to see how United Front Games takes the elements of LBP and puts it into the wild world of racing.  We’ll post more info as it comes in, and look for a chance to get into the beta from PlayStation as they usually give away beta keys via twitter, their blog, and even through emails.

Due Out? Q4 2010

MAG
Publisher: SCEA
Developer: Zipper Interactive

What Is It? MAG – previously titled Massive Action Game – is an upcoming MMO shooter for the PlayStation 3 in development by Zipper Interactive. The game will utilize a new server architecture to support online battles with up to 256 players, with users divided into 8-player squads, with 4 squads forming a platoon, and 4 platoons forming a company. Each squad will be led by a player who has advanced through the game’s ranking system. Character statistics and development will also increase with frequent gameplay. The players most advanced in rank will be able to either direct the battle or participate directly in combat. Basic battles will take place within ongoing, faction-based campaigns to encourage the player to actively play. The game’s E3 unveiling trailer featured large landscapes, tactics such as air strikes and parachuting, and a variety of vehicles, from tanks and APCs to airplanes.

Why Are We Anticipating It? MAG is massive; ginormous; huge; whichever your terminology of choice is – MAG is it.  Thankfully the public beta is one of the most massive betas to date, as there have been hundreds of codes sent out to the PS3 community to give this game a go.  After playing it, and after reading of what is to come of it – MAG is the next beast of online gaming for the PS3.  Up until now I personally have always considered Warhawk to be the PS3 game of choice to play online, even though there are other solid choices out there like Call of Duty World at War and KillZone 2.  Warhawk though really shined on PSN, shutting up critics, and proving PSN is not just an afterthought but a service that has improved immensely over its few years of existence.  MAG is the next big test for the service, as games can hold up to 256 players…yes over 250 human players can compete in a single match.  Hows that for size?

While we don’t know if the title will stick (afterall the game stands for Massive Action Game), we now remember whey Zipper was one of the most underrated developers on the PS2.  While online gaming on PS2 wasn’t all bad, it certainly had its problems.  Zipper though, seemed to never show a single struggle in producing a quality online game in its long running SOCOM franchise.  When SOCOM: Confrontation was announced, fans of the series were excited as the series was finally making its PS3 debut, but fans noticed Zipper was not part of the project.  Just a few short weeks later Zipper finally emerged from the dark to announce their graduation project from the SOCOM series, which of course is MAG.

Recommending an online only game is tough, as the appeal is there only for those who wish to partake in battles with others.  The game offers no single player campaign or offline bots.  If you want to play MAG you need to go online.  While that certainly does affect those without broadband on the PS3, and overall hurts potential sales, we aren’t talking about a game from some rookie developer here.  Remember my insane love of Crimson Skies from Part 1 when referring to Dark Void?  Zipper Interactive were the original developers of the original Crimson Skies (they did not do the second one) – so call me bias when it comes to any developer affiliated with the Crimson Skies franchise.

Due Out? January 26, 2010

Two more down, five to go.  SCEA dominated this part of the list with two exclusives hitting in at #s 6 and 7.  As stated before MAG is accessible to a lot of folks, and if you follow the internet you can grab yourself a beta key.  They really aren’t hard to come by as I have seen new keys given out weekly.  After all with a game titled, “MASSIVE Action Game” you need a massive audience to test it out before it goes retail.  ModNation Racers will be accessible within a few months but we have no solid date for that.  Currently the only way into the beta is through the LBP Game of the Year Edition but we suspect that will not be the only option after the beta begins.  You can count on us trying to get into the beta and creating our rocking speedways for public use.  Tune in tomorrow for Part 3 as we draw closer to #1.  What could be in for tomorrow?  You’ll just have to wait!