Games industry figures reveal what they’re looking forward to most in the coming year.
"The most important thing for us as a company in the very short term is for us to start making money. This is a pledge that was made last March and is something that we are still very much on target to achieve. Once we have achieved this, I think it will be a very exciting time for PlayStation. Once we have alleviated that specific pressure, we can move forward at a rate of knots. 2009 promises to be a very exciting year for PS3, with blockbuster titles such as Heavy Rain and Killzone 2 coming out, whilst we have the music and video download service becoming available towards the end of the year. PSP will continue to prosper and sell in incredible numbers, with some great games coming out, which will take full advantage of the new enhanced screen. We have built our reputation over the years on great entertainment, and innovation and 2009 will be a prime example of PlayStation at its very best."
David Reeves, President, Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
"2009 will be the year of big, exclusive PS3 titles. Just to name a few, the year will start with the much anticipated launch of Killzone 2, followed by a fresh, new take on the superhero/anti-hero open sandbox genre inFamous, a mind-bending thriller Heavy Rain, a massive 256 player simultaneous online shooter MAG, an augmented reality, virtual pet in your room experience EyePet, and some more big titles that we have not even announced yet. On PSP, we have new titles and innovations that will connect and expand the PlayStation experiences."
Shuhei Yoshida, President, SCEE Worldwide Studios
"What I'm really looking forward to most is probably Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion - a massive game for me. I've been a Tekken fan since the very first one, so I desperately want to get my hands on that."
Simon Woodroffe, Creative Director, Midway
“Resident Evil 5, hopefully a continuation of a fantastic horror franchise. Resi 4 really set the benchmark for a third person shooter as well as a dark adult survival horror that avoided the clunky mechanics of that genre.”
Jason Wilson, Creative Director, Concept Team, SCE Cambridge Studio
"After a couple of years developing it, it's got to be Killzone 2 coming out on PS3 [laughs]."
Hermen Hulst, Managing Director, Guerrilla Games
Noah R. Heller, Senior Producer, Call Of Duty: World At War
"PlayStation Network being bolstered by some of the innovative new titles that I've seen in the works for online release, as well as some of the under wraps stuff for Blu-ray of course."
Simon O'Brien, Art Director, Evolution Studios
“Whatever the PixelJunk team (Q-Games) do next. I love their style.”
Steven Tattersall, Principal Programmer, PlayTV, SCE Cambridge
"I haven't seen too much of the games of 2009, but Killzone 2 looks to be shaping up well."
Phil McDonnell, Head of Console Division, Konami
"There are two titles that I'm getting all sweaty-palmed about. The first is Tim Schafer's Brutal Legend - I adore Schafer's games. He's made six games and they've all been absolutely genius. I've got no reason to believe that Brutal Legend isn't going to continue that solid gold run of quality. The second is Nobi Nobi Boy, Keita Takahashi's follow-up to Katamari Damacy and its sequels. Katamari hit all the right notes for me, I think it's an amazing, brilliant piece of game design, one of the best I've ever played. So clever, so much fun, and a concept you can take in so many directions. And the scale in the first game - from rolling up rice cakes and thumb tacks at the start, to ending up rolling up entire continents at the end, was just breathtaking. Whatever Nobi Nobi Boy turns out to be, I have no doubt it'll be fresh, original, and new, and those are the three rarest qualities in commercially designed games. "
Jed Ashforth, Game Director, Download Content, Evolution Studios
"Large scale MMOs coming to PLAYSTATION 3 – with innovative business and service models."
Phil Harrison, President, Infogrames
"I am ever hopeful that Final Fantasy XIII will be released in 2009. Hopefully it can match the incredible quality of FFXII on PlayStation 2."
Damian Hosen, Head of Design, SCE London Studio
"Home: if it lives up to expectations it could be a defining moment in the industry."
Sean Brennan, Managing Director, Bethesda Softworks Europe
"I'm really hoping that 2009 carries on where 2008 left off, with new franchises and high quality sequels for existing series. I'm incredibly excited about Resident Evil 5 as it looks like it's shaping up to be even better than Resi 4, which is my favourite game of all time. I'm also really excited to get my hands on Killzone 2 and, towards the end of the year, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. There are a few games that I'm keeping my eye on with keen interest, namely Ghostbusters, Aliens: Colonial Marines and Heavy Rain. If those games fulfil their potential, 2009 will be a brilliant year for PS3 owners."
Kevin Mason, Principal Designer, SingStar, SCE London Studio
"What I've seen of Resident Evil 5, so far, has got me salivating. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the Resident Evil team tackle the challenges that they've had from other developers that have released competing titles in a genre that they made popular. I'm hoping that they reclaim the top spot in the survival horror genre."
Ron Festejo, Creative Director, SCE London Studio
"Of course I can't wait for the consumer reactions to EyePet. The team have really been working hard and the results are really impressive. Killzone 2 is looking really nice too; I can't wait to see how well they've implemented it. In 2008 I loved the increase in downloads for titles, as it helped developers maintain the life of their games; I hope that we will see even more download content coming in 2009."
Mark Lintott, Technical Manager on EyePet, SCE London Studio
"I'm really looking forward to seeing what Street Fighter IV does - it'll be fun to see what they've brought to the next generation and what they've done new."
Shaun Himmerick, Executive Producer, Midway
"It's a tough choice, and it's between Killzone 2 and Heavy Rain. Having played both I can say they both look staggering. I think I'll go with Heavy Rain though, as it's such a cinematic experience that's pushing the boundaries in both visual quality and interactive storytelling. Quantic Dream's attention to detail never fails to surprise me."
Phil Gaskell, Senior Producer, PlayStation Network
“Aside from going online for the first time in Killzone 2, I think it has to be God of War 3. If it is anywhere near as good as its predecessors, we should be in for a real treat. For me, there have been few more satisfying gaming experiences than dishing out vengeance in the uniquely brutal way that only Kratos can. I really can't wait to see who's made him angry this time...!”
Tom Jones, Lead Artist, Killzone 2, SCE Cambridge Studio
"I’m excited to see God of War III as it should be nothing short of epic. Generally, it is nice to see game designers and artists coming to the spotlight now that our systems are so powerful."
Tim Ernst, Producer, Alpha Protocol, Sega
"For 2009, I’m looking forward to playing all the new downloadable content for MotorStorm Pacific Rift – we have some awesome new tracks and more content than ever before – all soon to be announced."
Andy Gahan, Development Manager Download Content, Evolution Studios
"I’m most looking forward to the coming instalments of PlayStation series that haven’t seen a true next generation debut – namely God of War and Final Fantasy. Everything I’ve seen on the new Final Fantasy games has looked fantastic, and I feel faint when I think of the potential of a PS3 God of War game."
Gavin Carter, Lead Producer, Fallout 3, Bethesda Game Studios
