Partial List of Xbox 2 Launch Titles Revealed
Posted by Curll on November 26 '04 at 04:04 AMHalo 3 will be released in 2006 in direct competition with the PS3. There, that's it, I don't want to hear anymore about it until 2006.
The "killer app" of next fall's launch will be Perfect Dark Zero (Working Title) by Rare. Originally under development for the Nintendo GameCube, put on hold in order to work on other GameCube games, then started again for the Xbox once Microsoft purchased Rare Ltd. Perfect Dark Zero's development shifted to Xbox 2 only a few months after Rare's purchase. Joanna Dark was prominently featured on the Rare X02 promo. However, since that time, only the slightest of info of the game has been mentioned. Ken Lobb (Previously with Nintendo), who oversaw the development of GoldenEye 007 and the original Perfect Dark on the Nintendo 64, simply mentioned that PD0 is in development and looks amazing in an interview with IGN.
Right now, we could get our first glimpse of the game at CES in January, where Microsoft founder and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates will be giving the keynote address and unveil the second incarnation of Xbox. There is some speculation that the reason Kameo has been delayed so often is Rare's toiling with online programming (Conker: Live and Reloaded will be their first venture into online gaming and of course PD0 will feature an extremely robust online component.) and their work on PD0 and possibly other killer Xbox 2 titles. Their development team for Kameo is much smaller than previous games and other members aren't really pouring in to finish the game.
One of the main hurdles at this time is how Microsoft wants to approach the marketing of PD0. It has been decided that this will be THE Xbox 2 launch title. However, Perfect Dark didn't sell overly well (Not nearly as well as GoldenEye, at least) on the N64 and with the recent release of GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, there is some hesitation for advertising to include "From the makers of GoldenEye". And since Rare has released two console titles this generation, there is concern that Rare's name recognition has been severely weakened to the casual consumer. On top of that, the main character is Joanna Dark. How Rare and Microsoft will present her is up in the air. Female leads in games are, no pun intended, rare. The most successful have been Tomb Raider and Metroid. Lara Croft's franchise is dead and she got attention because of her huge, huge t*ts. Samus is behind a crap load of armor plating and you can't really tell that she is a female. Microsoft doesn't want to stoop to promoting Joanna as the super-sexy bad ass, drawing in gamers with sex appeal (besides the fact this is a FPS and you don't really see Joanna besides cut scenes). But, they fear that gamers won't take to Joanna and therefor, the game.
Along with PD0, Microsoft will release Project Gotham Racing 3 (Working title). Details are scarce on PGR3. Madden 2006 and ESPN Football 2K6 have been under development for a few months. The engines for the next generation consoles have worked on for a fairly long time. EA is also expected to release a number of other sports titles, but not their entire lineup.
A fighting game, or a few, is set to launch with the console. Dead or Alive 4? Could be. But, don't bet the barn on that. Microsoft may have it's own fighter waiting if it isn't DOA4. And, other companies could have a fighting game ready by launch.
On the RPG front, Elder Scrolls: Oblivion is in development for the new console. A launch title? Slight chance, but there is a good chance it'll slip a bit. Other PC/Xbox titles have been rushed for the holidays and turned out none-too-great (Deus Ex 2). And Bethesda's first offering for the Xbox, Morrowind, was a buggy mess. Pirates of the Caribbean, that was even worse.
Day 1/FASA is working on a huge online game. Huge. With lots of action. It should please that cyberpunk niche...
BioWare still has an unannounced Microsoft published title in development. They have full access to XNA and the Unreal 3 engine. But, don't expect anything at launch. After all, this is BioWare.
Amped 3 will probably make the launch. Top Spin tennis is also being thrown around. It seems Links has Dodo'd, competing with Tiger Woods was fairly useless. Microsoft is looking to revamp XSN with non-traditional sports titles. There isn't a large market in the [realistic] snowboarding, tennis, or fishing circles. And a few other genres are being explored.
DICE, Climax, and Starbreeze are "well into" development for Xbox 2 titles. At least one of these European studios will have a launch title (Probably Climax, it's a shooter).
Ubi-Soft has started working on various Tom Clancy franchises for the next generation. But, don't expect any of them to be launching along side the new console.
Half-Life 2 development moved from Xbox to Xbox 2 a while ago. With all-new features exclusively for Xbox 2.
By the time Xbox 2 launches in Japan, it should launch with a decent number of Japanese RPGs. No Final Fantasies, however.
So, here's a good idea of what will be launching next fall (or at least by the end of the year). Obviously, not all of the titles:
Perfect Dark Zero
Project Gotham Racing 3
Madden 2006
ESPN Football 2K6
Amped 3
Half-Life 2
NASCAR Race For The Cup 2006
NBA Live 2006
ESPN NBA 2K6
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Based on the new movie)
Mission Impossible (Based on the new movie)
King Kong (Based on the new movie)
Star Wars game
Fighting Game (DOA4?)
Fighting Game (KI3?)
Unknown RPG (Not Oblivion)
Climax's Shooter
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