One of the highlights of Halo 3: ODST was the ability to unlock free gear for your Avatar
Although 2009 wasn’t as awesome as 2008, it was still a great year for gamers. Looking back, I’ve enjoyed all the titles I’ve gotten to play and am really looking forward to next year. There were some new things we saw this year that I hope will continue in 2010. Hit the jump to find out what!
1. More Avatar Awards
I’ve written about this elsewhere, but I really love how some games included avatar awards this year. Both Halo 3: ODST and Left 4 Dead 2 feature avatar awards that you can unlock via challenges of varying difficulty. Some of these were linked to achievements, and some not, but I love customizing my avatar to represent what games I’ve played, not just random clothes, or worse, Assassin’s Creed outfits that I need to pay for. I hope this is something Microsoft starts encouraging developers to do, and that more and more developers do so. After all, it’s win-win-win, advertisement for the game, a renewed emphasis on avatars, and fun for gamers!
2. Less console exclusives
I’m really bummed out I missed out on Uncharted 2 this year, and I’m sure PS3 owners may feel like they missed out on Halo releases this year. But I was really happy to hear that Final Fantasy XIII is NOT going to be an exclusive on either console. This is a trend that I hope continues, and I think it will (see: Bioshock, Braid, Ninja Gaiden 2, wait that’s all going PS3′s way!) But still, even with price drops, I don’t feel like I want to pay for owning two systems, and the less exclusives there are out there, the less I will feel like I’m missing out. Exclusives will always exist, I know, but is it too much to ask for fewer?
3. More New IPs and more great sequels
Sequels are what make the money, but new IPs are what keep gaming fresh. I felt like there weren’t too many great new IPs this year, Borderlands and Batman excepted, although the sequels that were put out, Modern Warfare 2, Left 4 Dead 2, Assassin’s Creed 2, etc. were very strong. With Mass Effect 2, Battlefield Bad Company: 2, and Bioshock 2 all due within the first few months, 2010 looks promising for sequels. But what I’m really hoping for is some brand new IPs that will help gaming continue to evolve. I’m talking to you, Alan Wake and Heavy Rain!
