(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 2011 is only five weeks old as of this writing, but already it seems like we’ve got a pretty good handle on how the coming year is going to shape up for videogames. Good enough, at least, to make a bunch of wild, barely founded predictions about which of the four major gaming platforms (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo and PC) will claim victory in the next 12 months. Not in terms of sales, of course, but in terms of what they’ll have to offer gamers.
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Above: This fight may be closer than it looks

In the interest of maximum fairness, GamesRadar’s four senior editors – each with a vested interest in a different platform – got together to argue over which console (and yes, we’re aware PCs aren’t “consoles” stands the best chance of victory, and then picked a winner based on which one made the strongest case. They might be wrong – there’s still plenty we don’t know just over the horizon, to be revealed at events like E3 – but based on what we know now, here’s our best guess at how things will go down:

[multipage=XBOX360]

1. Kinect grows up

The numbers are impressive: 1.3 million units sold in 10 days. 2.5 million units sold in 25 days. And the most recent announcement from Microsoft: 8 million Kinects were snapped up by consumers within the product's first 60 days of release, surpassing the corporation's own predictions and doubling the PlayStation Move's numbers during a similar span of time.

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Much more impressive, however, is that the motion-control technology managed such success with what was widely mocked as a weak and kid-pandering launch lineup. Just think – at least 8 million people were willing to sacrifice $150 on the chance to play Kinectimals. Can you imagine the kind of money they'd throw at Microsoft for real games? Or how many additional systems will fly out of stores, which were already reporting shortages over the holidays?

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We'll find out in 2011 with titles like Child of Eden (from the creator of Rez), Codename D (from the creator of No More Heroes), Project Draco (from the creator of Panzer Dragoon), Haunt (from the creator of Parappa the Rapper), and The Gunstringer (from the creators of 'Splosion Man and Comic Jumper). There's horror from Sega with Rise of Nightmares, mech combat from the Steel Battalion series with Heavy Armor, and serious racing simulation from the Kinect features in Forza 4. And none of these may even be necessary if the Star Wars and Michael Jackson games are any good. Hell, those two are destined for blockbuster status even if they aren't any good.

To summarize? If Kinect proves to have any staying power whatsoever in 2011, Microsoft might win with this advantage alone.

2. Exclusive sequels. Exclusive originals

Last year, I argued that Microsoft could prevail simply on the power of Halo: Reach. Sure enough, the exclusive ended up selling over 3 million copies in the first month, making it only the third game to do so this generation. (The others? Halo 3, also exclusive to Xbox, and Modern Warfare 2.)

This year, Microsoft can rely on Gears of War 3, the next entry in a franchise that has already moved over 11 million units worldwide. Of course, the exploits of Marcus Fenix have not proven quite as popular or lucrative as those of Master Chief, but they're damn close, and after a three-year wait since the previous sequel, including a painful delay, anticipation for a Gears of War game has never been higher.

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Don't care for chainsaws and Locust? Forza 4 is a big deal, especially now that Gran Turismo 5 has disappointed so many racing fans, and there's a small chance Project Gotham Racing 5 could be unveiled as well. The re-imagining of classic series XCOM, from the folks responsible for BioShock 2, won't appear on any other consoles. Nor will The Secret World, an MMO by the guy who made what some consider gaming's last great adventure, The Longest Journey. Finally, there's Codename Kingdoms, the mysterious (maybe) gladiator project from Crysis developer Crytek. We know almost nothing about it, but hearing the Crytek CEO claim that Codename Kingdoms will push the Xbox 360 "to its limits" has me optimistic, to say the least.

3. The X Factor

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Yes, I've resorted to this. To be honest, I can't come up with a third clear and obvious reason why Microsoft will emerge victorious in 2011. This doesn't mean that I don't think the company will dominate… just that, if they do, it will likely be thanks to one of the two reasons above. Or to the continued convenience of Xbox Live. Or to the continued appeal of Achievements. Or to the fact that this year is an amazing year for multi-platform titles in general, which should help both the 360 and PS3 and industry as a whole.

Still, Microsoft must have something else planned if it wants to remain competitive. Sony's PS3 sales are quickly catching up to those of 360, and the announcement of the NGP (or PSP2) has gamers incredibly excited. Nintendo has a gimmick as cool or cooler than Kinect with 3DS, and analysts predict the Wii 2 will emerge in 2011.

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Will Microsoft jump in the handheld arena as well? Will the next Xbox console be revealed? Will the current Xbox get a price drop? Will this year's dashboard updates include something as substantial as Netflix or Hulu that we haven't even associated with a console before? Will Xbox Live Gold suddenly be free? Is someone working on a secret Kinect game that will prove irresistible to the hardcore audience? Is 343 Industries working on a secret Halo game that will prove irresistible to an audience that already bought 30 million entries in the franchise?

The answer to most of these questions is undoubtedly "no," but if even one is a "yes," that could reshape this entire debate.

UPDATE: Would you look at the timing! The same day we post this featureYou must login or register to view this content.that 343 Industries is indeed working on a new Halo – well, technically, a new version of an old Halo – for November 15, 2011.

[multipage=NINTENDO]

1. The 3DS

All eyes are on Nintendo for this one. Can it replicate the runaway success of the DS, with a more powerful handheld, less battery life and $40 games? Will the 3D effect strain your eyes? Will some people be unable to view the 3D trickery at all? As far as 2011 is concerned, it almost doesn’t matter, because this thing is going to sell like a clever setup with a humorous punchline.

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All it takes is one look and you’re ready to slam $250 on the table right then and there. Nintendo is shipping demo units across the world, and I would love to see the ratio of people who try a 3DS and then buy one on the spot – I bet it’ll be startlingly high. The 3D effect, superfluous as it may be, is inarguably impressive and will no doubt dazzle millions of people into a purchase before they even know what hit them.

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Nintendogs+Cats will be huge. Super Street Fighter IV has to be seen and played to be believed. Ocarina of Time 3D will sell hardware all by itself. Kid Icarus could breathe new life into a long-dormant franchise. All this before a Mario, Pokemon or Brain Age-esque game appear, each of which has the potential to move millions of handhelds. The 3DS’ best year is still to come, but it all starts right here, in 2011.

2. Skyward Sword

In typical Nintendo fashion, the company hasn’t unveiled its plans for 2011 beyond the next couple of months. Other than Mario Sports Mix, Pokemon and the 3DS, who knows what it’s cooking up for the summer and fall months? Well, we do know ONE thing, and it’s easily one of our most anticipated games of the year. Probably one of yours, too.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword fell victim to an unfortunately glitchy demo at last year’s E3, which made the game’s much-touted motion controls appear disjointed and clumsy. After playing it for myself, I can say that’s not the case – each enemy (and the scorpion boss) required specific slices and slashes to defeat, and each time I was able to perform those attacks with ease. Couple these enhanced combat controls with sure-to-be brilliant puzzles and there’s little reason to think this won’t be one of the top titles of the year. That said, there will be a LOT of waggle going on, so if your tolerance is low, that could be a problem. At least it’ll be better than Twilight Princess’ shake-shake-shake-shake mindlessness.

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By the time Skyward Sword releases, it’ll have been five years since the last major entry in the franchise. Hourglasses and spirit tracks aside, that’s a bad case of gaming blue balls for such a high-profile series. All the Wiis that have collected dust for the past couple of years will light up again, ready to go on one last adventure before tucking Nintendo’s console away into the closet forever.

3. A new console, possibly

Speaking of tucking the console away, longtime Nintendo followers should recognize this scenario – we’re entering year five of a console’s life span, with little to no info on the year’s games, all while most of Nintendo’s biggest franchises have already appeared on the current system. What’s left? Another Mario? Pull Star Fox and F-Zero out and try to pimp ‘em as a holiday-worthy release? We know there’s another Kirby coming, plus a Wii version of Rhythm Heaven but uh… that’s what you’re putting up against Skyrim, Arkham City, Uncharted 3 and Gears of War 3? Sounds like you need the hype of a new console to get people talking again.

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Above: Interest in Nintendo’s “Revolution” diverted people’s attention from GameCube’s bleak fifth year

There’s no arguing around it at this point - Wii is looking long in the tooth from every measurable angle. Visuals? Unclear and dated. Games? Drying up. Online? Nonexistent. Motion controls? You and everyone else, buddy. To me, this all suggests Nintendo will announce (but not fully reveal) its next console at this year’s E3. Expect general details, like motion controls, HD support or backwards compatibility, but not necessarily a hardware shot or official name. Handhelds typically act as heralds of new Nintendo consoles: GBA was revealed and launched just prior to GameCube, and the DS appeared just before Wii, so all this 3DS hullabaloo suggests Nintendo’s ready to talk about a Wii successor.

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Above: Remember the very first Wii lifestyle shots? Let’s hope they’re not part of the next console

This one announcement, Nintendo’s follow-up to the most popular console of the current roster, could give a lot of consumers pause when they start looking at a 360 or PS3 this fall; not heavy gamers like us, but the mass-market folks who’ve made Wii and DS the machines to beat. This wouldn’t translate to money for Nintendo in 2011, but if it’s a particularly strong announcement (like “plays upscaled Wii games out of the box”, its effects could be felt for the rest of the year, giving Nintendo a roundabout advantage as the other machines enter their fifth (and sixth) years.

[multipage=PLAYSTATION]

1. The NGP

We knew Sony wasn’t about to keep the floundering PSP around while Nintendo busted out a flashy new handheld, and so it didn’t come as a surprise when it unveiled the PSP’s successor – tentatively named the NGP – at a press conference in the last week of January. What did come as a surprise was how many bells and whistles the damn thing had.

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In addition to the long-asked-for dual analog sticks, the NGP will sport a touchscreen, a second touchpad on the back of the device, a built-in camera, motion sensors, 3G connectivity, no UMDs and an interface that looks a lot more interesting than the dumb old XMB. After the disaster that was the PSPgo, it looks like Sony’s really learned from its mistakes – although we won’t know that for sure unless the NGP ends up priced competitively with the 3DS. In that case, Nintendo will have a real fight on its hands.

It’s true that a lot of us (wrongly) predicted the same thing when the PSP came out in 2005, and if the last six years or so of Nintendo dominance have taught us anything, it’s that a lower price point and a strong gimmick can outsell fancy hardware every time. But things are different now. Nintendo’s entering a market that’s gotten accustomed to iPhone gaming, and it’s doing so with an antiquated stylus interface, PS2-quality graphics and an online setup that it should have implemented six years ago. And while its 3D effect is awesome, it’s not for everybody.

Meanwhile, the NGP (which could really use a better name) looks almost as good as a handheld PS3, and it’s covered in cool interface features that – according to PlayStation: The Official Magazine Editor in Chief Gary Steinman, who had a hands-on with the NGP in Tokyo – allow all sorts of interesting (and probably optional) control schemes. These range from the ability to “pinch” onscreen objects in Little Deviants using the NGP’s touchscreen and rear touchpad, to moving the handheld like a camera to line up a sniper shot in the Uncharted demo. The NGP is also, according to Gary, a lighter, more comfortable-to-hold handheld than the PSP was. And while that seems relatively inconsequential, every edge Sony has going into a holiday battle with Nintendo will help.

2. Badass exclusives

Out of the Big Three console makers, nobody’s been more open about their plans for the coming year than Sony has. And while Microsoft appears to be dumping a lot of its exclusivity money into Kinect titles, Sony’s plans include a slate of exclusive sequels and originals that will be extremely difficult to ignore.

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The PS3’s already gotten off to a fantastic start with LittleBigPlanet (which we gave a 10), and Killzone 3 (which also scored high, 9/10) is just a couple of weeks away as of this writing. And those aren’t even the heavyweights – Resistance 3, SOCOM 4, InFamous 2, Ratchet & Clank: All For One, Ico and Shadow of the Colossus Collection, Yakuza 4, MotorStorm: Apocalypse, a new Twisted Metal and goddamn Uncharted 3 are all confirmed for release this year. If Last Guardian makes it into stores as well, anyone without a PS3 is going to be deprived of some of the year’s best games.

And as for the ones that aren’t exclusive? Well, at least the PS3 versions will be able to fit on a single disc.

3. The PS3 still has room to grow

I rolled my eyes when Sony called the PS3 a “10-year” console, but now that we’re in the fifth year of its lifespan, I’m beginning to see what the company meant. By this point in the PS2’s existence, it was already showing its age. It chugged noticeably under the weight of limit-pushing games like God of War and Shadow of the Colossus, and everyone was looking forward to the PS3.

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Above: And its Banana Shock 3 controller

By contrast, the PS3 still feels like it’s at the top of its game, easily handling 3D effects and split-screen in visually intensive games like Killzone 3 with hardly any noticeable dip in performance. As developers get more comfortable with and knowledgeable about the hardware, we’re going to see a lot more games like it. Add in the potential benefits of Steam support with Portal 2, the eventual mainstreaming of 3D TVs and the fact that Move seems to have a future as a peripheral for hardcore gamers, and it looks as though PS3 still has a lot left to show us.

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Above: Bringing Steam to PS3 could open up a whole new dimension of something or other

I still love my 360, don’t get me wrong (and yeah, I’m aware it can do 3D) – but I’ve got a feeling it’s gotten about as good as it’s going to get, technically speaking. The hardware’s simply not as robust as what the PS3’s got under its hood. That doesn’t mean Microsoft couldn’t crush Sony with the release of a new successor console, but this article’s about who wins this year, and anything like that actually hitting stores by the holidays seems extremely unlikely.

[multipage=PC]

1. Blizzard

If the recently leaked production schedule that outlines Blizzard Entertainment’s five-year plan turns out to be accurate, we can expect to see the release of both StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm and Diablo III in 2011. Blizzard already rules the world of MMOs with World of Warcraft and the realm of real-time strategy with the release of StarCraft II. But once Diablo III releases, Blizzard will be able to add dungeon crawling to its list of genres that it already dominates.

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Above: StarCraft II is the best thing that happened to real-time strategy games since the release of StarCraft I

There is no question about it: WoW is the best MMO, StarCraft II is the best RTS – and Diablo III will be the best dungeon crawler. And all three will only be available on the platform of choice for all gamers who have enough self respect to not get too excited over the latest baby Kirby adventure, Disney-branded title or console-friendly shooter.

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Above: Unlike the Official Nintendo Seal of Quality, Blizzard’s logo still means something

2. The best hardware

There are lots of great multi-platform games coming out this year, and we promise you that all the ones that matter will look and play better on a PC. You may think that Portal 2 and Crysis 2 look good on your HDTV, and that’s awesome. But for the price of that costly television, you could’ve invested your cash towards a decent gaming rig that can run circles around your “next-generation” console. Adjust your resolution, slide all the settings to maximum, and enjoy the best gaming experience available with silky smooth frame rates. Games just look way better on a PC, and nothing is going to change that anytime soon.

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Above: If you want your game to look as good as possible, you’ll need to play it on gaming PC

And when it comes to new technology, the PC is still the place to be. Excited about 3D gaming on the 3DS or with a 3D TV? Yawn. We’ve been there and done that. Spoiler alert: It’s cool, but also highly overrated. Expect cloud-based gaming services to be the next thing that next-next-gen consoles adopt as Gaikai and OnLive pave the way for a disc-free world where on-demand gaming is as convenient as clicking on a YouTube video.

3. The most open platform

You also don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on hardware to fully appreciate the PC as a gaming platform because it’s also the most open platform, the kind of place where you’ll see new trends, the best independently developed games, and spectacular fan-made mods first.

Just look at Minecraft, the indie game by Markus Persson. His blocky playground revolutionized the whole idea of what a true ‘sandbox’ game can achieve. Since it first released in 2009, the game has already sold over a million copies – and it’s still in the beta phase! With nearly four million (million!) registered users, gamers around the world are digging, crafting, exploring and creating with thousands of unique worlds created by players, for players.

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Above: The PC will continue to be a place where creative people can make amazing games come to life with a limited budget

For frugal gamers, we also expect Steam to remain ahead of the curve with competitive prices and a larger offering of niche and indie titles. What will this year’s equivalent of the biggest ‘small’ game of Plants vs. Zombies caliber? Whatever it is, we’re betting that when we tell you about it, it’ll available on the PC first.
[multipage=Winner+ Source]

WINNER: PLAYSTATION (In GamesRadar opinion)

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Nintendo and Microsoft can be cagey about their plans all they want, but Sony has clearly laid out its strategy for the next 12 months, and that strategy is extremely impressive. The NGP looks like such an enormous improvement over the PSP that we want one right now, but what really gives Sony the edge here is its unprecedented slew of exclusives. Two or three of these games would be a big deal in any year, but Uncharted AND Twisted Metal AND Last Guardian AND Killzone AND Resistance AND InFamous AND Ratchet? That’s a pretty overwhelming proposition. Not even the prospect of Diablo III and a new StarCraft II chapter in the same year can make us any less excited about that.

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Above: More Nolan North cannot possibly be a bad thing

It’s possible the competition still has some aces up its sleeves. New hardware might be on the horizon, new exclusive games could be revealed at E3 and the widespread adoption of Steam as a distribution method could usher in a flood of inexpensive, high-end PC releases that make consoles seem puny. Based on what we know now, though, 2011 already looks like a year that’s going to be increasingly dominated by PlayStation.

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I disagree, I guarantee you the Nintendo 3ds will sell more units and games than any console will. 3d+Pokemon=crack for kids

nintendo 3ds will do amazing in sales and along with the games that everyone is going to want to play for it.

handheld aside, ps3.
there is a few good games coming out, and all 360 really has is the halo remake coming out in nov, other than that the rest of the good games are console wide games.

Gaming platform then i would say pc...cause i mean like the more you pay for a video card the better the game is going to look...so pc has the graphics and games, but i dont have a great one...so i would say just ps3 hands down :mudkip:

wii is fail. thats y i sold it.

Gameboy advance:y:

Nice thread and the new ps3 controller looked sweet

This will definitely win: NGU hybrid console
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PS3 always wins.