2008 was all about redoing the masterpiece. All about the "fourth" installment and usually it's going out of the box and into more innovation. 2009 was all about making the quick buck. Understandable because of the recession. And most of the games that popped out this year was all about the quick fix. Nothing really mind-bending or totally awesome or "wow that was new". Honestly, I found more fun fiddling around with my Facebook apps.

Some notables:

RPG starved year
If there was one chimera of an RPG, Borderlands would be it (but it's a FPG... no wait RPS... depends on the perspective). Yeah everyone has a boner for Dragonage Origins, but yeah... it's really a PC game that they forced on a console. Great adventure, great world, bad logistics. I mean, the system just falls apart on a console. Borderlands pushes what they did with Fallout and makes it an enjoyable play. There was Demon Souls but no matter what "innovation" they put in it, it's just a J-RPG trying to be a RPG made in the west. Not impressed, yeah I love the challenge but that's it. Borderlands, awesome, nice to play, then get bored after two weeks.

The Final Nail to the Coffin for Arcades
Unless you live in a third world nation or an arcade filled land, for the rest of everybody, the arcade is dead. Sadly, they have achieved the technology that has brought the arcades home. Just like magazines, newsprint, and music stores (I hear gasps from the audience) the fact that fighting games' "Arcade Mode" finally lives up to its name, we can say that the arcade is gone. You can even buy your own stick. Gone are the days where you can heckle your live opponent and negotiate for mercy rounds. Now come the ruthless versus modes where your opponent can kick your ass and you don't have a face to blame but yourself. Sigh.

Oh yeah with every 360 jerk-off whacking off to Forza 3, the wireless wheels are there so you can challenge other 360 pound jerk-offs scarfing down their twinkies at home. But seriously, I'll take an arcade any day. Arcades build social skills.

You want J-RPGS? Go Handheld!
As the consoles are slowly being taken over by FPS gamers and their uber nerd machismo, most of the "alternative" crowd. Yes, the RPG gamers can be dubbed as the LGBT crowd of the gaming circle. We have such "alternative tastes". Sigh, what a crowd of wussies. And if it's not Final Fantasy or World of Whorecraft, you can take it to the handhelds. We've seen some awesome incarnations from Devil Survivor, 30 Second Hero, and Covenant of the Plume, on the respective handhelds, but face it... it's full of bloody remakes and rehashes. As I said, the year is all about making a quick buck. And even LGBT's like us, we have money to burn and are hungry for RPGs.

Low Expectations?
Okay they delayed Alpha Protocol. Bioshock 2's coming out next year, so's Mass Effect 2. Every anticipated game is hatching on March. It reminds me of 2008 all over again (Final Fantasy XIII juxtaposed with Crisis Core... hello... you're being duped!) This time, I guess they'll fulfill their promises! Same thing last 2007, they over promised and under delivered. 2009, they come out with something that probably made you go "ooh and aah!" but really now... you fell for their trick again. When's this and that coming out... "We added a feature in Wii Fit Plus!" "ooh! aah!"... When's this and that coming out... "LOOK MODERN WARFARE 2!" "ooh! aah!" "God of War 3? What happened?" "UNCHARTED 2!" "ooh! aah!" Come on people... where's Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3? look! uh... more sports games! Fuck you, Blizzard. We're not that daft.

And yeah don't get me started on Batman: Arkham Asylum. And people ask me, "Do you enjoy playing games?" And I say, "Why the fuck do you think I play mousehunt 90% of the time?"

Oh yeah. Here's an idea you can steal. If I'm gonna love a Batman game, how about a non-linear sandbox interface where you play Bruce Wayne during the day and Batman during the night? You go out scour Gotham City with your supersonic bat mobile, do missions for Gordon, and come back trying to ward off exhaustion and balance your life? Oh I forgot, they already have that for Sims 3. So you'll settle for a lame linear action scrolling 12 hour mini-game when they can do so much more. Oh Detective Mode. Come on guys! They can do better!

Anticipated Games for 2010

I'm sad that Fragile didn't come out for the Wii. That looked soooo good. Kinda reminds me of Ico in a post apocalyptic world with a puppy. What happened to Parasite Eve 3 as well? They don't make 'em like they used to.

White Knight Chronicles
Okay! PS3 and their RPG starved system! Finally! Something that's not made for PS2. It's been out for awhile in Japan. The only way I'll forgive this title is if they have Japanese voices that I can choose for once. Because frankly, I feel that only one actor does those english voices any way. At least with the Japanese voices, we can pretend it's not THAT bad. Why don't we bring back the voiceless RPGs and let us decide on the voices ourselves. Or actually HIRE the voice artists they use for Persona? It's not too much, I only ask for what every fucking j-rpg fan is asking for.

Heavy Rain
I am a firm believer that video games are what novels are to visual media. They take more than a few days to finish, chock full of story ideas and so many different ways to finally reach the end. It is the Choose Your Own Adventure really, the writer should just learn how to be less linear and more dynamic. Finally, another game that is reminiscent of Clock Tower and Indigo Prophecy, a visual novel. Great job! Any other ideas Microsoft besides totting your fucking gun "ooh oooh I can shoot shit!" Grow a fucking brain 360 fans, oh I forgot, that's why you probably replaced your 360 360 times already!

Front Mission
The new one looks amazing. I wish they would take a more Valkyria Chronicles approach to this baby instead of stagnating like most of the genre. Have a little action but keep the old fashion RPG charms. Most people hate reading and hate doing a little leg work because they're deprived of it. Of course there's the taste issue but that's just them. I hope Square learned from all that aside from staying in their little box and licensing another popular artist to make soundtracks for their games. Here's an idea Square, how about licensing Amy Winehouse for your next game!?

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey
Going along the lines of Devil Survivor and Nocturne, this RPG pushes the boundaries of what handheld RPGs could accomplish. Any SMT game that comes up, I'll eat up. I'm never disappointed with the quality they put into their games and the amount of QUALITY ASSURANCE that it doesn't FUCK UP like DRAGON AGE ORIGINS!

Infinite Space
Dunno when this is coming out. But I've been anticipating it since it got revealed, and like the rest of my expectations for 2009. It just died down. Look at Fragile and Parasite Eve 3. Nothing.

Alpha Protocol
I was waiting for this game to come out alongside the Dragon Age BROKEN PIECE OF SHIT Origins and Demon Souls, but it was delayed. I had to grab Borderlands which was a fun game while it lasted. Yet I do want to pick the game up to see the different interactions that goes along with the conversational interface. Something that Mass Effect did amazing and something Dragon Age overdid. I just wanted to know if Bioware has a monopoly on these or if other companies have a right to make these games work.

Overhyped but I'm picking them up anyway
The same reason why I watch Avatar and will watch Iron Man 2 and all those big blockbuster BS that pop up because I have to. Because there's this weak little man inside of me who can't resist the urge of giving big corporations who don't care about me my money but hoping that their next cookie cutter "masterpiece" I'll probably enjoy. Yep, I'm talking to you FFXIII. Mass Effect 2 not so much but there's this overhyped taste that I want to get rid of. Bioshock 2, I can skip that. I skipped Resident Evil 5 and I lived. Final Fantasy 13. I dunno. I've seemed to have developed a bad dependency on it. Like heroin users. And stupid chicks who have to watch every single Harry Pothead and Toilette bullshit movie out there. And Toronto Maple Leafs fans.

Handheld Remakes
Of course I'm picking up Lunar: Silver Star Story and Persona 3 Portable because I'm a sucker like that!

What a year...

January: The ultimate job ever!

February: Great escape!

March: Julie and I started going out!

April: Unfortunately, I had to leave her. :(

May: Full month of paranoia.

June: Escape to Toronto!

July: Depressed in Toronto

August: Film work in Toronto!

September: Back in Vancouver... weighing my options.

October: Two films made for the year... WHOA

November: Massive depression...

December: Waiting for the year to end.