What does 2017 hold for gamers? 

After an unforgettable 2016 for the video game genre, 2017 has some work to do to rival it.

Thankfully the seeds have been sown for another truly special year for gamers of every shape, size and platform.

Nintendo Switching it up

It’s been a quiet few years for the Japanese gaming giants and this year is shaping up to be the one they roar back to life.

Their latest console, the Nintendo Switch, will launch worldwide on March 3 and from what we’ve seen so far it will come with the company’s trademark flair and originality.

Openly less powerful than the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the Switch is hoping to grab gamers with an alternative approach to gaming through a portable home console and a fresh approach to motion-based play.

One thing that will likely hold the Switch back initially is a slim range of launch games.  While Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a pretty decent headliner, that is joined by just five other games including Super Bomberman R and 1-2-Switch.

Retailing at just under $500 in Australia, the Switch may struggle to cause a huge shift in the gaming landscape initially but certainly adds a whole new dimension to the gaming world in 2017.

Microsoft gets serious with Scorpio 

With consoles constantly playing catch up to the power of PC’s in recent years, Microsoft is hoping to stop it all with a machine that could well put an end to console generations.

Project Scorpio from the what we’ve seen is essentially a PC in a console, with more powerful and flexible hardware enabling developers to create games without limits.

Slated for release in the holiday season of this year, it’s safe to say Scorpio has the potential to truly shake things up in 2017

Xbox boss Phil Spencer has already played games on Scorpio and while he’s said games won’t be specifically made for the Scorpio over the Xbox One, its potential to enable gaming experiences that rival those on a PC are truly exciting.

VR continues to become a more realistic reality

Having taken its time to burst from the gates, virtual reality finally hit the commercial market in 2016 with the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive and PlayStation VR all making their way into living rooms.

While a breakout year for VR, it’s clear the hardware still has some fine tuning ahead of it.

In 2017 the hope is for the technology to not only improve, with motion tracking a particular focus, but also become more affordable and accessible to the average gamer.

As time goes on, price will inevitably drop and the key interest of 2017 is to see just how much, if at all, it decreases.

To go with this price drop, it’s crucial the year also sees more games come to the respective systems with a currently pretty limited line-up holding all three mainstream systems back commercially.

The Games

While the way we play them may invariably change, at the end of the day gaming is all about the games and 2017 has some real gems to look forward to.

February sees knights, samurai and vikings do battle when For Honor slices its way onto our screens on the 14th. While the same month Master Chief turns tactician with Halo Wars 2 landing on the 21st. Last but not least the shortest month of the year brings with it an enticing new open world filled with robotic dinosaurs as Horizon Zero: Dawn releases February 28.

March doesn’t miss a beat either with Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild tempting many to make the switch to Nintendo’s latest console on the 3rd. Four days later Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Wildlands is aiming to avoid a misfire in a turbulent series of late. On the 21st, Bioware goes big with Mass Effect: Andromeda taking us further into space than ever before.

April isn’t fooling around either with the Banjo-Kazooie inspired Yooka Laylee aiming to take us all back to our glorious Nintendo 64 days when it graces us on the 11th.

May looks like it’ll pack a mighty punch too with Injustice 2 landing with all that superhero grace on the 16th. Before that though Prey makes a long awaited return when it releases on the 5th.

From this point on, dates are a little less clear but there’s still plenty to look forward to in 2017. There are two powerhouse sequels in The Last of Us Part 2 and Red Dead Redemption 2. An emotional new God of War. Another cheeky South Park RPG with The Fractured But Whole. Two necessary Nintendo titles in Super Mario Odyssey and Splatoon 2. Microsoft’s high seas multiplayer Sea of Thieves. A narrative of android proportions in Detroit: Become Human. Oh and did I mention a new Spider-man?!

So yeah, you better clear your plans because 2017 has a hell of a lot of games for you play and it’s a year that once again shapes as one that will change the way we’re playing them.

Posted in Blog, Games