Rumour Monkey #14

By Daniel Needham

The Rumour Monkey is at it once again!

Well boys and girls, I hope you have those gloves and jackets out because winter is well and truly here. And what does this mean for Monkey? Well, being halfway through 2006, Monkey decides to become opinionated and gazes into his crystal ball to see what the rest of 2006 holds.

That’s right - a change from the regular formula. As they say, a change is as good as a holiday, and you would need one judging by the ever-frigid climate.

And Monkey ain’t going to be holding back either! In his sights he has the PS2, Xbox, all next-gen systems as well as some handheld tid-bits, for all you pocket gamers out there who need a break from your stressful pocket tennis games. Come on, we know you like to lob your balls every now and then.

PS2

With upcoming releases such as Urban Chaos, Final Fantasy XII and the imminent Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, Sony’s black box looks to still have some yardage left in it before the PS3 hits our shores.

Also something to keep an eye on is God Of War II. With very big shoes to fill following the original, word on the streets is that this title could sneak in to the back end of '06, just the way you freaks like it.

Games you better start saving for:

Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence is sure to hit the bank balance hard; add to that the annual fighter SmackDown Vs. Raw 2007 as well as Dirge Of Cerebus for all you Final Fantasy fans out there. You better start shining Ron’s shoes, as he pays top dollar, and you’ll need it for these titles.

Xbox

With the Xbox effectively on its last miles as a console, it will be sure to try and go out with a bang before the next-gen 360 totally takes over. The titles that are set to come out provide a solid list of games to keep the system out of your wardrobe, whilst at the same time stopping you from burning out that new next-gen console you just bought. With the added ability to play selected Xbox games on the 360, this will also keep the console in the minds of gamers when considering possible titles for purchase.

Microsoft is also reportedly pushing hard to keep the Xbox as a current gen console, as it is still investing money into its games division. Add to this the rumoured upgrades to the Xbox Live service and we could see the black heli-pad, uhhh, Xbox, keep that wall socket for its life-support machine. Until someone wants a power source for a 360 that is.

Games you better start saving for:

Arguably so many to choose from! Rugby League 2 is finally making its way to the Xbox after a successful stint on the PS2 and PC, and the enjoyable shooter Destroy All Humans is also making a return to the console. Plus who wouldn’t want to give Lego Star Wars II a spin either?

PS3

Arguably the most hyped next-gen console, it sure has high expectations to live up to. Touting itself as a “central entertainment system’, the console looks set to wage war directly with the 360, and the Wii on the side - but more about that later. At a hefty price tag the console looks set to alienate their audience for a decent amount of time, but one would tend to think that the price should fall steadier than Telecom’s stock price.

A big rumour currently floating around the web at the moment is the possibility of the Ps3 shipping with the Ps2 chipset hardware. In basic terms this would allow someone to use certain hardware from their Ps2 with their Ps3. Also cryptically revealed is the fact that Sony has yet to create an efficient Ps2 emulator. Troubled skies for Sony? Look out for the next Rumour Monkey to see if this story goes any further….

Games you better start saving for:

Where to begin? Arguably with more potential than a teenager after reading his first porn magazine, the Ps3 could deliver some of the greatest titles of all time. Sticking strictly to 2006, Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom, and Splinter Cell Double Agent could be two titles to propel the Ps3 on to bigger and better things.

Xbox 360

Already released around the world, the 360 is starting to receive criticism that it is merely an extension of the Xbox, and offers nothing new to the gaming industry other than its high definition gaming. However it has been repelling the critics with great releases such as Elder Scrolls IV, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter and Dead or Alive 4. The next few months will indeed be crucial for the 360, as it’s the last chance to really gather momentum before the release of the rival next-gen systems.

In a rumoured move to try and out do some of the alternative entertainment the Ps2 has available for its system, the 360 may be releasing a Microsoft version of an eye-toy. Also on the hardware front is the possibility of a 100Gb hard-drive, however this isn’t known if it will be available in all areas.

Games you better start saving for:

If you haven’t already got any of the titles above, you shouldn’t own a 360. But if you dare to be different, Pro Evolution Soccer 6 and Ninety-Nine Nights will be titles to look out for.

Nintendo Wii

With a PR spin putting it as a ‘unique’ console in the market, Nintendo have cleverly, for now, gone down the non-confrontational route. A lot of the Wii’s hype is coming from the net, not surprisingly, and for now will serve its purpose of keeping people’s eyes on the console. What Nintendo will ensure it needs to do is bring more people in to its fan base as the release date draws near. For now however you’ve got Monkey hooked.

Handhelds

For a decent period of time last year, the handheld market was receiving more exposure than ever. The DS was out and doing reasonably well, and the PSP was set to hit the market with a huge impact. What we have seen develop is a rather even split as we see both systems trying to produce quality titles to keep people interested outside of the next-gen console systems. Monkey is still playing his PSP and DS so there must be some longevity to keep his attention span!

Games you better start saving for:

PSP: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and Tomb Raider: Legend.

DS: New Super Mario Bros. Could be a defining title for the DS, and The Legend Of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass doesn’t look too bad either.

Monkey’s Note: Phantom Hourglass!? Now that’s a gaming title right there!

Well that wraps up a long edition of the Rumour Monkey. Time for me to hit the all-new vibrating bed I just received thanks to NZG. Those SOCOM ads’s pull in some dosh you know.

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