Everything We Got Right (and Wrong) About 2016
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At the beginning of 2016, we put together a list of prognostications--10 things that we were sure were going to come true. Well, the time for reckoning has come. How did our guesses stack up to reality? Let's find out!
1) Nintendo Will Officially Reveal the NX
We knew a lot about Nintendo's NX (now officially dubbed the Nintendo Switch) before its official unveil trailer, but it was still a surprise to see the console in action. We'll learn more during the Switch reveal stream next week, but as far as things we "knew" were going to happen in 2016, this was always a safe bet.
Verdict: Correct!
2) We Will See Gameplay Footage of Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is probably the most highly anticipated game on our site that nobody knows anything about. Outside of a teaser in 2013, we haven't seen the game in any form. And the only actual news we got in 2016 was that developer CD Projekt Red will not discuss the game until 2017.
Verdict: Wrong!
3) Nintendo Will Release a Mario Game Specifically Made for Mobile
This one came right down to the wire, but on December 15, Nintendo released Super Mario Run, a $10 "free-to-start" mobile game. However, mobile versions of Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem have been delayed to 2017.
Verdict: Correct!
4) VR Will Get Off to a Poor Start
The PSVR may be supply constrained and hard to find in stores, but it would be hard to argue that VR overall was a resounding success. The future of VR is still incredibly promising, and we can't wait to see the 2017 games that finally take full advantage of the various systems' motion tracking controls for Oculus and the HTC Vive. But right now, VR is still just "that cool thing you played over at a friend's house for a couple hours."
Verdict: Correct!
5) Xbox One Will Drop in Price Again
This one's almost unfair; we were basically saying "the price of a piece of consumer electronics is going to go down." But still, we were right! While the Kinect-free Xbox One started the year at $350, you can currently get a 500GB version of the console (with a game included) for just $250.
Verdict: Correct!
6) Resident Evil 7 Will Be Announced
Not only was Resident Evil 7 announced, the game is coming out later this month!
Verdict: Correct!
7) You'll Fall Madly in Love with a Game You've Never Heard Of
This one's probably correct. From Stardew Valley to Owlboy, 2016 saw the release of some unexpected indies that held their own on the GameSpot Best of 2016 list. And this was also the year that the mobile sensation Pokemon Go came out of nowhere to completely destroy the battery life on everyone's phones for about a month. We spend a lot of time thinking about the big games that are slowly revealed and hyped for years, but it's the surprises and hidden gems that make gaming so special.
Verdict: Correct!
8) GTA V Story DLC Will Happen
GTA Online continues to receive regular updates, and Grand Theft Auto V remained one of the top-grossing games on Steam in 2016. But based on the complete silence from Rockstar about further single-player adventures, this seems like something that might never happen.
Verdict: Wrong!
9) Konami as We Know It Is Over
Konami has changed a lot, but we specifically said that "Konami will exit the console games market entirely." That didn't happen. Despite doing very little with the myriad gaming franchises under its control, the only game Konami released in 2016 was PES 2016, and the only confirmed game on the horizon is Metal Gear Survive. The Silent Hills project that Hideo Kojima was working on prior to breaking from the publisher may have been scrapped, but Konami says it will "continue to develop the Silent Hill series."
Verdict: Wrong!
10) Mother 3 Will Finally Get an Official English Release
Despite 2016 being Mother 3's tenth anniversary and the game releasing last year on the Japanese Virtual Console, the gaming classic once again failed to make an appearance in the West.
Verdict: Wrong!
The Totals
Because keeping score is fun:
- Total Correct: 6
- Total Wrong: 4
Did you have any 2016 predictions that were either spot on or way off base? Let us know in the comments below!