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Could it be? Does the PS3 have more and better exclusives this year? Looks like 2008 may possibly be the year of the Playstation, again. Just like old times.

Is it just me or is almost every big game coming out this year a sequel? No matter what console you’re on. Either way, you got to be excited about something on the list. If the majority of these games actually release this year, wow. But does anyone really expect that? So, let’s jump in and analyze the exclusives. Note, this list in no way represents the entire list of exclusive titles for each console. It does, however, represent what we at Counteragent think are the biggest exclusives most likely to actually be released this calender year.

PS3:

Resistance 2 (PS3)

Guaranteed success. While the first was a great game and fairly big success, it was still just a launch title. Imagine what they can do after a couple years and games under their belt. 8 player Co-Op! Expect big things from this game.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (PS3)

Another guaranteed success. Anyone who plays Gran Turismo will grab this game. If you’re a fan, your a fan. The visuals continue to improve, HD replays, ’nuff said!

Haze (PS3)

Hopefully the game will finally end it’s long series of delays this year. This game promises some intense action, including 4-player co-op, drop-in, drop-out, split-screen, online, or local multiplayer options. The game continues to impress visually, with not only the quality of graphics, but the very cool, unique design elements. The future of FPS games on PS3 looks Haze-y, in a good way. Sorry.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) – Metal Gear Online (PS3) [Best Online Resource for everything MGS4]

Who doesn’t know about this game. The game is still months away and is already epic. If any game could live up to the hype this game has garnered, leave it to Solid Snake, old or young. Like most of the games on this list, the visuals are amazing. The game looks to pack in an enormous amount of story and gameplay. The game features a immense arsenal of weapons and combat/stealth moves. If you own a PS3, you are almost required to buy this. You know you will.

SOCOM: Confrontation (PS3)

Still early on this title, few details have been released. The game will support up to 32 players online. Customizable weapons much like SOCOM 3. Also like the previous SOCOM games, the focus will be online multiplayer. Early word says this one will go the way of Warhawk, offering online only possibly with a blutooth headset and all. After all, the original SOCOM kind of pioneered headset use on consoles.

LittleBigPlanet (PS3)

Possibly one of the most innovative, cute, and anticipated games of the year. Little Big Planet looks to expand the PS3 audience with this “build-your-own-game” game. Eat your heart out Nintendo Miis, this game looks great. The shear level of creativity allowed is staggering. The game also supports 4-player co-op and versus. Plus, it’s kid friendly without being offensively cute.

God of War III (PS3)

The PS2 went out with a bang (though it’s still hanging in there) with the original God of War, and most recently it’s sequel, still on the aging console. People have been waiting for a true “next-gen” God of War experience and it looks as though 2008 is gonna be your year, possibly. Not much is know as of yet, however, the games creator, David Jaffe, is no longer working on the series so we’ll just have to wait and see how everything turns out.

Final Fantasy XIII (PS3) – Final Fantasy Versus XIII (PS3)

You’re either a fan, or you’re not, though, you’ve got to recognize the scale of the Final Fantasy franchise. The games continue to set graphical standards with every release. The next, XIII, looks to make good on their reputation. Not only are they again improving every visual, and storytelling aspect of the game, they are overhauling the combat as well. The combat in Final Fatasy XIII promises the speed up and intensify the battles.

MotorStorm 2 (PS3) [Teaser Trailer]

Another sequel to a previous PS3 exclusive, MotorStorm 2 hasn’t revealed much, but from the trailer we can expect yet another pre-rendered bar set too high for them to reach with in-game graphics. Don’t get me wrong, the original looked great, but the video they showed a year earlier looked 10-times better. This was the prettiest of all the racers for a while, but we’ll see how the sequel compares to the likes of Gran Turismo 5 HD later this year. Some of the improvements include new cars/trucks/motorcycles, tracks, and best of all, a much needed 4-player split-screen mode. The game’s also said to include 16-player online support.

Killzone 2 (PS3)

So, video and screenshots have shown just how good the game really looks in action. But what about gameplay? The original was not exactly praised by critics, though I quite enjoyed it (minus the large number of glitches). It definitely wasn’t the “Halo Killer” it was touted as. The sequel will have to really prove itself in such a crowded shooter market. Guerrilla Games has yet to reveal any real details on gameplay, i.e. co-op, multiplayer, customization? The game sure does look good though. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Twisted Metal (PS3)

David Jaffe may not be working on the sequel to God of War, but he’s confirmed that his company is working on another sequel. Twisted Metal is a staple among gaming. It’s been with us since the original Playstation and has had quite a number of incarnations since that time. No details yet, but expect some dark-comedy, over-the-top car combat.

Xbox 360:

Ninja Gaiden II (360)

Finally on to the Xbox 360, I thought we’d never get here. Ninja Gaiden II, the first official, true sequel, promises to up everything that made the original so popular. More action, more bad guys, more blood (almost too much), and more speed. The game’s creators have also addressed the difficulty issues some (many) had with the other games. They’ve said that without dumbing it down, they will be changing the controls in order to improve and lessen the frustration to newcomers. They’re also adding new weapons to the game and a ton of new character animations to keep the visuals fresh.

Too Human (360)

An epic in the making, Too Human is already set to be part of a trilogy. Everyone loves a trilogy. They’ve created an enormous world with a unique technology and organic design. The game is built on story, including a very ambitious new dynamic camera system that’s supposed to always give you the best view of the action during gameplay. The game also features a plethora of RPG elements to keep you interested. As with most RPGs you can upgrade almost everything, from weapons, to armor, to special abilities that extend your combat. The game also features a unique combat system, using the right analog stick for both melee and ranged attacks.

Fable 2 (360)

Sequel to a game that was a giant leap in artificial intelligence, Fable 2 looks to surpass it’s predecessor in every way. The ultimate choice between good and evil. This time your options are even greater. Similar to another Lionhead game, Black & White, the player will be given a pet in order to help you throughout the game, and also as a friend you can bond with. Peter Molyneux, the games creator has said he wants the game to get the player emotionally involved. Just a guess, but you can probably expect that your dog will eventually die. In addition to a game with conscience, the game is one of the first games to introduce money into the game before it’s release. That’s right, you can begin earning gold to spend in Fable 2 before the game ever hits store shelve, thanks to downloadable arcade games on Xbox Live.

Banjo-Kazooie 3 (360)

Very little is know of Bajo-Kazooie 3, if that is in fact it’s name. Rare, the company developing the game, released a short teaser trailer back in September 2006. It really didn’t show any gameplay, however, it did show a new boxy art style you can see in the screenshots above. You can expect the regular Bajo-Kazooie platform elements, collect everything in sight, teamwork to reach different areas and beat different enemies, and large open worlds. The Xbox 360 isn’t exactly known for having many platformers, so this will be a welcome addition. The last time we had a Banjo game was back on the N64.

Gears of War 2 (360)

Do I really have to say anything? Gears of War 2. You knew they would make it. The first was such a huge success, it actually beat Halo for top online multiplayer game, if only because it was the last-gen Halo 2. The game features everything new the Unreal Engine 3 has to offer. More enemies on screen, more destruction, more realistic lighting, and more chainsawing action. Another emergence day awaits us this fall.

Halo Wars

Halo isn’t dead! At least the Halo universe isn’t. Halo Wars is the first Halo game that isn’t a Halo game. It’s a real-time strategy. While the game isn’t being developed solely over at Bungie, it is being developed from the ground up for the Xbox 360 and console gameplay. Meaning they’ve supposedly solved some of the problems that plague many real-time strategy games on consoles. Did you know that Halo was originally a real-time strategy game being developed for the Mac? It’s true.

Update: After much deliberation and consideration of comments around the net about this list not giving the 360 it’s fair share of coverage, we’ve decided the amend the list. Here are some additional 360 console exclusive titles likely to come out this year.

Added: Splinter Cell: Conviction (360)

The next step for Sam Fisher looks remarkably similar to a Bourne Identity type game. That said, it still looks great. They’ve dropped the green eyed goggles in exchange for a man bag (ala Jack Bauer), hoodie, and beard, and they’ve got a stripped down and dirty, raw, Splinter Cell game where you’re now a fugitive from the law. The new game looks to change more than Sam’s fashion, focusing on what Ubisoft is calling “All new improvisation-based gameplay”. Where your inventory is actually the world around you, pick up and throw chairs, etc. Use crowds to your advantage, similar to Assassin’s Creed. This could be a great way to freshen up the series, or it could go too far from it’s roots and lose fans.

Added: Left 4 Dead (360)

Zombies, Co-Op, Valve, Source, ’nuff said. The “4″ in Left 4 Dead actually means something, it’s not just l337 speak. That’s right, 4-player co-op for a zombie first person shooter. A lot of people have high expectations for this one, and it looks like it could live up to them. Not a fan of being human, well they’ve got you covered. You can choose to play as a zombie, or “infected” as they’re called in the game. There are a number of different types of zombies each with different strengths and weaknesses. The brain eating should commence around October.

Added: Alan Wake (360)

Do you like psychological thrillers? Alan Wake is a presented as more of a “movie” like game than a traditional action game. They’re officially calling it a “psychological action thriller”. The game has been in development for a while now (it won GameSpy’s Best of E3 2005) and claims to have a 2008 release date, we’ll see. It looks beautiful, the developer’s have spent a lot of time on really capturing the mood of a thriller. They’ve included full realtime day-to-night lighting and weather effects.

Update: Those should help even out the list. I know for a fact I could keep adding more and more games to each side. This list is just some of the biggest and most anticipated console exclusives scheduled to release in 2008.

Honorable Mention: Heavy Rain (PS3), The Agency (PS3), L.A. Noire (PS3), Tekken 6 (PS3), Huxley (360), GTA4 (360 exclusive episodic content), Age of Conan (360)

That’s quite a bit and I’m tired. This should gives you something to think about if your making a console purchase this year. I’m sure there are a lot of games coming out that aren’t on this list. I’ve just covered some of the biggest of the console exclusives for 2008.

Boom!

Capcom’s very own “little E3 type show”, DIgital Day is here, and if you’re a fan of Capcom, than boy do they have a lot of good stuff. Good stuff like the next in the hopefully long line of Lost Planet games.

Lost Planet: Extreme Condition COLONIES EDITION (this is a big one folks)

Definitely not a sequel, but not something fans of the original will want to pass up. The game includes the same (awesome) single-player experience from Lost Planet: Extreme Condition but with all new modes, like Score Attack(not too dissimilar from Halo 3), Trial Battle Mode (Boss Battles, that’s it), and Off-Limit Mode (Extreme Super-Charged Weapons, Unlimited Ammo, and Faster Movement. Think EDF: Earth Defense Force 2017, but with better graphics).

The multi-player is also getting some upgrades with new gameplay modes. Akrid Hunter (play as the giant alien bugs, while everyone else tries to take you down), VS Annihilator, Counter Grab, Point Snatcher, Akrid Egg Battle, and Egg Bandit. In addition to the new modes are four(4) new multi-player maps and five(5) new playable character models. Also, an unconfirmed number of new weapons. Even a couple new perspectives, first person and over-the-shoulder (ala Resident Evil 4) views. Best of all is the price, get all of this and more for the low, low price of $29.99 as soon as the game ships May 27th on both PC and Xbox 360. Screenshots after the break.

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This is a new trailer for the upcoming Gamecock Media and Spark Unlimited game, Legendary. Should we file this one under “a good idea done bad?” While I found some of the video to look pretty good it seems to have some problems. I’m interested in the whole opening Pandora’s Box, and what will happen. I know this isn’t a finished product so we’ll see what happens. Watch the video tell us what you think. Video after the break.

The Battlefield franchise has been around for a while and has a pretty big, loyal following. The games have continued to move forward with each release (I’m talking specifically about the PC games, not the console versions), although some may disagree that the last release, Battlefield: 2142. Well, whether or not you’re a fan of the previous Battlefield PC games, they are continuing the trend of change with their latest entry in the franchise.

Battlefield Heroes not only changes everything by introducing a completely new take, labeled “cartoon shooter”, but they’ve also changed the entire payment structure, offering a completely free-to-play model. If you prefer not to, you’ll never have to drop even a single penny to play this game. The game will instead make it’s money through advertisement. Not even in-game advertisement like you may think. They will be showing ads on the games loading screens, and while you download the game and run it off of your personal computer, you will be required to launch the actual game from their official website at battlefield-heroes.com. That way they ensure not only the loading screen ads, but also any ads on their site as well.

All in all the game has tremendous potential. The look, while many may compare it to the recent hit shooter, Team Fortress 2, is done for maximum accessibility and, according to the developers, just plain fun. The system requirements are also pretty minimal, especially considering most of the latest system hogs like Crysis and Unreal Tournament 3. Look for the game to go live sometime this summer.

Gallery and Trailer after the break. Boom!

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If you caught X-play last night on G4TV then you were treated to a little eye candy. Of course by eye candy I mean that little hottie Adam Sessler. If you were able to take your eyes off him for a second you got a nice little Rainbow Six Vegas 2 preview. Game looks pretty good. They had Chris Masters, one of the designers dropping some of the usual knowledge, i.e. better A.I., more weapons, rewards for playing the game well, and of course the improved CO-OP which will now include the entire story (THANK GOODNESS!!).

All thats well and fine and frankly stuff we’ve heard already. Mr. Master’s also let us in on the fact that the Rainbow Six boys will not have a trilogy of Vegas games. He said this would be the last game based in Vegas. Of course they will be making more games but they won’t be in Vegas. I bet they’re gonna follow CSI’s lead and go from Vegas to Miami to New York.

You may have also seen that Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is number 2 on the 360 sells list on pre-orders alone so I guess you guys are excited about this game, I know I am.

Castle Crashers is the next big little thing from the people behind the frantic and colorful Alien Hominid. Sorry, but this game isn’t a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game. However, it does share some similarities to the old arcade and NES turtles games. If you where a fan of the old arcade games where you and three of your buddies could drop quarter after quarter fighting armies of faceless minions, then this is for you, minus the quarters.

Castle Crashers is a high intensity, 4-player co-op, action hack and slash game. The game is all hand drawn and rendered in beautiful HD. The gameplay is very much like the old two and a half demensional side scrolling co-op fighting games like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, X-Men, and The Simpsons arcade games. The Behemoth, the company making the game is still very much a indie developer, as they do everything in-house, from development, to marketing, to distribution. This game will be fairly easy for them to distribute, seeing as how it will be coming to the Xbox 360 via the Xbox Live Arcade. All the better for them and us. They make more actual profit and get to easily distribute a game, we get a great game at a much better price than full retail.

This isn’t the first game in this style the guys over at The Behemoth have done. Check out Dad ‘n Me over at New Grounds for a taste at what Castle Crashers will be like. While the games may bear similar mechanics, Castle Crashers boasts some semi-RPG type elements. Each character has a different set of moves, and special abilities. All said and done, this game is definitely something to watch for if you’re a fan of multiplayer mayhem. It should be out on Xbox Live sometime in the next few months.

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Did you have a chance to download and try the demos for the new XNA created community games? They were only available for a limited time. Why? No real reason, guess it was just a test to see if there was any interest. So, was there any interest? At first, yeah, I was totally interested. Then I downloaded and played all the games.

They’re only 15 day trials, which for the vast majority is plenty enough, if not too much time. Some of the games seem very much like tech demos, not games. One of the games, Jelly Car, is a really cool little tech demo, but it kind of gets boring real quick. Probably the most fully fleshed out title was The Dishwasher. The game, Dishwasher: Dead Samurai, is actually not at all about washing dishes, more about killing stuff in the most brutal, bloody way possible. The game starts slow and builds nicely, adding new moves every once in a while to extend you’re arsenal of death. It’s definitely not for the squeamish.

Other than these, there really isn’t anything you can’t just play online at any number of flash casual game sites. We’ll have to wait and see what actually becomes of this whole community games thing. At this point nothing really compels me to grab my M$ points wallet just yet. I’m still waiting for games that are actual games, like the upcoming Bionic Commando: Re-Armed.

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Holy Crap! All the favorites from one of Capcom’s best fighting games ever Street Fighter 2 return in full 3D-ish glory. The trailer is just a little over three minutes long and features ten different characters from the game. Two of the fighters are new, C. Viper and Abel. The rest are the people that made the Street Fighter series so popular back in the day, such as Guile, Ryu, Ken, and everyone’s favorite mean green fighting machine, Blanka.

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Morgan Webb and Adam Sessler of X-Play were kind enough to get us this interview and hands on demo of the upcoming super spy MMO The Agency. The Agency, hmm, much like the Counter Agent Global Enforcement, is something you’ll definitely be into. To my knowledge it’s the first MMO on a console and the first MMO based in the counter intelligence realm of spies and espionage. I know I’m not alone when I say this looks like a refreshing take on a genre of game dominated by the sole property that is Blizzard’s World of Warcraft.

If Sony’s willing to take risks like this and make unique, good gaming experiences more often then the PS3 may actually prove to be an adversary of the Xbox 360 giant. Here’s hoping.

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Did someone say Meat Cube? Holy crap I love tech and graphics. See, I’m the kid that just built stuff with my Legos, I never really played with them afterwards. Did I say I love technology. Not as much as you you see. But, I do love technology.

Anyway, watch this video if you like cool stuff. Watch it in HD if you like cool HD stuff. The demo shows off a large crowd system, improved destruction, super realistic water and liquids, improved lighting, and a giant meat cube, ’nuff said.

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Sequels to popular games? What’s next, movies based on video games? Crazy. Well, here it is in all it’s official gory, I mean glory. Gears of War 2. It’s to be released in November 2008. Here’s the link to the HD teaser trailer over at GameTrailers.

Oh yeah, and Gears of War 2 has a release date of this November. Finally, a new game in the franchise was announced, Gear Wars, an action real-time strategy. Nah, just kidding about that last one. The rest was true though.

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Watch this video. You may start drooling. I have to say, this game looked above average a few months ago, however, after you watch this you’ll probably agree, this game now looks amazing. Adam Sessler from G4TV’s X-Play got to talk directly to LucasArts’ Jeff Gullett about the upcoming terrain deformation extravaganza Fracture. I just hope you don’t run out of grenades as much as most games.

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This is just part one of two. May I recommend checking out the second video over at GameTrailers in it’s full HD goodness. This video also looks great in HD. See how that dynamic cinematic camera engine looks in action.

P.S. Yeah, it’s a Microsoft Xbox 360 Exclusive.

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First, I will say this video does look good, especially if you go watch the HD version. However, and I might get some flack for this, but, doesn’t the game seem more like an expansion pack than a true sequel. I not saying that’s necessarily a bad thing. It’s just that the video shows nothing new. It simply looks like a new campaign added on to the original Vegas.

Maybe I’m just not seeing it, but is this game going to be very different? Or is it just more of the same?

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red_alert_3_announcement_1.jpg

Hot on the heels of the upcoming Starcraft sequel, Red Alert is gonna have they’re very own trilogy. That’s right, Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3! Get ready for some of the best b-grade video game full motion video clips.

Beta’s are all the rage and the guys behind Red Alert 3 are no exception. You can get into the early beta and be one of the first to play, and report bugs yay! Here’s how:

By purchasing [pre-ordering] a copy of Command & Conquer™ 3: Kane’s Wrath that has a “C&C Red Alert 3 Beta Key” callout or sticker, you will have the opportunity to enter into the RA3 Beta Key program. Each copy of Kane’s Wrath with the Beta Callout will have an insert to enter into the RA3 Beta Program and a unique code. If you visit the designated website on the insert, enter your unique code and user information before September 15, 2008. You will be entered into the beta queue. The sooner you register on the website, the higher your place in the beta queue.

Q: Is the RA3 Beta Key Program Tied to Preordering Kane’s Wrath?

A: No, but the sooner you purchase Kane’s Wrath and register online for the beta key (by following the instructions on the Beta Key insert) the more likely you are to get access to the Beta before anyone else.

Can’t wait to fry me some soviets. Official Red Alert site.

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