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For parents who have just invested in technology as Christmas gifts for offspring, one of the most welcome predictions is that 2010 will usher in Australia’s first cap-less broadband plan. (However the government will continue to just inch its way toward legislation to underpin the roll out of a national broadband network.)
For parents who bought their offspring a games console for Christmas, they’d better hope it was a Sony as the company edges back to ascendancy in the games space. The pricing on the PlayStation 3 is just about right, with the satisfying option of a 120GB or 250GB hard drive. The Slim version introduced in September is a cut-down version of the original PS3, having no backwards compatibility to PlayStation 2 titles, no solid-state card reader slots and two fewer USB connections, but, it has a brand new price going for it, as well as a growing reputation as a Blu-Ray disk player
Microsoft meanwhile will be relying on new retail bundles and occasional exclusives to keep the Xbox 360 market ticking over until Project Natal, the motion and sound sensing hardware makes its presence widely known towards the end of 2010. (On the computer side of the house Windows 7 will drive Microsoft back into the spotlight leaving Mac sales to languish and Linux to flounder).
In the handheld games space Nintendo’s ever popular DS series continues to fight Sony’s push and there are rumours of an HD Wii in time for Christmas 2010.
Software wise, the gaming industry will see a continued shift to the family games that have been its life-blood in recent times. Whilst games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 will continue to sate the hard-core crowd, it will be increased investment in family orientated titles that will be the trend for game publishers as we enter the new year.
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