14 DAY TRIAL // It looks like Microsoft's PR just got back from holiday, and while it's back at work, it might still be suffering the after-effects of shore-leave inebriation. Besides being incredibly enthusiastic about their 2010 lineup, the people over at Microsoft are also wishing us a "Happy New Year!" and, while we sincerely appreciate their best wishes, we can't help but notice that we're just a few days shy of a full month since New Year's Eve.
While some companies tend to balance out their eagerness to have us appreciate their hard work with some modesty and reservation, Microsoft goes all out, doubling the enthusiasm with ecstasy. Besides the already mentioned "Happy New Year!" greeting, the release starts off with mounds of go-getter spirit. "The beginning of a historic new decade for Xbox 360 is upon us and it starts with a bang!"
"2010 is poised to be the most significant year in history for games, and Xbox 360 will have the biggest lineup of blockbusters and exclusives ever witnessed in the industry, including 'Halo: Reach,''Fable III,' 'Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction,' and 'Final Fantasy XIII,' just to name a few." And if all of them are indeed titles with an impressive reputation, they should have spared at least a bit of reservation for Conviction, since the game has already missed more than a few official release dates, and did so by a few years.
"2010 is shaping up to be the biggest year ever for Xbox 360," Phil Spencer, corporate vice president of Microsoft Game Studios, said. "Across the portfolio, we have an unparalleled lineup of blockbuster games and exclusive experiences, the likes of which have never been seen before."
As for the actual list, Microsoft has lined up these games, features and add-ons for 2010: Alan Wake, BioShock 2, Crackdown 2, Fable III, Final Fantasy XIII, Game Room on Xbox Live, Halo: Reach, Lips: Party Classics, Lost Planet 2, Mass Effect 2, Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Conviction, Toy Soldiers, Scrap Metal, Forza Motorsport 3 Add-ons, Left 4 Dead 2 The Passing and the Modern Warfare 2 Multiplayer Map Pack. And while the list is indeed impressive, it's also a bit disappointing to see that there's not a single new IP in the list, and all we get are sequels.