Click here for Part 1 of the trends review | Part 2

As technology advances and pushes the limits of gaming, there has been an inevitable resurgence in classic gaming standards, with possibly none more so evident than the return of several franchises that older gamers fondly remember.  Along with these classics come their play mechanics, seeded in memories of Friday night college gaming in dorm rooms with friends huddled around glowing 19″ CRT screens.

This third and final part of the trend report focuses on the “safe mode” in game development this year, as well as the advances in multiplayer gaming, music rhythm game divergence, and dance music games.

Safe Mode

Return of known properties

Spurred by the influx of remakes and demakes over the past two years, 2010 will continue to see this trend take hold, with a shift towards the tail end of the 16-bit era and the dawn of the 32-bit era as the focus.  Properties that defined consoles — Donkey Kong Country, Kirby, GoldenEye, Castlevania, Marvel vs Capcom, and NBA Jam — will make a strong comeback.  Nintendo especially is banking on the success of the popularity of classics for their Fall/holiday line-up.

Much like New Super Mario Bros and Bionic Commando in 2009, the continuation of classic franchises is an important theme for returning sales to post-Recession levels.  Unfortunately, this is an indicator that many new IPs will need to take a back seat for the next year until the industry regains momentum.

Sequelitis

As noted above, with the Recession affecting game design in 2008 and 2009, publishers have put their focus on safe practices to salvage sales.  Sequels to popular modern franchises is perhaps one of the best ways to do just that.

The annualization of game franchises is a norm in the sports genre, but has made it’s way to others as well.  Call of Duty: Black Ops aims to continue the record-setting sales of it’s yearly predecessors. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood introduces multiplayer elements to one of 2009’s Game of the Year candidates.  Super Scribblenauts was spurred by the incredible sales of the 2009 original for the DS. Even DJ Hero and the Conduit, which met with tepid sales in 2009, are receiving sequels.

This year will be pivotal in dictating if annualized sequels will result in sales growth, or if they will begin to wear on a sharply more discerning consumer.

The Next Modern Warfare

Several years ago, video games set during World War II where a normal occurrence.  Now, the same can be said for modern settings.  Thanks to the success of 2007’s titanic Modern Warfare , the FPS genre has firmly relocated into more modern times.

Homefront brings an alternate universe in which North Korea invades the US.  Medal of Honor‘s return sets it in modern Afghanistan as the player takes the helm of an elite team of Tier 1 Operators. SOCOM 4 brings the popular PS2 tactical combat franchise to High Definition and MOVE support.  Spec Ops: The Line, due later this year, brings combat amid sandstorms to Dubai.

Publishers are aiming to capitalize on the trend, releasing wave after wave of games that first began development after Modern Warfare was first revealed.  While the majority of the games involve realistic storylines, a sub-trend is that of alternate timelines in which games like Homefront are beginning to explore.

Multiplayer

Co-Op

Though multiplayer gaming continues to be a factor in games, in 2010 co-op play looks to surpass competitive play on many genres, as well as appear on new ones.  In 2-D platform games, co-operative play has gone from a “nice to have” to a “must”.  New Super Mario Bros Wii may have popularized the mode, but new entries in Donkey Kong Country and Castlevania will help make it become a norm in 2010.

The standard definition of co-op is being stretched, as developers are innovating the ways in which the mode can be utilized in games.  Gears of War 3 pushes 4-player co-op play to the graphical limits, Dance Central allows additional players to jump in as backup dancers, and Rock Band 3 pushes the band depth to 7+ members with keyboards, real guitars, and harmonies.

Music Rhythm Gaming Evolves

Game vs Realism

As the music rhythm genre continues its decline, developers and publishers are squeezing the most out of what remains by refocusing on the target audiences.  With Warriors of Rock, Activision will begin to push Guitar Hero as more of a game rather than a simulation of band play.  Since the 3rd revision, the series has been playing catch-up to Rock Band.  This latest version marks a decidedly more fantasy-based game, and should be a fresh direction as the series begins to separate itself from its competitors.

Rock Band 3 and Power Rig are taking the opposite path.  Entrenched in realism, the games allow for actual instrumental play and are meant to be simulations with the niche, expert audience in mind.  Though the games may be too much for the casual audience, they should be well-received by the core group of fans that continues to play the games regularly, and often seriously.

Dance Games

Several years ago, Dance Dance Revolution burst onto the scene with a pseudo dance game genre and a giant plastic pad, relegating it to a continuous fad.  Now, with the popularity of motion controls expanding, the technology to improve and provide dance gaming has caused the genre to explode.  With the addicting gameplay of Just Dance 2, the technology of Dance Central, and the music & dance combination of Ubisoft’s Michael Jackson Experience, among others, the momentum looks to place the genre at sales levels that music rhythm games witnessed 2 years ago.

Finally

Though the trends were plentiful this year, their grouping into three tiers — technology evolution, aesthetic design, and safe game design — tells us that this year is more geared towards rebuilding than anything else.  As the industry’s sales have predictably dropped, the need to build upon knowns and known properties is ever more important, at least for the foreseeable future.