The New Year has just started and already we are looking to the future releases to continue on our fix of pure gaming awesomeness. Most sites went back and took a look at all the great games that made a colossal impact on our current/future gaming endeavors.

I thought seeing as how I will one day have to keep up with gaming sites and magazine with posts like that, I could take my stab at a hard topic to cover, seeing as how I most likely have missed some of the bigger hits I didn’t necessarily have interest in. Not saying they are bad I just never had vested interest, but that’s beside the point. I went back in search of game series that have stretched over the decade or even onward into 2010 as well as compiled a list of game titles that are either confirmed or rumored to be released in the coming year. I once again ask you comment on this blog of the series you held onto during the decade or thought made a bigger statement than you expected when you first picked it up, moving on into the new year.

I want to start with series, the ones with three or more games released within the time span of 2000-2009 or will be finished in 2010.

Conspiracies abound in this first series, which happened to be one of the most engaging series for me. With it’s huge multi ending pathways for you character, tons of modifications, stuck together within a web of lies, Deus Ex came in like a hurricane and swept us all on our feet in 2000. From there they built upon a big fan base with a sequel that didn’t necessarily match expectations but was still very enjoyable. Deus Ex- Invisible War, released in 2003, made use of a high graphics engine and worked off of what the last DE had made. I wish to this day that I still had these games, especially while I talk about them, because I could actually play for hours and never get bored, as well as a prequel to Deus Ex is said to be released in 2010, Deus Ex 3.

Another series that seemed to have a very strong life in the past decade was Ratchet and Clank. Every year since 2002 to 2005 and then again from 2007 to 2009, Ratchet and Clank Continued to pump out sequel after action packed sequel all thanks to the innovation of the Insomniac company. In order the series went as Ratchet And Clank, Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando, Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal, Ratchet: Deadlocked, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, Ratchet & Clank Future Quest for Booty DLC, and Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time. The series stayed strong, having two spin off games for the PSP, and some hope the series may continue in the next few years.

Espionage, Action, and Stylish Headbands abound in the Metal Gear Solid Series. Even though technically MGS the original was not released within the decade, the series thrived and then came to a brilliant main story line end. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was released in 2001, giving current fans a better look at the misshapen Solid Snake from the first MGS, and the action packed moments of the Metal Gears. The secrets seemed more powerful, the enemies more realistic, everyone fell in love again with Metal Gear Solid Franchise. In 2004, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater was released, taking a visit to the original Big Boss’s life in the early years. The graphics were enhanced, the action just as amazing. The story was as engaging as the last, giving an insight to the past of the series. The final installment for the direct series is Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, in 2008. On the PS3 things look amazing detailed and had answers to many of peoples questions from within the series. It concluded the epic life of Solid Snake (Old Snake) and we watched it end, from the beginning of the game, with one hell of a bang. With PSP releases of games such as AC!D and Portable Ops, the designers still have ideas to produce games in 2010, including Peacewalker and Metal Gear Solid Rising: Date Unknown, taking the focus away from Snake in both counts, PW With Big Boss and Rising with Raiden.

The Next series is one I know everyone was freaking out about. It had a deep and dark story, it had aliens, and the most focused on aspect was the weapons and how to kill those aliens in this FPS series. Halo, released in 2001, was of course the most bought game for Xbox owners when the console was first released. It was the first name on my Christmas list that year if I remember correctly. The game spanned over epic levels for a game of that early generation, with huge battles, many weapon choices, and a story that would make any author proud. The story continued in the direct sequel Halo 2, 2004, showed how much progress could be made with the same system it’s prequel used. The story kept moving, but the same gameplay and some slight repetition came into play but they did give us a new ability to dual wield weapons and added a couple new weapons to our disposal. It was loved enough to make the first release day of Halo sales reach $170 million. Halo 3, 2007, finalized the series main ideas, improved the graphics system with the new console Xbox 360. The series was built off not just the main story but the multiplayer/online multiplayer, which popularized Xbox Live. Follow the success of Halo 3, Bungie released two more games, Halo 3 ODST, which was set between the events of Halo 2 and 3 in the eyes of a major side character group The ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troopers), and the RTS (Real Time Strategy game) Halo Wars. In 2010 the next game to be released is Halo: Reach, set as a prequel before the original Halo game.

In the next one, one man alone turned hack-n-slash into refined art and even raised it a few platforms to a new level. Kratos, from God of War, made the best out of what he was given and then used that to kill everything that moves. Released in 2005, God of War was the first time we got to see a well done Greek God Vs Man story in a long time. With new and inventive weapons, god like spells, god enemies to destroy and knowing the hatred for the gods themselves. Things only got better in the second installment, God Of War 2 (2007) introduced new added gameplay mechanics such as interactive kills, in air battles, larger than life living levels, and of course new weapons to accompany a new, time traveling story. Also holding a PSP release, Chains of Olypmus (2008), the series became a common and well respected name. A future and final main story installment is to be released in 2010, God of War 3.

The Call of Duty series, unknown to me, was started and just blew up into what is now a large phenomenon. From 2003-2009 and a confirmed sequel in 2010 Titled Call of Duty 7. The details of the series are harder to describe from every edition, but to summarize the games generally to the War games to the next level, especially in recent outakings such as Modern Warfare 1 & 2. In order of there release Call of Duty (2003), Call of Duty 2 (2005), Call of Duty 3 (2006) Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) World at War (2008), Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and that’s not even including the side games made as ports or other wise.

And the last one that has a long enough run to be called a series is GTA. Starting with GTA 3 (2001) the game featured the open world of a crime filled city in which you can pretty much do whatever you felt like doing. Drive by shootings, steal any car you wanted, drive like a maniac, whatever your psychopathic hearts desired. The same repeating pattern was built into it sequels, change towns, times, characters, and even adding in mini games, side missions, character developement, etc. GTA Vice City (2002), GTA San Andreas (2004), and GTA IV (2008), and with a rumored sequel coming out in 2010 titled Grand Theft Auto 5.

I had more entries but at the moment I decided posting little snipits of two series games that wont truly be a series until 2010 was not necessary. Below I will list the releases I mentioned in the post above and even more I and many other people are excited for below.

Alan Wake
APB
Aliens Vs Predator
Aliens: Colonial Marines
Arc Rise Fantasia
Bayonetta
Bioshock 2
Call of Duty 7
Crackdown 2
Dante’s Inferno
Darksiders
Dark Void
Dead Rising 2
Dead Space 2
Deus Ex 3
Fable 3
Fallout: New Vegas
Final Fantasy XIII
God Of War III
Grand Theft Auto 5
Guitar Hero 6

Halo: Reach                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Heavy Rain                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 MAG
Mass Effect 2
Max Payne 3
Metal Gear Solid: Peacewalker
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2
True Crime
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

Comment this blog with your game expectations of wants for the next year or email gamerjay813@yahoo.com subject Game Expectations.

The public’s opinion is what really matters, speak up and let us hear what you say!

The world is full of possibilities, isn't it? Gamers know this fact well lately with games such as Grand Theft Auto 4, Shadow of the Colossus, and World of Warcraft. It isn't something that is unheard of but it is something that has gone unnoticed or unappreciated. We are told as a child we can do whatever we want, be what we want to be yet as we get older, we lose sight of those simple ideals and think we have to "conform" to the norms, be the generic man in the suit behind the desk, or the kid at the register at your local Wally World. Few still strive to go on with their dreams after college, settling for what helps them pay the bills and what keeps life normal.  I always have wished for many things, I always keep them in the front of my mind to remind me, I am different, I want the best and I want to succeed in my dreams. There is a select few who have the same mindset, they are called Entrepreneurs and I have officially have joined the ranks of them by starting my own business.

The Respawn Point is a group geared towards giving gamers the treatment they deserve, while bringing others of our nation together. As of December 28, 2009, I became the owner of The Respawn Point, and I will continue on into 2010 to build upon what we already have as a group, striving to gather people together, one console at a time.

At the moment TRP is holding a logo contest, searching for our new logo. The chosen designer will win the first free gamer merch with your logo on it and our name/motto. For more information or to enter, email gamerjay813@yahoo.com with the subject of The Respawn Point Logo Contest.