Most-Hyped PC Games of 2009

FPS: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Sorry Duke Nukem Forever, but despite reports of your game being in the final stages, we’re a bit skeptical, considering your release date of “when it’s done” has been haunting us since April of 1997! Your hype’s been dying down, leaving Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, riding on the coattails of the top-selling game worldwide of 2007 for us to gossip about. Oh, and World at War didn’t do too bad either. Truth be told though, there’s no information regarding the sequel aside from the announcement in December that it’s being developed. However, it’s way too early to start any rumors… or is it?

Runner-ups: Duke Nukem Forever, Wolfenstein

Online RPG: Diablo III

Surprise, surprise. In all honesty, most gamers saw it coming with all the rumors speculating over their splash tease of the aforementioned, and yet, it still shook the internet world when Blizzard announced it at their Worldwide Invitational in June of 2008. The reason? Aside from living up to its successor, the initial information wasn’t just an announcement and a teaser video; it had a slew of screenshots, along with a twenty-minute video demonstration as well, thanks to Blizzard’s commitment of having an actual game to present when they revealed it. The rest of the hype is generated by gamers concerned over Diablo III’s new art direction, wondering where the “darker, more realistic“ look of Diablo II went. Ahh, there you are. The ugly side of hype.

Runner-ups: Star Wars: The Old Republic, DC Universe Online

RTS: StarCraft II

Ten years have passed and StarCraft II is speculated to make its awaited debut in 2009, and not just as a single game, but as part of a trilogy. The announcement in May of 2007 hit all the right notes, such as the return of all three races from the original, which created an absurd amount of popularity. No Joke. StarCraft holds four world records, including “Best Selling PC Strategy Game,” and is consistently regarded as the best real-time strategy game ever made. No small feat considering the relationship between PC and RTS. The sequel has a lot to live up to, so leave it to Blizzard for raising the stakes, calling StarCraft II the “ultimate competitive real-time strategy game.” Can they do it again?

Runner-ups: Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War II, Age of Booty

What’s that you say? This list isn’t saying anything new? Good, because that’s the point. Aside from reminding you of the games to keep an eye out for, it’s also a painting of the reality the industry finds itself in, where the most anticipated games are mostly sequels of some sort instead of original IP. Not to say that’s necessarily bad, since it’s just the nature of the beast. Hype mostly fabricates from some form of previous success. Still, it’s awfully slim pickings for new creations.

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