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With 2009 less then twelve hours away it’s time to make some predictions about what may come to pass in the new year. I am no fortune teller, but if the past serves as benchmark for the future then I am sure that some of these will come true. 2008 was a bright year for gamers and game makers, but a lot rests on what happens in 2009. Can Sony actually sell PS3’s, will Microsoft release the long awaited motion controller, and will Nintendo release any quality games? Honestly I have no clue, but I can make some predictions.

#1. Nintendo Continues to Ignore Hardcore Gamers – Nintendo’s strategy with the Wii worked out better then even they imagined, but with this new plan Nintendo left out a huge section of gamers…the hardcore. This may in the end not really be an issue, but personally I was looking forward to some more grown up Wii games. As long as the Wii prints money at the rate it is I doubt we will see this trend stop.

#2. Jack Thompson will creep back into the limelight – You can’t keep crazy down, and even though he has been stripped of his license Jack will be back in 2009. My money is on Jack trying to start an organization against media corruption. In truth I welcome more Jack, because he tends to make gaming look better when he gets involved.

#3. Microsoft releases motion sensitive controller – The long rumored Wii-like controller just might see its debut in 2009. Microsoft has had enough time to develop the hardware, and possibly create some initial games for it as well.

#4. Sony Price Cuts Will Disappoint – At some point in 2009 Sony will have to cut the price of the PS3, but just how much of a cut will be an issue. A $100 cut would be very good, but I don’t see that happening. I imagine the first cut will be only $50. This will increase sales, but not enough to compete with the Wii or 360. The economy may force their hand in this matter as well. I hope that I am wrong on this one and that Sony gets the PS3 under $300 by years end, but that will all depend on factors too numerous to mention here.

#5. The Wii will still outsell the 360 & PS3 – I think most people could predict this one. The Wii is a worldwide success and Nintendo can’t make them fast enough. Even though the Wii will outsell the 360 & PS3, I think that this is the year that Wii sales will start to level of slightly.

#6. We will see at least 4 WWII games – A world war is just too interesting to stop making games about. I thought at one point I was done with WWII games, but then I realized that as long as they are the good ones (COD:WAW) and not the bad ones (Turning Point), I will always love playing a good war game.

#7. Sony will lose at least one more exclusive game, but so will Microsoft – Over the last few years games franchises have been looser then a swingers convention, and I don’t see that trend stopping anytime soon. We will see Sony and Microsoft lose exclusives in the new year. Who loses the biggest one will depend on who has the deeper wallets.

#8. The PS3 & 360 start showing some more muscle – The first 3 years of next gen was all about hardware, but now that each console has been broken in it’s time for software to take over. You see tons of BS stories about how a developer has pushed the PS3 or 360 to its limits on a certain game, but in reality the PS3 & 360 have tons of unlocked potential, they just need the right software to make it happen. The Rage engine is a perfect example. It runs on both systems and is producing the best console graphics I have seen to date. At this point its all about optimizing software to produce gameplay enhancement.

#9. Microsoft will buy a major gaming studio – Even though Microsoft has a solid lineup for 2009 they know that for the future they need more exclusives. Simply paying companies to make a game exclusive is too expensive and doesn’t always mean the game will remain exclusive. The solution is to buy a well respected game studio and get them to work. The economy might stop this from happening, but sooner or later Microsoft need to build a bigger base of developers.

#10. There will be no Xbox Portable – Many rumors have been swirling around about the possible announcement of an Xbox portable. While I would love to see it happen I don’t think that 2009 is the right time. The economy is weak, the DS is still selling like mad, and I just don’t think there is a big enough demand for it right now. Halo in your pocket is something that could easily make the Xboy sell, but it just doesn’t feel like the time is right. Be patient you know its coming eventually.

It’s fun to guess, so play along and give us your best prediction for 2009.