Play it Forward: Video Games Predictions 2007

PC

In contrast, over on the PC, things couldn't be looking better: retailers are crammed with brand new whizz-bang gaming PCs and are more than happy to sell them for enormous amounts of money. And if the hardware requirements of the upcoming wave of Windows Vista games are anything to go by, you'll be needing one by the end of the year.

Never mind. Next year's PC software selection is looking fantastic, with a number of well-loved franchises making overdue returns. Plus there's World of Warcraft and its seven million players: look for the game's Burning Crusade expansion to smash PC sales records in January, and eclipse every other MMORPG released for the rest of the year. Er, again. Blizzard's not going anywhere, either: expect the wraps to be finally pulled off Diablo 3 at some point in 2007.

Handhelds

As for the handhelds expect this to be yet another banner year for the DS. Short of a major change of direction from Sony -- which probably has bigger things on its corporate mind at the moment -- the PSP isn't about to drag itself out of its rut. Maybe the connectivity features with the PS3 will amount to something, but short of some seriously compelling PSP releases, expect the DS to continue to go from strength to strength.

World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade Supreme Commander

Law Wars

Although we've hopefully heard the last from anti-games windbag lawyer Jack Thompson, expect the linked issues of the effects of violence in games and the performance of the ESRB rating authority to come under increased public scrutiny. At the very least, the release of Grand Theft Auto IV in October will reopen some old wounds, and the tendency of lawmakers to pass laws that pander to a reactionary public shouldn't be underestimated. If 2007 is anything like 2006, however, these efforts will benefit nobody but the lawyers involved in the inevitable court cases.