Ten Video Game Predictions for 2020

2020 is here and it’s the start of a new decade, which means there’s some exciting stuff coming up this year. I wanted to kick off the year with some 2020 predictions and then have a look at them again at the end of the year and see how I did. Here’s ten video game predictions for 2020.

N64 games come to Nintendo Switch Online

First up in the list are N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online. Nintendo has slowly been bolstering their online libraries over the past years and although they have much to add to the SNES line up it makes sense to add N64 to the mix, as they could release an N64 controller to go with it.

Nintendo Switch Online originally launched in September 2018 with a small library of NES games which they added to each month. There are now 40 plus NES games in the library. SNES games were added to Nintendo Switch Online’s library in September 2019, so it’s not too far fetched to think that maybe they’ll add Nintendo 64 games in September 2020.

There’s plenty of games to be excited for including Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Majora’s Mask, Paper Mario, Banjo Kazooie, Star Fox 64, Diddy Kong Racing and Perfect Dark. We all want Golden Eye, but it might be held back due to rights… but we’ll see!

Streaming services growth

This is the year where streaming services will come into their own with the new consoles coming out. Xbox Game Pass had a great year in 2019 and will allow the new Xbox consoles to release with a huge line up of games. I would imagine PlayStation will want to bolster their PlayStation Now service so I think they’ll make a big thing about that either at E3 or before through State of Play. 

Nintendo Switch Remakes

Look out for some classics this year and I’m thinking we’ll get Metroid Prime Trilogy at some point in 2020 (to help tide us over until Metroid Prime 4) and hopefully, that will be followed up with Twilight Princess, Windwaker and Skyward Sword.  Twilight Princess and Windwaker had the HD treatment for the Wii U, so in theory, porting those over to the Nintendo Switch shouldn’t be too much trouble.

Xbox will have a better launch than PlayStation

I actually think Xbox is going to have a better launch than PlayStation in terms of numbers this year. Microsoft has got out there early with the services like Xbox Game Pass and we’ll hear more about Project XCloud for sure in 2020. Combine that with one or two new consoles and their investment in Xbox Game Studios then it feels like this could be Microsoft’s time to shine. Always playing catch up in the current generation, they were a clear runner up to Sony. Learning from their mistakes I’m thinking Xbox is going to come out swinging in the next generation. 

Breath of the Wild 2

We saw a glimpse of this at E3 last year at the end of the Nintendo Direct. By the time we get to Holiday 2020 it will have been 3 and a half years since Breath of the Wild. It looks very much like the game will be in the same engine as Breath of the Wild. Hopefully, this will have allowed them enough time to put something together and release in time for the holidays. Hopefully, we’ll hear more about it in the coming weeks and months. 

Google Stadia gets a serious re-work

Google Stadia did not have a great launch. I imagine over time more features will be added, as we were promised in their original videos. There are some who are predicting a closure of Google Stadia this year, however, I think Google is in this one for the long haul and see an opportunity. I do think their pricing strategy is a little strange, where currently you have to buy the service and then buy the games for full price.

I think what we’ll see is a revamp of Google Stadia and a change in their pricing policy. If they can get this right and the infrastructure changes around them (like the introduction of 5g) then I think Google Stadia could be huge, but I predict a bumpy road ahead in the early ’20s for the service. 

A big tech company buys Discord

Discord is a mainstay in the gaming world now. Whether you use them to catch up with your friends or manage a big online community as a streamer or content creator, Discord is valuable.

Valued at $1.6b in 2018 there were talks of Discord looking at various companies and preparing for a sale. However, we didn’t see any movement on that in 2019, but we could see something in 2020.

Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft could all flex their financial muscles here, but I do predict that in 2020 someone will be Discord. 

Gameboy Classic

Nintendo’s had great success over the years with the release of mini consoles and it could be time for another with the release of the Gameboy Classic. The NES and SNES flew off the shelves and so a Gameboy Classic just makes sense. Retro gaming is as popular as ever and 2D games tend to hold up better than the early 3D games of the PlayStation era.

It would be good to see a mini-console with a size comparable to that of a mobile phone or just a little bit smaller. It could be thinner too as batteries and HD have shrunk considerably since the Game Boy’s release.

There’s plenty of great Game Boy games out there including Tetris, Kirby’s Dreamland, Link’s Awakening, Pokemon Red and Blue, Castlevania: The Adventure and Metroid II: The Return of Samus and Dr Mario.

Horizon Zero Dawn 2 will be revealed

A Horizon Zero Dawn follow up will have been in the works almost since the game was complete. It was many’s game of the year contender back in 2017 when it initially released. Guerilla Games have been tight-lipped over the content of the game. It’s highly likely the sequel will be a PS5 exclusive. My guess is that sometime this year, perhaps E3, we’ll get some news of Horizon Zero Dawn’s sequel and what to expect from Aloy’s next adventure.

Microsoft buys Sega

Time for a wild one.