2007 saw the video game industry's most successful year. AAA games were in abundance – for both the 360 and Playstation 3 – and thanks to the Wii something happened that has never happened before: the console was moved to the living room. Yes, that one simple room change made all the difference. No longer was gaming a niche or, worse, something you’d be afraid to admit doing. Grandparents, parents, siblings, girlfriends and boyfriends were now enjoying games in unison, rather than separated and submerged in their own little private world. Gaming hit the mainstream, and hit hard. CNBC, MSNBC, CNN and Dr. Phil all covered some aspect of gaming in 2007. Even Ellen DeGeneres got her Guitar Hero on; a few weeks later the game reappeared as a 12-year old guest demonstrated the difficulty of Dragonforce’s "Through the Fire and Flames" on expert. Gaming was and continues to be everywhere. So now what? 2008 should be a easy-go for the industry, but many say the line-up isn’t there to accomplish such a feat. I’ve gathered up all the hyped games for 2008 and then some. Some are confirmed, some are hopeful; either way, this year will be a repeat of last year for the gaming industry, and more importantly, for us gamers.

Grand Theft Auto IV
Developer: Rockstar Games
Publisher: Take-Two Interactive
Release Date: April 29, 2008
Platforms: Xbox 360, Sony Playstation 3

Rockstar’s newest iteration of the Grand Theft Auto series releases on April 29th, 2008 and tops this 2008 Most Wanted list. The “Hot Coffee” scandal was one of the most talked about events in the gaming industry and may cost Take-Two upwards of $1 billion in fines if the lawyers on the opposing side get their way, but what does all this press mean? Free advertisement. Between all the coverage Hot Coffee received and the viral marketing beginning to appear in Brooklyn, NY and parts of the Lower East Side in Manhattan, Grand Theft Auto IV will continue to make money for Rockstar and Take-Two, no matter what the fine may be. I mean, they made $50 million alone from Microsoft for exclusive episodic content; that’s not exactly pocket change.

Lost Odyssey
Developer: Mistwalker
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios
Release Date: February 12, 2008
Platforms: Xbox 360 (exclusive)

After bringing you the semi-successful (at least in Japan) JRPG Blue Dragon, Mistwalker is bringing you another RPG for us American Xbox 360 owners to look forward to: Lost Odyssey. Promising to bring an innovative gameplay experience to players, Mistwalker chose to fuse MMORPG elements into an RPG to create something fresh for veteran RPGers and newcomers alike. With Hironobu Sakaguchi on board, I predict this game to sell extremely well stateside, giving the 360 something other than first-person and third-person shooters to brag about. From a graphical perspective the game will look nothing short of amazing with Mistwalker opting to utilize the popular Unreal 3 Engine, which was used on other AAA titles such as BioShock and Gears of War.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Releate Date: TBA 2008
Platforms: Sony Playstation 3 (exclusive)

The latest edition of Metal Gear Solid is exclusive to the Playstation 3 as expected, and will no doubt be the system selling title that Sony needs. Rumors have been circulating about a possible 360 port a few months after its retail release, but Kojima & Co. have expressed their love and loyalty to Sony, a company that has treated them well over the years. Metal Gear Online will be included with Metal Gear Solid 4, which is an amalgam of the single-player experience with added multiplayer components. This is a feature that most gamers will take advantage of, and hopefully enjoy with the PSN being free.

Killzone 2
Developer: Guerrilla Games
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: TBA 2008
Platforms: Sony Playstation 3 (exclusive)

Guerrilla Games, in an attempt to redeem themselves after the first Killzone mishap, is bringing you Killzone 2, the first installment of the franchise on a next-gen console. From the videos released by various media outlets there we are able to say with confidence that the game will look nothing short of gorgeous, but how the storyline and gameplay are can only be determined once the title hits shelves.