The Year in Games 2006 - October

We take a look back at the highlights, lowlights and things we'd rather just forget about the past year.

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With show season drawing to a close in October, game makers began to concentrate on actually releasing new games, and thanks to downloadable content they could get the message out to gamers more directly. Several big demos hit the Xbox Live Marketplace in October, including for Rainbow Six Vegas, Tony Hawk's Project 8 and FIFA 07.

This trend is something Sony clearly agrees with. The company said in October that it was looking to extend the relationship gamers have with their games and downloadable content was key. Look at Bethesda's Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion as a good example of that. Sony was taking it a step further, though, with Jamie McDonald saying that most content would be downloaded within five years. The company also revealed later that it would not cap game downloads, as Microsoft does for the Xbox Live Arcade.

Sony may have been trumpeting the online features of the PS3 but it wasn't being too specific about it. Things became less muddied when it was revealed that Xfire would be supplying its middleware software as part of the PS3 online strategy. This would allow PS3 owners to talk to PC owners, but the system seemed less cohesive than Microsoft's approach.

Profiteering began to rear its ugly head in October too. Through US chain GameStop/EB Games, Sony began taking pre-orders for the PS3. These went in minutes and ended up on eBay almost as quickly. With Sony admitting that supplying enough PS3s to meet demand would be an issue, prices naturally inflated quickly.

One of the biggest surprises at E3 in May was that Grand Theft Auto IV would be coming to both Sony and Microsoft. Microsoft's Peter Moore beamed when he said that the Xbox 360 would get exclusive downloadable content. Sony played catch-up in October, revealing that it too would be getting extra content unique to its system.

A bigger concern for eager Europeans was how they would get hold of an imported machine ahead of the delayed launch. Much like it did with the PSP in 2005, Sony appeared to take the matter seriously, putting any would-be importers on notice. As part of the fallout, popular Hong Kong retailer Lik Sang was forced to shut down.

Halo fans who had been looking forward Master Chief's big screen debut were dealt a blow when the studios backing the project pulled out. The inexperience of South African director Neill Blomkamp was making some people attached to the movie nervous, especially with the cost of the production soaring.

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