by TWODOGSz – GrathiusXR

©2009 Aaron Bertinetti (News Ed)  & Arthur Kotsopoulos (Comm ED)

For all the exclusives confirmed and soon to be confirmed for the Xbox 360, there are as always some stellar titles on other platforms. Most of us (80%) here at OXCGN are lucky enough to have both an Xbox 360 & PS3, along with the occasional Wii and the standard PC.

However, for many of our readers who only have the one console, namely the Xbox 360, we feel it’s our duty to indulge in a bit of fun and a whole lot of wishful thinking. So here are our picks for the exclusives on the Wii, PS3 and PC that we’d most like to see magically announced for the 360 at this year’s E3.

And be warned… our big wish of last year, Final Fantasy XIII, came true… and we think there’s at least one of the following that’ll do the same this year.

Let’s get ready to rumble . . . check the Poll out at the bottom – vote for your most stealable game for the 360

This E3 we’d grab these exclusives:

10. Diablo 3

Father of the point-and-click action RPG and king of dungeon crawling loot fests, the Internet was ablaze when Blizzard finally announced the third entry into their genre defining franchise. And as testament to the series enduring replayability many still play the decade-old original and its sequel, alone and online, in search for that ever addictive loot.

Diablo 3 looks much the same, but this time with at least four players in co-op, a much more fleshed out story and a next-gen visual extravaganza to boot. And whilst admittedly the controls would need a Halo Wars like rework, the idea of Diablo 3 on consoles, particularly Xbox Live, is too good to let go. Even Blizzard’s vice president of game design admits: “I think it’s theoretically possible… it’s probably, of our major franchises, the one that’s most console friendly, for sure.”

If only we could point-and-click a spell to make it happen right now!

9. MadWorld

When talking about stylized games, there aren’t many on the list that distinguish themselves from the pack like MadWorld does. With its unique black and white esque colours and its brutal use of the environment to dispose of enemies as you wish, the game would feel right at home on the 360, instead of just amusing the Wii crowd.

With other titles such as Gears of War 1/2, Dead Rising, Ninja Gaiden and other stylistically gorified games that surprisingly are 3rd person games as well, it would be the perfect choice for MadWorld to be among these titles.

Couple it with Xbox Live and MadWorld would be the complete package for those hardcore gamers who love their gore, stylised kills and over the top characters.

8. Cities XL

Many gamers today want the ability to do what they want when they want and however they want in their games. Cities XL gives the player an incredible collection of unique structures and monuments based on American, European and Asian-Influenced architectural styles. It combines he likes of Sim City and Civilization Revolution in the one game.

It allows you to play God in a sense and let’s face it, who wouldn’t want to? You must micromanage your city in order to feed, clothe, employ and entertain. It’s a more micromanagable complicated game than Civilization and with how popular that game is on the 360, Cities XL could gain the same following.

In a sense it spiritually follows Civ Rev and Sim City yet combines elements from both games to create what I would call a ‘super game’ giving the player freedom and responsibility over the game world.

With how popular casual games along with those that give as much freedom to the gamer as possible have become, this MMO-aspected game, with its multiplayer ability where mayors of different towns could sprawl a super metropolis, caters to those who enjoy a quiet night in and spending hours perfecting their creation.

7. Chinatown Wars

For what it’s worth anything GTA has a tendency to do well regardless of the respective system that it is published on.

Chinatown Wars on the DS has  received favourable reviews for all aspects of the game ranging from the use of the stylus to defuse bombs, to it returning to its roots with old-style GT gameplay.

This could easily be integrated with the 360 analog sticks and whilst it won’t retain the enjoyment of defusing with the stylus, the core mechanics are still present.

Also with the addition of the RAGE engine and Euphoria, Chinatown Wars could be a big contender for the best GTA game to date. If so much enjoyment could come from a DS GTA, imagine the possibilities if it was in full HD on the current gen consoles.

6. Uncharted 2

Before MSG4 hit the shelves, Uncharted was undoubtedly the best PS3 game to date. Both graphically an in gameplay it delivered, so much that Uncharted 2 is one of the hottest topics for the PS3 this year.

The reason we want it more is because it was a refreshingly new IP that reinvented Tomb Raider and added Gears of Wars’ cover-and-shoot combat system to boot. It also happened to look damn pretty and was a rollicking fun yarn!

But unless Naughty Dog pulls a Bungie any time soon and leaves what by all accounts is a very happy relationship with Sony, we think that the other PS3 exclusive below has a far better chance. In the meantime we’ll just have to wait for the return of Lara Croft in the next Tomb Raider and hope it learns from Naughty Dog’s superlative entry into the action-adventure genre.

Plus Uncharted 2 is like a modern day Indiana Jones so you can’t go wrong!

5. Heavy Rain

Who doesn’t love a good cinematic experience?

I know many 360 fans do that’s for sure. With many successful games, most noticeably Mass Effect, being very story driven and where actions and decisions shape the outcome of how you progress through the game and who progresses with you, Heavy Rain is the perfect contender for a game we would love to steal for the 360.

Quantic Dream, creators of Farenheit on Xbox, know how to make a sophisticated mature story driven game and Heavy Rain looks like no exception. With so many 360 fans that thrive on story to get them to the end, we would certainly love for it to somehow magically end up on the 360 so that we all may dynamically shape the story as we see fit. Plus the graphics just look amazing.

4. Team Ico

Mysterious yet revealing in a sense is the debut teaser trailer for Project ICO. A young boy befriending a griffin who is later seen fighting a knight in armor is a taste of what could potentially be an awesome game.

Me want it now sir! It’s a rare commodity in today’s game where fantasy is blended with elements of adventure and stealth. Sure some games feature that but don’t achieve it on a level that truly pleases.

With Ico and Shadow Of  The Colossus under Team ICO’s belt there really isn’t much chance of a dud. If anything, bring it over to the 360 to broaden the audience for the game, and allow 360 gamers to enjoy what it may become!

Share the adventure; let us marvel at the adventure and fantasy it possesses.

3. Kojima’s MGS4/New Project

Wow! Whilst some may argue whether it’s more a film or a game, there’s no disputing the quality and immersion of the experience. We’ve already waxed lyrical about Metal Gear Solid 4 despite our 360 roots and we can’t think of anything better than for those who only own one console getting to play this landmark title on the platform of their choice.

We can only speculate on what Konami may or may not decide, and may even find out at E3. We’re certain they’d have to put it on multiple discs, but ten seconds to change discs is as relevant as a couple of minutes to install. We’re also pretty sure that either Microsoft will have to develop a thick skin or otherwise request that certain content be removed, particularly in Act 3, which is full of Sony branding and gags.

But the bottom line is that Konami will make a business decision that is entirely removed from gamer opinions on either side of the debate. Konami will make a decision on a multiplatform future based on what it believes is in its best commercial interests.

Given the popularity of the series amongst hardcore gamers across all platforms; the significantly higher sales of multiplatform software on the 360; and the enormously high budget (rumoured to be at least US$45m) for a title that’s only sold 4 million copies so far; we’d argue there’s a compelling financial argument for taking it multiplatform.

We also believe that rule holds true for Kojima’s games moving forward.

So for all those 360 gamers yet to play this Kojima’s signature franchise or even if it is a new Metal Gear Solid, get praying for an Internet-melting announcement on June 1, right about when Microsoft’s keynote happens to be and right when Kojima’s website countdown ends!

2. Killzone 2

If you’re a first-person shooter fan, Killzone 2 is an essential purchase. Guerilla Games have crafted a game able to stand high with the likes of Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 (I count Bioshock as a different genre) as the leaders of the current generation of FPS. Killzone 2 is an exceptional title with possibly the highest production values yet witnessed in a game, and an early contender for Game of the Year.

With such advanced A.I that reacts to your moves, evades your grenades and takes cover when need be, GG have crafted a game thats caliber is able to see it in the long run be a big franchise if handled right.

There is so much that can be done with the franchise in a future game and really from here only improvements can be made.

Just imagine Killzone 2 coupled with Xbox Live, dethroning Halo 3 as the king of the Top 10 each week.  Imagine GG updating their stat system on a regular basis, map pack after map pack and with 17+ million potential gamers on Xbox Live-  it would get the love and support on the 360, no doubt.

1. God of War 3

We don’t know much about this title except that there’ll be some very lucky PS3 owners whenever it arrives! Ninja Gaiden may have the better combat engine but the God of War franchise is the far more complete action package.

The original and its sequels have defined what the action genre is truly capable of with emotionally engaging stories, cinematic combat, awe inspiring set pieces, inspired art design, stunning soundtracks, and a level of technical accomplishment that fully utilises any given system.

We’re not even going to try and make the case why this would come to the 360 because the reality is it’s as likely as the Microsoft owned Halo franchise turning up on a Sony console. It’s developed by Sony’s Santa Monica Studio which means it’s never coming to the 360 and wishful thinking has never been better defined.

So Xbox 360 owners, which would you like to steal the most, one votre each ppl.

Discuss on twitter or comment below

©2009 Aaron Bertinetti & Arthur Kotsopoulos

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Filed under: Console gaming, E3 2009, Editorial, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 News Tagged: | Blizzard, chinatown wars, Cities XL, Diablo, Diablo 3, ds, God Of War 3, Heavy Rain, Killzone 2, Kojima, Konami, madworld, Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 4, Metal Gear Solid 5, naghty dog, naughty dog, nintendo, PC, Project ICO, PS3, Quantic Dream, Sony, Team Ico, Uncharted 2, Wii, Xbox 360