BlackSite: Area 51 (Midway - 360, PS3, PC)

Release Date: November 5, 2007

Same Time As: Halo 3 (360), BioShock (360, PC), Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (360, PS3, PC)

Why it should succeed: Upon first glance, BlackSite: Area 51 could be mistaken for any number of tired retreads - a generic alien shooter, a generic military shooter, a generic squad-based shooter...

In truth, it offers a novel and exciting twist on all those genres. Teammates will follow orders, but your overall leadership and their overall mood will affect how well they carry them out. The military theme is omnipresent, yes, but mostly as a device for scathing political protest of the real world's current situation. And the "extraterrestrials" - part out-of-this-world freaks, part all-too-familiar humans - may inspire as much pity as they do fear.

Heck, you can even experience the entire game through two-player coop. We're convinced that BlackSite: Area 51 will be anything but generic.

Why it probably won't: Quiz time. You've spent months and years pouring your time and talent into a new shooter, one with the potential to become a breakout success and perhaps even its own franchise. It's got everything - big guns, scary aliens, creepy atmosphere and a gritty modern military angle. When do you choose to release your dark horse masterpiece?

A) One month after Halo 3.
B) Two months after BioShock.
C) The same week as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
D) All of the above.

Yeah, we wouldn't have chosen "D" either. But what do we know?