2009 is shaping up to be a big year for Sony PlayStation 3. Sony is already calling it the year that PlayStation returns to the top of the gaming heap. This is the first year that the PS3 has surpassed the Xbox 360 in sales figures. It was also the first time, albeit short-lived, that the Nintendo Wii was knocked off the top of the Japanese game charts, again by the PlayStation 3.

With some big titles to come in the fourth quarter of the year, 2009 is looking good for Sony Entertainment.

But the games coming this holiday season have been expected for over a year, so they’re really no surprise. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Modern Warfare 2, Rock Band: Beatles, Brutal Legend and Tekken 6 are some of the big name titles already on most PS3 owners’ wish lists.

But what comes after 2009?

Are there any big games that will help strengthen Sony’s hold on the market in 2010?

These are three of the biggest game franchises landing on the PS3, all of which are expected to be blockbuster titles.

1. God of War III (March 2010). God of War has become Sony’s flagship property, and it’s coming to PlayStation 3. The third installment in the series will see Kratos, the God of War, battling the forces of the underworld and the wrath of other gods on worlds in the back. of the long-vanquished titans. Yes, the ENTIRE worlds on the surface of the back of Titans mean that this is a large-scale gaming environment. The tech demo showed the camera panning in and out with no apparent loss of frame rate, showing Kratos taking down some monsters in a forest one moment, the rear end of a Titan the next. This is expected to be one of the best-selling games of 2010, and is in the early stages of a Game of the Year (GOTY) nomination.

2. Final Fantasy XIV (2010, just after the release of FF XIII). Final Fantasy XI was the first true MMORPG in the series. Seven years have passed since its release and it still boasts over 2 million active subscribers, a number that most of today’s most advanced MMORPGs look upon with envy. The next installment in the FF franchise is scheduled for 2010. Final Fantasy XIV Online is scheduled to be exclusive to PS3.

3. Heavy rain. This PS3 game really shows off the technical power of PlayStation 3, with some of the most impressive graphics ever seen in a video game. It is a story-based game that puts you in the shoes of a detective investigating a mystery that has ramifications for all of existence. Heavy Rain is another of the most anticipated PS3 titles for 2010.