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Post by Alex on May 22, 2012 16:26:42 GMT
This year’s E3 is a little over a week away, and if - like me - you’re in the UK, you even get the added bonus of two days off just to watch the conferences! (Or something about an 80s rock band crossing over with that annoying kid in the April O’Neil coat from the X-Men or whatever.)
Each year I draw up a little list of what I, as someone who studies and analyses the industry at any free opportunity, envisage we’ll be seeing at this year’s party - and just as importantly - what we won’t. Obviously, since I can’t actually divine the future, this isn’t likely to be 100%, but some educated guesses based on rumours, leaks, previously confirmed statements and patterns have gone into what I’d consider a likely set of outcomes.
We’ll go in order of the conferences as they take place, focusing just on the ‘Big Three’ of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo.
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Post by Alex on May 22, 2012 16:26:59 GMT
Microsoft
Microsoft’s conference this year is at 9:30am Pacific Time (5:30pm BST) on the 4th June and will be streamed live on Xbox Live for the first time.
What we won’t see:
Let’s get this out of the way, right now: The next Xbox will not be featured at this year’s E3. Microsoft has gone on statement about this enough times by now that it’s just not even a ‘maybe’, the system just factually will not make an appearance this year. That’s really to be expected, though. The Xbox 360 is enough of a match for the Wii U that Microsoft really doesn’t have anything to worry about right now. Certainly nothing worth rushing into their next hardware cycle ahead of time for. The 360’s got at least another year or two in her thanks to Microsoft’s persistent updates to the operating system; the newer ‘S’ model and Kinect.
What we might see:
Saying all of that though, it’s going to be almost impossible for Microsoft to ignore the elephant in the room completely. Expect some form of teaser, or at least acknowledgement that Microsoft has got something ‘big’ in the works to come in the near future - but that’ll be about it.
In terms of games, we already know that Microsoft’s got a new Halo series to pimp out before Halo 4’s release later in the year. Bungie’s recently revealed Destiny series may also get a mention, although this series will only be a timed exclusive for the Xbox. The new Forza: Horizon game will also definitely be making an appearance. Microsoft also usually takes the opportunity of being the first conference to demonstrate the big non-exclusive titles in its show, too. This year’s Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto V will probably be the biggest hitters in that category, but there’ll undoubtedly be others. Rayman Legends may also be scooped by Microsoft, but we already know it’ll be featured in at least one other conference too...
It’s hard to pin down what Microsoft’s other studios are up to at the moment - especially since Lionhead just lost Peter Molyneux and likely their last chance to be anything other than the developers of an annual Fable disappointment. It’s probably to be expected though that after last year’s initial push on Kinect integration with ‘core’ titles, we’ll be seeing a lot more of that demonstrated again this year. Especially as the system’s SDK was just upgraded to support features such as facial tracking and tracking a sat user - ideal for combining with a controller.
Speaking of Kinect, we can also expect a number of more casual games included in the show, likely starting with the upcoming Avengers game and possibly others looking to emulate the, frankly unwarranted, commercial success of Kinect Star Wars.
A Kinect/Skylanders-like NFC hybrid Viva Pinata is also quite likely. It would be a tent pole title for Kinect; would provide solid competition against the Wii U audience with a Christmas release and the success of Skylanders’ toys would be the merchandising win Microsoft and RARE will have dreamt of when they initiated the franchise.
In terms of the Xbox Software, Internet Explorer will seemingly be arriving on 360s soon, apparently attempting to finally do away with that little ‘x’ in the feature comparison charts against its competitors. Chances are that it will be heavily based upon the upcoming Internet Explorer 10 found in Windows 8 - which actually, isn’t bad. A wide support for new HTML5 and CSS3 standards should actually make it a far better browser than its competitors have managed thus far. Microsoft’s also really pushing the media centre aspect of the system and will likely be announcing further media services and deals at the show. How many of them will make their way across the Atlantic is another matter entirely, but I’d expect that number one on the list will be Spotify integration.
Metro Apps are also set to be a massive core feature of Windows 8, and the increasing integration among their various hardware platforms makes it likely that some of this will factor into the Xbox as well. It’s possible that, given the rumours of the 360’s successor literally running a form of Windows 8, this will really end up being relegated to that instead, but it’s still feasible that the 360 will be tied into that ecosystem alongside Windows 8’s launch later in the year.
Crazy Odds:
While Sony can attack the Wii U’s unique controller head on with PS3/Vita integration, Microsoft seemingly has no such obvious parallel. Except, it actually kinda does. Windows Phones and upcoming Windows 8 tablets certainly have a lot to gain from symbiosis with the Xbox brand, and further integration is pretty much inevitable. But, they could also provide Microsoft with their own in-house tablet controller interface. I wouldn’t place good odds on it happening - certainly worse odds on it being tacked onto the 360 than a design feature of its successor - but it’d certainly help knock some wind out of Nintendo’s sails. Not to mention, light a fire under Windows 8 mobile.
Another on-going rumour is that Windows 8’s integration with Xbox Live on the desktop would also extend to being able to play Xbox games on your PC. It sounds like a licensing nightmare, but there’s always an outside possibility that something along those lines will make their way into reality all the same.
Finally, Microsoft always enjoy throwing a complete curveball out there in their conferences - such as the announcement of Metal Gear Rising for the platform a few years ago. Something to really get tongues wagging, and sometimes, like the Metal Gear announcement, to entice foreign audiences to give system a shot. A Monster Hunter exclusive would be pretty successful in doing that. Nintendo managed to prove that even in the West, nailing that franchise as an exclusive is enough to catch some extra attention - but in Japan, it would likely cause a national emergency from people rushing on the low stock of the underperforming system in the region. Not massively likely, but possible nonetheless.
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Post by Alex on May 22, 2012 16:27:55 GMT
Sony
Sony’s conference takes place at 6pm Pacific Time (2am BST) on the 4th June and will be broadcast live on Playstation Network for the first time, as well as online at us.playstation.com/e3.
What we won’t see:
As with Microsoft, a full console reveal from Sony this year is effectively off the cards. While Sony does have the most to gain out of the two from jumping into a new hardware cycle early, the Vita should be enough to extend the PS3’s life that little bit longer. The fact that the PS3 - for all its troubles - is still the only real part of Sony’s entire multimedia business that’s actually making money will play a large part in this as well.
Also, despite how much of a sweeping statement it may be, it’s also unlikely we’ll really see anything powerful enough to turn the fate of Move around. Microsoft will push Kinect hard, but Sony’s likely to relegate Move to a footnote in terms of compatibility with the software it demonstrates.
What we might see:
“More than 20 new gaming experiences” at the very least. A lot of these will be previously announced titles like The Last of Us, God of War: Ascension and Super Smash Br Playstation All Stars Battle Royale, but there is set to be a number of completely new announcements among them - a lot of them, supposedly exclusive.
For the Vita, a new Grand Theft Auto title is quite feasible, although we may not get to see much about it as its release will almost certainly follow some time after GTA V’s. A new Patapon title is also expected, and in general, I’d anticipate a leaning towards Vita in terms of those 20 games.
Despite a full console reveal being unlikely, a prototype PS4 with some tech demos is definitely a fair possibility. Given the eventual absence of boomerang controllers with the PS3, it’s safe to say that this won’t really reflect the final product that we will inevitably see for real next E3, but would be a good move for Sony to steal some of Nintendo’s thunder. Especially since such a demonstration would focus on the technical maximum power of the system - something which is likely to utterly outclass the Wii U, even if it doesn’t actually translate into a significant difference in released software in the end.
Crazy Odds:
Final Fantasy VII will finally get that HD remake, and it will be exclusive to the PS3. Cloud and Sephiroth are licensed as characters in Playstation All Stars as part of the deal.
A sister system to the Vita will be announced and will run Android 4.0. Effectively, it’ll be a new Xperia Play, but similar to the Vita and compatible with its software as well as the full Android Marketplace.
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Post by Alex on May 22, 2012 16:28:13 GMT
Nintendo
Nintendo’s conference takes place at 9am Pacific Time (5pm BST) on the 5th June and will be streamed live through their Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/Nintendo/app_385608378148291) for the first time, as well as on their website - with a new mobile friendly HTML5 stream. (http://e3.nintendo.com/)
What we won’t see:
A Nintendo 3DS redesign. Probably. Not because one isn’t coming (because it, really, really is), but because Nintendo can’t really shoulder two hardware launches at once. The 3DS revision couldn’t possibly launch until after the financial year ending April 2013, so next E3 is more likely, if it even makes its debut at an E3 at all.
A new main series Pokemon game on the 3DS. Black and White 2 will be taking up that slot for the rest of the year, so - again - it’ll be a year out before we see anything like that. Even then, Pokemon games rarely get any attention at all at E3, let alone announced, so don’t expect it next year either.
Super Smash Bros. Just not happening. Not yet. I’d really doubt we’ll even get a teaser trailer for it.
What we might see:
Well, let’s start off with the obvious: Wii U and its launch titles (in North America). Amongst those titles looks set to be another New Super Mario Bros. title, based upon the tech demo from last year (although conflicting reports indicate that the upcoming 3DS title is that title, while the upcoming Wii U game will be different); Pikmin 3, which has reportedly been ‘finished’ for a while; Rayman Legends, which we’ve already seen a glimpse of; a new Rabbids party game; a new Just Dance (just to demonstrate the ‘Wii’ side of things is here to stay...) and possibly a port of Batman Arkham City, and maybe even Assassin’s Creed III - though that’s a hell of a stretch for launch.
Lego City Stories will almost certainly make another debut at this year’s E3, but it’s not shaping up to be out this year it seems.
There's a lot of clout behind the rumour that Grand Theft Auto V will launch on the Wii U, and if Nintendo's going to do turn heads at this year's E3, this will be the most likely title to do so.
One massively rumoured title that Nintendo is expected to announce is the latest title from Retro Studios - this time, so the rumours go, they’re expected to take the Star Fox and Metroid franchises and smush them together into one game. It’s a dubious concept, but given Retro’s pedigree, it’s worth giving them the benefit of the doubt for now.
Another rumour also sees them making the first Console Pokemon game since Battle Revolution in 2005. This one is actually lent a little more credence by a Retro studios spokesperson stating that the next franchise they were working on is one they haven’t done before. While a crossover with Star Fox may (cheekily) fit that bill, a Pokemon title would fit it a little better. This would also be the first Pokemon game ever to be developed by a Western studio, if true. The Star Fox/Metroid thing seems to have more legs, though.
A new 3DS Zelda game is also likely to be imminent, which could - at this point - equally be an all new game, or a remake of Majora’s Mask. Luigi’s Mansion is still lacking a release date, but will almost certainly receive one in the show (for North America). The same will likely go for the new Animal Crossing and Paper Mario titles. Neither of which will be this year outside of Japan.
Pokemon Black and White 2 will probably receive solid dates at the show. E3’s not normally in a position to do this, but with the games out in Japan that month, and in the West a few months later, it’s extremely likely. We may even get to find out a thing or two about the games, but likely little more than some anglicised names.
Sonic And Sega All Stars Racing: Transformed seems pretty certain to be announced within Nintendo’s show as a Wii U launch title, too. Chances are it won’t be the only Sonic title on show, either - but an exclusive follow up to Colours may be out of the question, and a port of Generations more likely. A new multiplatform Sonic game may be announced too, but chances are that Microsoft or Sony will get there before Nintendo.
In terms of what the Wii U itself will bring to the table, I’m predicting (maybe hoping) that Nintendo will do a 180 on some mistakes they’ve made in the past. Their Online system will be more akin to Xbox Live, and will be properly account based. The online market place will be a bit less restrictive and hopefully better supported by Nintendo. We already know that first party 3DS and Wii U games will launch with a digital version on release day, ideally Nintendo will allow you to activate digital copies with the physical copies you bought. (A recently rumoured update to the Nintendo Club system would also remove said digital copies if you traded in your physical copy - but don’t expect Nintendo to say that in the show).
Another rumour is that Nintendo is prepping physical Gamercards, fitted with a small, monochrome LCD screen. These would basically be your Nintendo account and could connect to other Wii U systems via the NFC tech in the controller. Effectively, they seem to be a way to integrate Streetpass into the Wii U, while also raising another VMU-like ghost from the Dreamcast’s grave. This would probably be under the ‘Crazy Odds’ header if it didn’t evoke comparisons with the PokeWalker. A simple device like this would be relatively cheap - but add a lot more value to the Wii U in terms of a device that works just as well when it’s not taking over a television.
Actual Crazy Odds:
Nintendo announce that their online system was done by a third party. This may actually end up being the case (in fact, it was strongly suggested last year that EA would be contributing to it), but Nintendo’s probably not going to outright say so.
Nintendo actually announces a price for the system. This isn’t really likely at all. Which is disappointing, really - as they did this with the 3DS and waited until the preorders had started flooding in before revealing the eventual price (one they had to climb down from pretty quickly, too). The price will likely be at or under £250 (certainly, it really can’t afford to go for any more than £300), but it’ll be another while before we find out in all likelihood.
Nintendo announces a Pokemon MMO (but in Nintendo’s definition of MMO, so more or less a single player game with a persistent online connection). It’s a bubbling rumour that won’t go away - and it more often than not gets tied to Retro Studios too. Let’s face it, Nintendo’s heard the requests for such a thing countless times and never once given in - so they’re probably not going to begin now. But hey, if they want to cause the entire Internet to explode on the 5th June, this is as good a way as any.
Someone finally succeeds in getting Nintendo to change the name from Wii U to something sensible.
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Who Will Win?
Us, probably. The Wii U has great potential to finally be the console we all wish Nintendo had delivered with the Wii. It certainly stands to reason that the best, and most surprising, software reveals are likely to be in Nintendo’s conference.
The other two companies will also have to step up their game to get noticed in the year that Nintendo launches their follow up to one of the most successful video game consoles ever released. E3 is increasingly an outlet for the industry to talk to the mainstream consumer and press - something that doesn’t happen regularly. To this audience, Nintendo’s Wii is the king to be toppled, so Sony and Microsoft have to run some serious disruption here if they want to take the throne themselves.
Hopefully, that will mean they’ll focus on what they have that Nintendo do not - AAA software and franchises from both internal studios and close third party ties that have defined the medium for most players in the past half decade. A very strong software showing to combat a strong hardware showing, if you will.
Ultimately, I think Nintendo’s got the writing on the wall for this one if they live up to the potential of the Wii U. A weak and confusing demonstration like last year’s, however, and that writing may not be such a good thing...
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Post by ShayMay on May 22, 2012 16:35:34 GMT
Valve have gone on record as saying that they'll be announcing nothing new at this year's E3. No Half-Life 2: Episode 3, no L4D3, nothing. That might be a bluff, but considering how strongly they're enforcing it, I doubt it.
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Post by Alex on May 22, 2012 16:38:03 GMT
Valve have never really been big E3 supporters anyway. Portal 2 is really the height of their involvement in the show.
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Post by ShayMay on May 22, 2012 16:47:32 GMT
Wishlist That I Fully Acknowledge Is Never Going To Happen:
A new Metroid game, preferably more akin to the 2D ones than the 3D. As much as I loved the Prime series, I'd like to see a 3D Super Metroid but without really floaty controls. Anyone mentions Other M and I'll kick them in.
For that Metroid/Star Fox thing to be a hoax. I mean, what the [censored]. Give us a good Metroid game or a good Star Fox game; neither franchise has been milked nearly enough to have to resort to this.
Some actual [censored]ing software for the 3DS. I've come to realise that Pokémon is the big game-changer for me when it comes to Nintendo handhelds, but Christ alive, what have we had that's worth owning and not a remake? Mario 3D Land was alright, and allegedly Kid Icarus was too, but they need to give us a dealbreaker soon.
A new Mario game at Wii U launch. Didn't happen with either the Gamecube or the Wii. God knows both could have used it. Failing that, some solid launch titles, please, and by that I don't mean a 2-hour long gimmicky game or a port of a Gamecube game that was 2 years late (as much as I enjoyed it).
An actual WiiU online system. 3DS is doing alright, but it's still never as easy as with the Vita.
A full apology from Sega about Sonic 4. And the announcement of a Sonic game a la Colours and Generations.
A free PS Vita for everyone named Seumidh as a publicity stunt.
A w*nking machine in my scratcher.
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Post by Alex on May 22, 2012 17:01:17 GMT
Some actual [censored]ing software for the 3DS. I've come to realise that Pokémon is the big game-changer for me when it comes to Nintendo handhelds, but Christ alive, what have we had that's worth owning and not a remake? Mario 3D Land was alright, and allegedly Kid Icarus was too, but they need to give us a dealbreaker soon. The show is probably going to focus a lot on the Wii U - which is a bit disappointing as a 3DS owner in exactly the same boat as you. I've got a list of what I want to see in the Wii U to make my inevitable launch day purchase a better one than my 3DS one, but my other major checklist item for Nintendo's show is a solid demonstration of quality software that I can sink my teeth into over the next 12 months. So far, even stuff like Animal Crossing and the Mario titles really don't do it for me, because they're not my kind of games. I'm the same in pretty much requiring a Pokemon title for the handheld to have true meaning (but this isn't likely until well into 2013 at the earliest), but I'd settle for a strong, original Zelda title, or a completely new IP that really pushes the system. I think a lot of what is necessary to give the 3DS a much needed boost, though, are the strong third party titles. I'd love to finally get confirmation that Prof Layton vs Ace Attorney will be making its way to these shores soon for example. Or even a solid announcement of Ace Attorney 5 itself. A good Sonic game as an apology for Sonic Generations 3DS wouldn't go amiss either.
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Post by Samface on May 22, 2012 17:39:32 GMT
if - like me - you�re in the UK, you even get the added bonus of two days off just to watch the conferences! (Or something about an 80s rock band crossing over with that annoying kid in the April O�Neil coat from the X-Men or whatever.) Heh-heh-heh. ;D (Incidentally, I'm led to understand she's a vampire these days.) (Jubilee out of the X-Men, that is. Not the Queen.) (Well, probably not.) (>_>)
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Post by Mambo's Here! Look Busy! on May 22, 2012 18:15:53 GMT
Valve have gone on record as saying that they'll be announcing nothing new at this year's E3. No Half-Life 2: Episode 3, no L4D3, nothing. That might be a bluff, but considering how strongly they're enforcing it, I doubt it. Booooooo! Ah well, hardly surprising.
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Post by L. T. Dangerous on May 22, 2012 19:15:01 GMT
Who will win? Nintendo will. E3 doesn't affect casual fans who, sadly, own the market right now. So there we go.
I'm being pessimistic.
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Post by The Shad on May 22, 2012 19:15:45 GMT
(Incidentally, I'm led to understand she's a vampire these days.) (Jubilee out of the X-Men, that is. Not the Queen.) (Well, probably not.) (>_>) According to Neil Gaiman, she's a Lovecraftian horror from beneath the sea. (Study in Emerald) Or there's David Icke's theory that she's a shapeshifting pedophile lizard who needs Aryan blood to maintain her human form, hence the death of Diana. What's this thread about again?
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Post by ShayMay on May 22, 2012 19:33:38 GMT
Who will win? Nintendo will. E3 doesn't affect casual fans who, sadly, own the market right now. So there we go. I'm being pessimistic. It's recently been brought to my attention that a lot of 'hardcore' games are heavily financed by the buttloads of casual games that fly off the shelves, so that's something.
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Post by L. T. Dangerous on May 22, 2012 21:17:15 GMT
While I'm always happy about that, it also worries me that even companies as huge as Nintendo don't sometimes risk making "hardcore" games when they can make casual crapware instead. It's sad, as a kid, gamers were geeky- now it's mainstream it's somehow just as bad *pushes oversized glasses up nose*
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Post by Beeth on May 22, 2012 21:27:42 GMT
I don't really mind the presence of the casual market, lately it seems to have become a more acceptable thing to discuss games in general with folk to an extent, not just things like Wii Sports and the latest Zumba software. I also seem to be noticing a few more niche titles turning up in places I wouldn't expect them to. I got Guilty Gear and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom from Asda, of all places. Though both of those, and many more besides, were in the pre-owned, so that's about right. Still, what I'm trying to say is, as an odd side effect of the "mainstream" market, "hardcore" titles seem to be a little easier to come by nowadays than they used to. Mind you, still had to do a lot of searching for some titles like Moon, Solatorobo and Prinny: CIRBTH. Valve have gone on record as saying that they'll be announcing nothing new at this year's E3. No Half-Life 2: Episode 3, no L4D3, nothing. That might be a bluff, but considering how strongly they're enforcing it, I doubt it. Booooooo! Ah well, hardly surprising. I predict that Gordon Freeman will unwittingly turn out to be the true Combine overlord in Episode Three. At any rate, I look forward to playing this hotly anticipated instalment in 2024.
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Post by Juliett. Bravo. Alfa. on May 22, 2012 22:00:25 GMT
Looking forward to what Nintendo will do with HD. Mario and Metroid more than anything.
Interested in what Netherrealm Studios will reveal if anything. Actually off to pester Ed Boon on twitter.
I do hope Sega continues the general positiveness that Sonic has and just reveals a Sonic game that has no real gimmick or trait.
Ubisoft - Beyond Good and Evil 2 Please. Thats it. Ass Creed 3 will get my money.
Other than that, the eternal hope for Shenmue 3 or HD continues.
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Post by Arch on May 23, 2012 10:19:05 GMT
I do hope Sega continues the general positiveness that Sonic has and just reveals a Sonic game that has no real gimmick or trait. I reckon Colours and Generations definitely benefitted from decent gimmicks.
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Post by Balls on May 23, 2012 11:30:25 GMT
Things that will definitely happen
Shenmue III
Dreamcast 2
MegaDrive 2
Duke Nukem Forever
Undertaker Vs Hulk Hogan
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Post by Mambo's Here! Look Busy! on May 23, 2012 17:53:49 GMT
I predict that Gordon Freeman will unwittingly turn out to be the true Combine overlord in Episode Three. At any rate, I look forward to playing this hotly anticipated instalment in 2024. Half Life 3: Episode 1Holiday 3001. Gordon Freeman is now a primary investigator in Nova Black Mesa, and directs his underpaid, overworked PhD students to save the Moon from Wheatley's new zero gravity testing initiative, equipped with a crowbar and the manual to an ancient Ikea microwave.
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Post by Samface on May 24, 2012 9:59:03 GMT
You're crazy, man. Crazy. Actually, I wouldn't be that surprised if Gearbox announced Duke Nukem Five Alive or something.
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Post by Beeth on May 24, 2012 13:43:43 GMT
Eh, I'm actually gonna wait for Duke Nukem: Six Machine instead.
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Post by Retro on May 24, 2012 14:46:30 GMT
Funnily enough, I was having a chat about E3 with my contact at THQ's UK office when down there for training yesterday.
Certainly sounds to be a lot of great things appearing, although I know they won't be there persay we may see some good videos from stuff like Company of Heroes 2, hopefully. The king of RTS needs to return.
The Last Guardian is always a hopeful, it's been too long. Although I have a hunch it may, again, be an artsy trailer that reveals virtually nothing other than "boy with big monster dog." Not that it will diminish the demand for the game in the slightest.
I don't put 100% on Valve not being there. They've said it themselves. Rule 1 - Valve lies. It's still a tiny chance, but never take anything they say at face value.
Another game demo of Metro: Last Light would be wonderful. I saw some behind the scenes footage while at THQ and it is a potential game of the year for sure.
The Skyrim DLC, Dawnguard, I am guessing will have a reveal at the Microsoft Conference. Cue a 15 million strong fanbase going utterly insane. For good reason. Crazy wild guessing? A Fallout 4 teaser, but that's so unlikely we'd probably see John Romero making a comeback instead.
I would guess Doom 4 from id, but they are more about Quakecon.
Same with Blizzard, too, really.
Ubisoft's conference. Ghost Recon is out now so it's gone. Assassins Creed 3 looks to have fallen to AMERICA YEEEEAH so we can forget that embarrassing direction for the once great series. Rayman, sure that'd be cool.
I'd say they may have some details on the new Rainbow Six, which would be brilliant if it holds up to the target demo in concepts. Add in a Far Cry 3 demo no doubt, which is continuing to look great.
Of course the big one one everyone's mind is not Beyond Good and Evil 2. It's whether they'll get an announcer who isn't headdeskingly annoying this time.
EA will likely be shooter town this year. A Medal of Honour game demo is almost assured. Possibly a good look at the Battlefield 3 DLC Armoured Kill, which would be fantastic. Throw in Crysis 3 and thats a lot of gunshots going on. Really, BF3 is the only one I'm interested in there. MOH just has too much to prove now after last time and Crysis sold its soul to the consoles already. It astounds me that Crysis 3 still somehow manages to look worse than the original Crysis.
To be honest, E3 is an odd one this year. I'm not a hug fan of most of Nintendo's franchises (Star Fox non-with-standing) so they hold little personally for me. But their market impact is undeniable with the Wii U to be unveiled properly. But every one of the publishers seems to have the one thing to answer "How do we keep gaming fresh for the next two years?"
For Nintendo, it's whether the Wii U will be anything other than just a 360/PS3 with some gimmicks.
For Microsoft it's whether they can get enough fresh ideas together at all that aren't just exclusitivity deals or media tack ons.
Sony is probably in the best position right now, with loads of big titles both new IP and ongoing series'. But their big challenge is whether they can deliver them with the same consistency as they have been maintaining.
Ubisoft always feels tenuous. They get plenty of new ideas but the execution is their biggest worry. After the AC3 debacle and the flop of Ghost Recon they need to prove their ground to keep going.
EA...well, they're EA.
To be honest, the biggest winners are likely to be the PC gamers. They've already got the undisputed best version of Skyrim, so the Dawnguard DLC is likely to kickstart a whole new wave of mod capabilities and oppurtunity. Toss in the sequel to arguably the best RTS ever made with Company of Heroes 2, the proper unveiling of Planetside 2 and hopefully a glance at Tripwire's new game and this could turn into a brilliant oppurtunity for them. If we get that Metro Last Light demo (to play that on anything other than a PC is madness unto itself) that will make a host of Fallout waiting people very happy. Borderlands 2 has promised to have a whole new design for the PC too, so that's a great title added on.
Every company stands to lose just as much as they could gain depending on how they run this, yet the PC just keeps on plugging away, reliable and consistently good. It had a bump last year with the amount of franchises jumping onto the console-train, but it's beginning to build steam again.
Pun fully intentional.
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Post by ShayMay on May 24, 2012 15:19:26 GMT
Crysis sold its soul to the consoles already. It astounds me that Crysis 3 still somehow manages to look worse than the original Crysis. Why? They'll get more income by lowering the graphical quality to allow it to be playable on consoles; heck, to allow it to be playable on PCs that aren't the size of the moon!
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Post by The KKM on May 24, 2012 16:02:47 GMT
(Incidentally, I'm led to understand she's a vampire these days.) (Jubilee out of the X-Men, that is. Not the Queen.) quick off topic but yeah- she had lost her mutant powers, then one day a terrorist vampire explodes infecting anyone who's splashed with his blood. IE jubilee. Also please please Metroid x Star Fox be true
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Post by Blizz on May 24, 2012 16:11:02 GMT
Also please please Metroid x Star Fox be true I can't see it working myself. Now if Retro were to do Star Fox on its own, or maybe F-Zero.... We've been starved of a new F-Zero for too long.
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