Another year for gaming at its finest.
Another year closes in on gaming's most anticipated conference… the Electronics Entertainment Expo. E3. I for one am excited, just like every year this event occurs. New game teasers, brand new technology and the biggest presentations from gaming’s most influential industry leaders. So much new information jam packed into one weekend. The last day of the convention is even going to be my birthday which is pretty exciting!
There has already been so much information from Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft about what is potentially in store for gaming this coming year. I want to take some time to go over what the big companies have in store for us then start speculating of what could potentially be revealed, played and even teased. Generating some hype and curiuosity!
Starting with Sony, there is one circulating rumor that has surrounded this company the closer E3 has gotten. For the past few months, a lot of people have been jokingly shoving the console home fronts of Xbox and Playstation that they will be releasing a new console this coming year. I cannot vouch for Xbox on this front but Playstation however, has had some interesting belief of the potential and upcoming console of theirs. Information regarding its hardware and plans to breach the market competitively are being discussed and coming up in conversation the closer E3 get’s. Gathering information from ExtremeTech; console age, backwards compatibility and higher specs than the Playstation 4 Pro seem to be dropping bread crumb evidence. Gaining larger investigations among the technology researchers and journalists. PS4 Pro has been out for two years now so it is not a surprise to me that Sony wants to take the next step and enter the next console generation.
Next with Nintendo, there has already been a confirmation schedule from the company itself. This image to the left already outlines A Splatoon 2 World Championship, press conference of Nintendo Switch titles and the highly anticipated Super Smash Bros invitational reveal. The press conference most likely is going to contain some new Switch titles developed by Nintendo (rather than a port of a pre-existing game) and if we are lucky, a new original IP. Nintendo is a very odd ball company and I find it hard to fathom what they could originally create next. With games like Arms and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom, they can literally do anything at this point. As for Super Smash Bros, the title logo still remains untouched and revised. This is leaving me uncertain of it being a new original Smash Bros for the Switch or if this is a port/remaster of some kind. I know it sounds silly but the series has had identified their titles prior and this is too broad of a reveal to piece together something definitive. The reveal trailer showed original characters in the new respective generations they are in but still leaves me wondering what is going on. I remain speculative until it is confirmed otherwise.
Then lastly is Microsoft. I saved Microsoft for last for a very specific reason… because they are not going to E3. That is right, they are not hitting the convention hall to make their debut. Instead, they are hosting their own expo right next to the L.A Convention Center where E3 will be held, right at the Microsoft Theatre. Why? I have no clue. It kind of baffles me that Microsoft is separating itself from the conjunction of large gaming companies. Microsoft wants to stream and do all their big announcements before E3 officially begins. Microsoft will begin their Expo hall on June 10th while E3 Starts on June 12th. Truthfully, I believe this decision on Microsoft’s behalf pisses me off. E3 is suppose to be the unification of the biggest and most innovative companies bringing in a new wave of fresh titles, ideas and communities. With Microsoft establishing this personal convention of theirs, they are tearing away from the embodiment of what E3 is attempting to portray and build up. Whether this is some marketing ploy to gain hype earlier than its competitors or show everyone that they can support themselves in such a manner, is beyond me. If anything, this makes me really disappointed to have such an interest in a company who would try to veer off from such a great event. I will be watching their performances and hopefully be getting answers to many of the seething questions I possess.
With the kingpins out of the way, we can get to the fun part. What is going to be there? What are we looking forward to most? I have a list of games and announcements we can potentially expect to see and things I would love to see as well.
What to Expect:
Next Gen Consoles: Sony, as mentioned prior, has got a lot of buzz around its potential plan to release a new console in the coming year or even 2019. Should there be a rumor like this bubbling around, a next gen Xbox and Playstation may not be too far off.
Halo 6 (Teaser Announcement): It has been almost three years since the last Halo title has been released. 343 is not out of the game yet and I am expecting at least a trailer for one of Xbox’s most iconic series. This saga needs to come to an end soon and we may get a taste of the thrilling finale this summer.
Anthem (Game-play): E3 announced Anthem last year and there has not been a lot of information or reveals since then. With the backlash EA has gone through this year, I believe they have subdued the dismay enough to confidently start advertising their next wave of games. Including Anthem.
The Last of Us 2 (Game-play/Teaser): It has been three years since this game was just teased alone. I believe Naughty Dog is ready to take the next step and bring this apocalypse to light. There has also been a confirmed schedule of play-testing done on the product so development is still very much existent.
Cyberpunk 2077 (Teaser/Video): This game has been brewing around at CD Projekt Red for who knows how long. With The Witcher series drifting valiantly off into its legacy, I believe CD Projekt Red is ready to show the world a new taste of their upcoming and original IP.
Kingdom Hearts 3 (Game-play/Trailer): New trailers have been shining on this past year and there has yet to be an official release date. Kingdom Hearts is most definitely going to keep its presence known and E3 is the perfect opportunity to keep the interest flowing. Please just give us a release date Square Enix.
Death Stranding (Game-play): This mysterious game has continued to generate a constant flow of confusion, hype and even more confusion. Death Stranding stood tall at E3 with a second extended teaser of potential game-play and can possibly be doing the same again. I would love to see actual game-play on this game and not just these theatrical glorified demos. Hideo Kojima. That is all.
A pretty hefty list! This is just the tip of the iceberg of what could be there as well. Xbox Play Anywhere, a new Metro game and much more was shown last year. I am sure that there is so much more hidden under wraps and it will be exciting to guess and dream of potential candidates as time passes. That is where the next list comes into play. Games and content I would love to see but may or may not be there. Whether it be due to future planning from companies or just getting my hopes up for the near impossible.
What I would love to see:
Crackdown 3: This game has been through a long development process. The last few E3’s have been showcasing this game but it has still not cemented itself definitively to where it could be going. If we could get another hands on impression with Crackdown or even get a release date, I think that would be great. This particular genre of games I feel is in a very tight spot and Crackdown could be the game changer we need to spark it back into intrigue.
Animal Crossing on Switch: With Animal Crossing on mobile, my little cozy town simulator itch was slightly satisfied. I love the Animal Crossing series and all I can say right now is this: If Animal Crossing makes a debut on Switch, I will be making an investment. Not questions asked. Nintendo, make it happen please.
Soulcalibur 6 Reveals: Soul Calibur 6 was at PAX this year and I got to have a hands on impression of the game. It feels really friggen good and I want more of it. If we could get another character reveal or two at E3 for this fighter, that would be amazing. Maybe even more content reveals like a story trailer or something of the sorts.
Red Dead Redemption 2 Gameplay: Red Dead 2 is slated to make its debut this year in October. Rockstar does not have a lot of reasons to hit E3 for this title but I would love to see more live game-play for this title. The game-play/cinematic trailer was epic and left me yearning for more.
Resident Evil 8: A man can dream. We just got Resident Evil 7 and that title has by far taken my favorite horror game slot. Ever. With all the new, yet very classic game-play elements that was revitalized into Res 7, I am ready to see where the series goes from here. Even a teaser to show me it is in progress is all I need. Maybe even an update on the Resident Evil 2 remaster?
Another Push for Virtual Reality: Seeing more VR would be extremely reassuring. The market is saturated in so many rough, yet enticing VR titles and implementation of the virtual space. Prices for the headsets are constantly going down and companies are constantly poking at this specimen of technology. I want to get a VR in the near future and if it can hit the stage at E3, I can stay bolstered on my interest of VR gaming in the coming years. Resident Evil 7 showed me that this is a goldmine of amazing potential VR experiences without being so automated or scripted to its limitations. I want more of that enthusiasm and accessibility.
Valve Games: Valve has recently opened up to the public that they are making games again. Starting with Artifact, a new digital collectible card game. If they could debut at E3 in any way shape or form, bring out the big guns and show us what we could expect. Artifact may be interesting but announcing production with your company again and shining the spotlight on a card game really did not hook me. Just knowing they are developing games again was more exciting than actually seeing their first title since their absence.
Killer Instinct 2: Killer Instinct is one of my favorite fighters of all time. End of story. Amazing marketing decal on its roster, updates over time and the best presented fighter on the market. I will argue that to my last breath and not be convinced otherwise. Double Helix, Iron Galaxy and Microsoft rebooted such an old fighting series in a new light to advertise the Xbox One. I shamelessly got this console just for this game. I of course got more exclusives but this sealed my decision indefinitely. Killer Instinct has halted development as of last year and I have been waiting to hear news on any new content updates or potential releases. The creative director of Killer Instinct teased a poll a few months ago asking players who they would want to see the most if a sequel was made. This gave me hope even though there are no promises in the air. I am anxiously waiting for the day Killer Instinct comes right back. If it shines out at E3, I will conventionally, lose my shit
E3 2018, I patiently await your arrival.
All in all, E3 has a lot of potential to excite so many communities and with just a month and a half to go, there is a lot to look forward to. Even as I write this article, so much other leaks are coming through and teasing what we could potentially see. I can guarantee the week of E3 will slip up and drop a lot of information so let’s keep guessing now! What are you excited for this year? Is there anything you want to personally see? Leave me some comments! There is so much out there to expect and I only scratched the surface here. Stay cozy peeps!