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It's that time of year again. Every June, E3 comes around to give the gaming community the biggest news of the year, making it one of the largest conventions of the year. While some people have lost interest in it, last year's event has solidified E3 as being the king of conventions, with all developers surpassing last year's expectations. So what can they surpass this year? We're here to help you answer that question, as we present to you the biggest announcements you can expect, dismiss, and anxiously hope for from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony.
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Microsoft
Main Focus
This year, Microsoft's press conference will be more or less the same as last year's. Expect a few trailers for games such as Call of Duty Black Ops, one or two new first-party titles, and lots of Natal. Lots of Natal. With Natal being released this fall, expect it to be Microsoft's highest priority this year. Don't be surprised if some of the games they announce as "this year's hottest titles" will be orientated towards the device, as it really is their selling point this holiday season. With relatively little information being given out on the device since last year's conference, some surprises are bound to show up. If Microsoft wants to steal the show, they'll need to show off some hardcore games, otherwise this might quickly become a gimmick.
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The Boring Bit
While Natal will be keeping the audience in awe for most of the presentation, some time will still be allotted to Xbox Live. By now, we all know what the deal is here. Microsoft wants to streamline everything you see and do while using the Xbox. They already have Facebook, Twitter, last.fm and Netflix under wraps, but don't be surprised if they expand. While the possibility of a full-fledged Internet browser being announced is slim to none, it is very likely that we will see more mainstream networking sites be incorporated into the system. One of the latest rumors to surface is that Hulu will be integrated into Xbox Live. Nothing has been confirmed just yet, but that service would fit in nicely with the aforementioned services already available.
What To Hope For
It really is hard to say exactly what Microsoft has up their sleeve. Gears of War 3 has already been announced, and while Epic will be sure to show it off, it will be something everyone is already familiar with. Looking at Microsoft's history, it would not be surprising if Rockstar were to take to the stage. After striking a deal for DLC with Grand Theft Auto IV, it is possible that Rockstar will capitalize on this press conference to present Grand Theft Auto 5. To all you Sony fans reading this - relax. Even if it is revealed at this presentation, it will still go multi-platform. The PlayStation market is now too large for Rockstar to ignore.
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<hr>Nintendo
Main Focus
First announced through a press release mix-up earlier this year, the Nintendo 3DS, the next generation of Nintendo's popular line of handhelds, will undoubtedly be Nintendo's main focus this year. Using 3D technology that has yet to be announced, the device promises to revolutionize handheld gaming by putting it in the third dimension. How this will be demonstrated to an audience of 2,000 people is anybody's guess. It is possible that every person in attendance will get a demo console. On top of this, Nintendo will need some stellar software for the platform's launch. Expect a well-known Nintendo series to have its next installment announced for the platform. Candidates for this include Golden Sun DS or possibly a new Star Fox.
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The Boring Bit
The Wii Vitality Sensor. What is it? I don't know. Apparently Cammie does know, and she seems to enjoy it, as does Mr. Iwata. Unfortunately, it appears this device is directed at the casual gaming market that fell in love with Wii Fit and its sequel. This leads us to what can be expected from the majority of the presentation - games nobody will ever pick up. Looking at last year's line-up that was announced for Wii, the three major games (Metroid: Other M, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, and Super Mario Galaxy 2) will all have been released by September. With these out on store shelves, Nintendo really has no other franchise to exploit this year. We can anticipate plenty of Shaun White, Animal Crossing, and Wii Music 2.
What To Hope For
If you paid attention to Nintendo at last year's event, you will know that their biggest announcement did not take place at their press conference. Hours after their presentation had finished, Shigeru Miyamoto showed off some new Legend of Zelda artwork for a new Zelda game on the Wii. Promises of finding out more have been going around all year, but Nintendo of America's president, Reggie Fils-Aime, has said that we might not see it this year. For the time being, we can keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
And to all you folks hoping for a Wii HD - it simply is not going to happen.
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<hr>Sony
Main Focus
Sony's tactic over the past few weeks has been very surprising. The company has pulled back the curtain on several high-profile games, including Killzone 3 and LittleBigPlanet 2. These announcements will surely be of focus at this year's conference, along with some other big games. We will more than likely see Resistance 3 this year, as well as inFamous 2. On top of all this will be sitting Arkham Asylum 2 and The Last Guardian. The latter is very intriguing, as nothing is known about it other than what was hinted at during last year's conference. Sony's conference may not be the best of show as it was last year, but don't dismiss it as being more of the same from the company.
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The Boring Bit
For all the hype leading up to last year's big reveal, the PSP Go has been a complete bust. Don't expect to see much of it this year. However, Sony does have one other novelty item to show off in the PlayStation Move. The Move is the equivalent of Wii HD. Its motion controls seem to be more finely tuned, but as a whole, it does not offer much. While we were promised some intricate games at last year's event, what was shown off at this year's GDC was very underwhelming. In a last ditch effort to steal the Natal install base, Sony will be pulling out all the stops to show off Move. This will likely come with little success.
What To Hope For
Sony's show is pretty much already laid out. We'll see some games we've heard of, some we've been expecting to hear about, and not much else. The odds of the PlayStation 4 being announced are... non-existent, so don't even think about that. What we can hope for is some new, mind-blowing titles to pop up. In my opinion, Uncharted 3 would be of great use to them. Other than that, not much is going to make a big splash. Another small hope is that they do more HD remakes, similar to what we saw with God of War. If that could be done to Shadow of the Colossus, the show would be a complete success.
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So that's what we can see coming. What do you think? Do you have something to add, or have we completely missed the mark? Be sure to let us know. And you can rest assured that TGN will have all the E3 news available when the show starts on June 15th.