E3, a highlight on many gamers' calendar and one that never fails to deliver immense hype and speculation in the pre build speculation area beforehand but based on the last couple of shows, 2011 specifically, the show has failed to deliver in terms of unpredictability and shock value.
The big three, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are gearing up again to showcase what they think will be their premium sellers for the year ahead and announce new software and hardware to gain market attention and mass exposure. Let's take a look at what the three gaming giants could announce and whether or not we could see another disappointing show like last year.
Sony;
Sony has a lot riding on this year, especially regarding it's new handheld Vita. Sales of the system and it's hardware have not exactly taken the world by storm as it stands and despite some very competent pieces of launch software, it seems mass market are not ready to step up and purchase what the powerful handheld has to offer. First party announcements are a given but what could potentially be a surprise is the amount of third party exclusive support to be announced. It could be possible to see entries in the Call of Duty, Metal Gear and Grand Theft Auto franchises revealed and exclusive to the Vita platform. Huge names in the gaming world designed specifically for Sony's machine could be the first real big step in attracting a larger user base.
As for Vita's big brother PS3, expect to see more on the stunning looking Naughty Dog I.P The Last of Us, Syphon Filter is finally seeing the light of the day and it would be of surprise to no one to see another entry in the Killzone franchise teased. Sony could possibly implement more Network features too and multimedia partners along with a nice price cut. A solid press briefing for Sony is expected.
Microsoft:
From reading various social networks and gaming communities, it seems as of late there is a growing number of genuine Xbox dedicated players that are feeling dissatisfied with Microsoft and their strategy. Many feel they are far too focused on the controller free add on Kinect and it's software library, having experienced Microsoft's last two E3 press briefings it is easy to see why.
Microsoft seem far too dependant on third party games mixed with Xbox Live whilst repeating a cycle of sequels exclusive to the platform such as Halo, Gears, Forza and Fable to satisfy their controller preferred core user base and seem to focus much more on Kinect and now multimedia applications. As Michael Pachter said recently on the Game Trailers show Bonus Round which is previewing E3:"They told me don't expect alot of game stuff, expect alot of dashboard, interface, multimedia."
Expect to see much more of the impressive looking Halo 4, Call of Duty Black Ops 2 gameplay and a core third party game getting a gameplay demonstration like Tomb Raider last year. The rest will be Kinect and multimedia application announcements which could disappoint many hoping for more exciting and unpredictable announcements in the gaming area.
Nintendo:
Nintendo are of course bringing the upcoming new system Wii U to E3 and we hope to see pricing, launch date and a good idea of launch software. Nintendo hopes to bring back some of the "core" audience they lost with motion control focused Wii and see the Wii U as just the platform to do it.
This remains to be seen if their aims can be successful with a larger, touch screen based controller bundled with the system plus a yet to been seen online infrastructure. Mario of course will be there but there could be a possibility of seeing older franchises such as Star Fox and F-Zero brought back in high definition which will excite the old school Nintendo fan in many gamers.
As for the 3DS, expect to see some sort of integration, merger announced with Wii U and how the two will work together for various conventional tasks. Release date for Luigi's Mansion 2 is a given and the possible inclusion of a new Zelda planned for next year.
Overall Prediction:
E3 2012 will be an improvement on 2011 which wont be too difficult, Sony and Nintendo will have solid shows but Microsoft could be anything from awful to surprising. The one excitement for many could be the possible tease and showing of next generation engines such as Unreal 4, which will provide a brief preview of what the next consoles could be capable of.
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I think you're on to something with Microsoft.
I don't think we'll see a new console or hear about it, but I do think we'll see a new Unreal 4 demo during their press conference.
Sony has plenty of games to be released for PS3 this year and they'll be showing them and what's to come. PS Vita is going to be their highlight for their E3. It need a massive influx of software. It's been great so far, but there needs to be a library of games whether it's from PS1, PS2, PSP, PS Vita, PS Suite, or PSN by the end of the year. I also expect we may see a new tech demo from Sony.
Nintendo is obviously all about Wii U, so now it's time to prove the system is worth it. They need a strong launch line-up and need to prove 3rd party development is there to stay. The 3DS will see some titles as well, but the WIi U is going to be the main focus of their conference.
2012 is going to be better simply because there's new hardware being fully shown, and there's a great chance for next gen engine demos which is basically the announcement of the next gen.
i liked last year but to be honest i like every year that i have watched for the past 3 years... i always find E3 week to be exciting even in hindsite its not all that great. E3 is always fun for any gamer