So E3 is only three weeks away, and rumours have been flying around about what exactly will be shown. Then a mysterious list began circulating the web. It has no confirmed origin and can’t really be traced back to someone. Odds are, it’s not real. There are a lot of warning signs that point to that, but it’s fun to speculate.
So, Microsoft’s press conference looks like this.
It’s a little hard to read but it says they will show off Beyond Good and Evil 2 gameplay, DirectX 12 trailer, Fable Legends gameplay, Forza Horizon 2 gameplay, Gears of War 4 gameplay, Halo V: Guardians tech, Kinect TV Shows, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare gameplay, Quantum Break gameplay, Star Wars Battlefront III gameplay, and Titanfall DLC.
On the floor they will have Dragon Age: Inquisition, EA Sports UFC, Fable Legends, FIFA 15, Forza Horizon 2, Killer Instinct, Madden NFL 15, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, NHL 15, Project Spark, Sunset Overdrive, and Quantum Break.
What could be legitimate:
Fable Legends has been in the works for a while now, so it wouldn’t be that big of a surprise to see it there. It’s already confirmed that Halo V: Guardians will be there, but it should be noted on the page it’s called Halo 5 (the list came out before the announcement, but still the fact that there isn’t even a roman numeral is off-putting). Gears of War 4 could get a teaser considering Microsoft acquired the rights to the series, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Kinect TV took up a lot of the show.
What doesn’t look legitimate:
Star Wars Battlefront was announced last year, but didn’t have the “III” in the title so that is a big red flag.
What got our attention:
Fable Legends is really intriguing. Not a lot has been shown, so some gameplay footage would be enough to get some interest. The only problem is the last few titles with Fable in the title have been lacklustre. It’s time for Lionhead Studios to step their game up.
Here’s Sony’s list.
They have a Destiny gameplay trailer, DriveClub trailer, God of War 4, “Indie Games” trailer, inFamous Second Son DLC gameplay, The Order 1886 gameplay, Uncharted 4: Sunken Blade tech demo, and a Watch_Dogs demo.
On the floor they’ll have Alien: Isolation, Batman Arkham Knight, Destiny, Disgaea 4, DriveClub, EverQuest Next, Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F-2nd, Lords of the Fallen, Natural Doctrine, PlanetSide 2, The Order: 1886, Ultra Street Fighter IV, and Watch_Dogs.
What looks legitimate:
Honestly, it wouldn’t be surprising if that’s their line up.
What doesn’t look legitimate:
I guess God of War IV seems unlikely so early in the console’s life.
What got our attention:
Uncharted 4. It could be the most anticipated game on the PS4.
And then there’s Nintendo.
Since they don’t have an actual conference, they’re only listing what’s on the floor. They’ll Bayonetta 2, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night 2 on the 3DS, Hyrule Warriors, Mario Kart 8, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate, Pokken Fighters, Sonic Boom, Super Smash Bros U, Super Smash Bros 3DS, Theatrhythem Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, Legend of Zelda: Shard of Nightmare, and Xenogaers: Origins.
What looks legitimate:
Bayonetta 2 has been in development since the Wii U launched, so it wouldn’t come as a shock to see some more gameplay. Monster Hunter 4 will probably be there along with Sonic Boom as well. Those are all titles Nintendo needs to show off to get people excited.
What doesn’t look legitimate:
This is where this document gets silly. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night 2 on the 3DS would be hella cool, but the odds of that actually happening after the poor sales of Lords of Shadow Mirror of Fate are slim. But Symphony of the Night is one of the most popular games of all time and the 3DS has a few series revivals in it’s library. The other giant elephant in the room is Legend of Zelda. It’s entirely possible that Shard of Nightmare will be the actual title for the game, but considering how the art style for the series has shifted to less hardcore, that edgier name seems unlikely. Also, Mario Kart 8 will have already been out for a few weeks by the time E3 rolls around, so it wouldn’t make sense for Nintendo to show off something that people are already aware of.
What caught our attention:
Legend of Zelda is Nintendo’s biggest series. If Nintendo even teases this, that’s a big deal.
Obviously this whole thing is speculative. The document itself isn’t trustworthy enough to accept as authentic, but speculation is what makes E3 fun (or disappointing). The only way to know what will be shown is to wait for June 10 and watch. In the mean time, what games are you hoping to see?
