Pre-E3 is probably the most fun time in the industry. Aside from a few tips here and there, along with the odd leaked photo, we don’t really know what to expect. Companies are pretty tight-lipped when it comes to their plans, but that’s what makes this time is so enjoyable, as we can just sit back and predict what we think we’re going to see. So, with that being said, CGM writers Tim Morrell and Cody Orme have put together their predictions for each console manufacturer.
Sony Predictions
Sony has a lot to prove this E3. Sony’s promise of ‘greatness awaits’ has yet to come to fruition. Surprisingly, they haven’t let too much slip this year. I believe Sony will finally bring Last Guardian to the PS4 with a release date slated for 2016. That will be their biggest announcement and it might steal the show in its new form. I think Sony will have to open the lid on what their first party studios are working on since losing Uncharted 4 into 2016. We need to see some quality titles and not a remaster to clean up the mess. So I can see a God Of War 4 reveal, Guerrilla Games Open world Sci-fi RPG to launch this year, Last Guardian gets tentative release window, Gran Turismo 7 announced, Kingdom Hearts 3 gets shown off on stage (Public demo), and exclusives with from-the-ground-up to support Sony’s project Morpheus. With the real name to be announced at the event with long time rhythm rapper, PaRappa the Rapper, making a return to PS4 as a launch game for the peripheral. I also expect a slew of third party support and exclusive content hitting the platform for this year and beyond.
Sony really dropped the ball post-launch for the PlayStation 4. Sales wise, the hype of Sony’s new console has managed to carry them throughout the year but there hasn’t been that killer first-party app. We know we’re going to see Uncharted 4 along with the Nathan Drake Collection, but we really need to see something big from them. Killzone developer Guerrilla is working on a title away from the shooter franchise, so hopefully we’ll see something from them, too. The largest portion of the conference should be dedicated to Virtual Reality. Last generation there was a battle for motion control, this generation that battle will be on VR. Sony was decimated last time around as the PlayStation Move got dummied by its competition, so it’s important that the Japanese console manufacturer comes out confident in their VR headset and shows what it’s capable of. Oh, and let’s see some of The Last Guardian.
Microsoft Predictions
Microsoft is all about the games this year. They have already had leaks suggesting we might be receiving a Gears of War Remaster, Halo V Guardians is due to be a showstopper, and Rise of the Tomb Raider to name a few titles to hit Xbox One this year. Already, Microsoft has the most stellar line-up going into E3. Microsoft has been busy acquiring more exclusives to convince fans that Microsoft still has footing in the console war. So my predictions are: Gears Of War: Marcus Fenix Collection including Gears 1, 2, and 3, Killer Instinct Season 3, a new Perfect Dark and Battletoads gets their own digital game on Xbox One. Microsoft will also be integrating Windows 10 into their platform so a heavy emphasis on that will be at the show. And with Microsoft’s recent acquisition with Oculus Rift, we may see a heavy push for Hololens for the company with some third party support to drive the launch of the VR platform next year. That’ll be enough for the company to sway consumers to invest in their platform and away from their competitor.
Microsoft managed to bounce back from their abysmal launch. Last month alone they saw a sales growth of 81 per cent, and that probably has to do with their strong line-up for 2015. They’re going to have to keep with that. We know we’re going to see Halo V Guardians, but some gameplay wouldn’t hurt. I’m thinking we’re probably going to see some kind of Rare revival franchise, Battletoads seems like the most obvious, but I feel like fans are pissed about seeing Conker in Project Spark but not his own game. For the sake of being different I’m predicting an all-new Conker game.
Nintendo Predictions
Nintendo is set to premiere their second E3 Direct with most likely the same goofy formula as their last E3. Nintendo, as per usual, is having an appearance across most of the days the expo. Sunday kicks off with a Smash Bros Direct, that is sure to announce the characters that fans have been wanting to go head-to-head against with Nintendo’s mascots. We will most likely get release windows for each character with the first to hit sometime this fall. Miiverse stage to coincide with the Lucas release is just a few things to come out of that. Sakurai may even announce new stages taken from on Wii U based games to hit Smash 4. But most importantly, their hour-long Direct to debut on Tuesday is what you came here for. So here are my predictions: Star Fox Wii U gets a name and release date for this year, Animal Crossing Wii U for holiday release, Xenoblade Chronicles X to land in October, Fire Emblem X Shin Megami Tensei to release early spring 2016 and Nintendo’s biggest announcement with a new Metroid Prime hitting Wii U. I also think it’s possible to announce a new F-Zero since the Mario Kart 8 DLC has proved fans have a need for its quicker pace. Since Nintendo isn’t dabbling with VR (As far as we know) Nintendo may showcase some games hitting the mobile marketplace with their Dena partnership.
Nintendo occupies this unique space in the gaming industry where they don’t really follow any rules, and that’s why they aren’t having a live E3 conference like their competition. The Wii U is lacking in quality titles, so we’re going to see some more Legend of Zelda and Starfox. Hyrule Warriors was clearly a market test to see how fans will react to other studios takes on their franchises, so I expect to see a few more titles like that this year. The New 3DS is lacking in solid content as well, so hopefully they can pull off something, maybe remastering of some classic Wii titles. I think we’re going to see a few all-new franchises as well. Nintendo is going to show off Miyamoto’s new title, but I’m predicting there will be another new Nintendo IP shown as well.
That’s our bold predictions for what will go down at E3 2015. We’re merely days away from the biggest expo in gaming industry and speculation is always at an all-time high. Some dreams might be squashed with games we wanted to see not showing their faces, but there is always a good chance we might see franchise renewals and new titles simultaneously making their debut and their very own imprint on the industry.
But we want to hear from you, what do you think is up all the big three’s sleeves at this year’s E3? Sound off below!
