Exterminieren
Banned
In a hundred days time, on Tuesday June 14th, the gates open for E3 2016. As always, we'll know the vast majority of the big news from the event from the multiple conferences in the days beforehand, but the Tuesday is the day that the doors swing open and the games get played. It's still a while off, but it's getting closer and closer, and news is starting to trickle in frequently enough that it's worth looking at where we stand and what we're expecting.
After the big moments and reveals from last year's E3, we might well expect more of the same from this year. However, all does not appear to be well with the event this year, with multiple companies withdrawing or vastly reducing their presence at the event. The biggest casualty is EA, which is hosting its own conference and event separately, but Activision, Disney Interactive and Wargaming aren't going to be maintaining their own booths either. It's premature to say that E3's in its death throes, but it's undeniable that it's starting to have the sheen taken off it, and it'll be interesting to see if it starts properly losing relevance and the big companies begin to take the promotion further into their own hands. For the time being, though, let's have a look at the big press conferences this year, and figure out what's waiting for us.
Bethesda
I don't think many people were expecting Bethesda to have their own conference this year. Last year, it made a certain amount of sense- it was to be Fallout 4's big coming-out party, and they had other stuff like Doom to show off. By this year's conference, however, both Fallout 4 and Doom will have been and gone, and the short term future doesn't look particularly content-rich for them. However, they're confident enough to hold another press conference again this year, so it might be worth seeing if they expand on plans a little further out this time around.
Predictions
More Fallout and Doom DLC
Dishonored 2
Tango Gameworks' new project
Bethesda Game Studios' new project (initial reveal only)
EA's pseudo-E3 thing
As the first big breakaway, EA technically doesn't belong here, but as it's holding its own press conference away from the main E3 event I'm including it for completeness. The most interesting thing is to see whether they take the opportunity to reformat the show a little- the last few years of EA conferences have been yawners; 2014 relying almost exclusively upon concept art in lieu of actual games, and 2015 being disjointed and memorable mainly for a... showstopping interview with Pele live on stage. Some of the old complaints will endure- no matter how much we complain, sports games are enormous parts of EA's business and will always have a significant presence at these kinds of events- but hopefully the likes of Mass Effect and Titanfall 2 will provide a little more substance to get our teeth into this time out.
Predictions
Titanfall 2
Battlefield 5
Mass Effect Andromeda
sportsportsport
Criterion's new game?
A new Star Wars reveal?
Microsoft
Microsoft's gaming business is one in transition, and it's not properly apparent what it's transitioning into. Only time will tell how full-blooded the PC initiative is, Phil Spencer's recent comments about the potential for transitioning their dedicated hardware business into a more incremental and regular model is something we could see come into clarity here, and the overall plan for Hololens in the long term is going to need some solidity. Beyond all of these factors, though, lie the games- Microsoft can no longer rely on the overwhelming support of the major third parties from last generation, and so are significantly more reliant upon their own efforts. I think many are more focused on the overall strategy than the specific software at the minute, and I could well imagine some disappointment incoming on that score.
Predictions
Hololens
Scalebound
Crackdown
Gears of War
Forza
Halo?
Xbox 1.5?
Ubisoft
We know how Ubisoft conferences work nowadays, right? Aisha Tyler, some big game reveal ending the show, concept trailers for far-off projects, etc... In the years since the Watch Dogs hit with such a thud, Ubisoft has well and truly settled on a formula that works for them, and I don't see them deviating from that this time out. I wouldn't expect to see Assassin's Creed, but definitely expect Watch Dogs 2 to take up a significant chunk of time. It'll be interesting to see if Ubisoft has, yet again, thrown Nintendo a bone for the NX launch, but I wouldn't be putting too much money on that this time around.
Predictions
Watch Dogs 2
Future of the Division
Ghost Recon
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
Splinter Cell reinvention to close the show
Sony
Sony frankly don't have anything to prove by this point. They've strolled into an unassailable hardware lead while barely breaking sweat, and have secured the backing of the significant third parties basically by process of elimination. Even with this in mind, though, last year's conference was an astonishing coup de théâtre, with a swaggering showcase of some of gaming's biggest white whales. There's absolutely no chance of them matching that this time around- that conference was a once-in-a-generation event, and nothing short of Half Life 3, followed by Naughty Dog developing Crash Bandicoot, followed by Miyamoto jumping ship and bringing Mario with him would live up to it. I suspect we're in for a strong conference, though, but one which will always have last year's overshadowing it- PSVR will have a strong presence, but there won't be any game announcements that are quite as the big three.
Predictions
PSVR all over the place
Crash Bandicoot (but not as you'd want it)
Horizon Zero Dawn
God of War
Gran Turismo
PS4 Slim?
Biggest third party and indie showcase of the year
Nintendo
Nintendo are undoubtedly the biggest unknown of the entire event, and what they choose to do this time out could define the show, and even the next few years of the business. The headline is, of course, brand new hardware- even if you don't believe the mounting evidence that, in one form or another, the NX is arriving this year, I don't think there's much doubt that it's going to be the cornerstone of their E3 this time out. Everything else, though, is a total mystery, up to and including the actual format that they're going for. Are they going to introduce the NX beforehand and have a Direct showing off the software? Are they going to go back to the press conference format? Are they going to do the Nintendo World Championships again, and if so will they use them to do game reveals again? No one knows, and Nintendo's showing is an enormous wildcard.
Predictions
NX Blowout
Zelda, NX and Wii U
Pokémon Sun and Moon
Retro's project
3D Mario
Beyond Good and Evil 2?
NWC, Digital Event, Treehouse Live
After the big moments and reveals from last year's E3, we might well expect more of the same from this year. However, all does not appear to be well with the event this year, with multiple companies withdrawing or vastly reducing their presence at the event. The biggest casualty is EA, which is hosting its own conference and event separately, but Activision, Disney Interactive and Wargaming aren't going to be maintaining their own booths either. It's premature to say that E3's in its death throes, but it's undeniable that it's starting to have the sheen taken off it, and it'll be interesting to see if it starts properly losing relevance and the big companies begin to take the promotion further into their own hands. For the time being, though, let's have a look at the big press conferences this year, and figure out what's waiting for us.
Bethesda
I don't think many people were expecting Bethesda to have their own conference this year. Last year, it made a certain amount of sense- it was to be Fallout 4's big coming-out party, and they had other stuff like Doom to show off. By this year's conference, however, both Fallout 4 and Doom will have been and gone, and the short term future doesn't look particularly content-rich for them. However, they're confident enough to hold another press conference again this year, so it might be worth seeing if they expand on plans a little further out this time around.
Predictions
More Fallout and Doom DLC
Dishonored 2
Tango Gameworks' new project
Bethesda Game Studios' new project (initial reveal only)
EA's pseudo-E3 thing
As the first big breakaway, EA technically doesn't belong here, but as it's holding its own press conference away from the main E3 event I'm including it for completeness. The most interesting thing is to see whether they take the opportunity to reformat the show a little- the last few years of EA conferences have been yawners; 2014 relying almost exclusively upon concept art in lieu of actual games, and 2015 being disjointed and memorable mainly for a... showstopping interview with Pele live on stage. Some of the old complaints will endure- no matter how much we complain, sports games are enormous parts of EA's business and will always have a significant presence at these kinds of events- but hopefully the likes of Mass Effect and Titanfall 2 will provide a little more substance to get our teeth into this time out.
Predictions
Titanfall 2
Battlefield 5
Mass Effect Andromeda
sportsportsport
Criterion's new game?
A new Star Wars reveal?
Microsoft
Microsoft's gaming business is one in transition, and it's not properly apparent what it's transitioning into. Only time will tell how full-blooded the PC initiative is, Phil Spencer's recent comments about the potential for transitioning their dedicated hardware business into a more incremental and regular model is something we could see come into clarity here, and the overall plan for Hololens in the long term is going to need some solidity. Beyond all of these factors, though, lie the games- Microsoft can no longer rely on the overwhelming support of the major third parties from last generation, and so are significantly more reliant upon their own efforts. I think many are more focused on the overall strategy than the specific software at the minute, and I could well imagine some disappointment incoming on that score.
Predictions
Hololens
Scalebound
Crackdown
Gears of War
Forza
Halo?
Xbox 1.5?
Ubisoft
We know how Ubisoft conferences work nowadays, right? Aisha Tyler, some big game reveal ending the show, concept trailers for far-off projects, etc... In the years since the Watch Dogs hit with such a thud, Ubisoft has well and truly settled on a formula that works for them, and I don't see them deviating from that this time out. I wouldn't expect to see Assassin's Creed, but definitely expect Watch Dogs 2 to take up a significant chunk of time. It'll be interesting to see if Ubisoft has, yet again, thrown Nintendo a bone for the NX launch, but I wouldn't be putting too much money on that this time around.
Predictions
Watch Dogs 2
Future of the Division
Ghost Recon
South Park: The Fractured But Whole
Splinter Cell reinvention to close the show
Sony
Sony frankly don't have anything to prove by this point. They've strolled into an unassailable hardware lead while barely breaking sweat, and have secured the backing of the significant third parties basically by process of elimination. Even with this in mind, though, last year's conference was an astonishing coup de théâtre, with a swaggering showcase of some of gaming's biggest white whales. There's absolutely no chance of them matching that this time around- that conference was a once-in-a-generation event, and nothing short of Half Life 3, followed by Naughty Dog developing Crash Bandicoot, followed by Miyamoto jumping ship and bringing Mario with him would live up to it. I suspect we're in for a strong conference, though, but one which will always have last year's overshadowing it- PSVR will have a strong presence, but there won't be any game announcements that are quite as the big three.
Predictions
PSVR all over the place
Crash Bandicoot (but not as you'd want it)
Horizon Zero Dawn
God of War
Gran Turismo
PS4 Slim?
Biggest third party and indie showcase of the year
Nintendo
Nintendo are undoubtedly the biggest unknown of the entire event, and what they choose to do this time out could define the show, and even the next few years of the business. The headline is, of course, brand new hardware- even if you don't believe the mounting evidence that, in one form or another, the NX is arriving this year, I don't think there's much doubt that it's going to be the cornerstone of their E3 this time out. Everything else, though, is a total mystery, up to and including the actual format that they're going for. Are they going to introduce the NX beforehand and have a Direct showing off the software? Are they going to go back to the press conference format? Are they going to do the Nintendo World Championships again, and if so will they use them to do game reveals again? No one knows, and Nintendo's showing is an enormous wildcard.
Predictions
NX Blowout
Zelda, NX and Wii U
Pokémon Sun and Moon
Retro's project
3D Mario
Beyond Good and Evil 2?
NWC, Digital Event, Treehouse Live
