JUNE 7-9, 2011
This is going to be a big year for E3, and it's all about the hardware. These will be the first steps into the next console generation. I haven't been this excited about an E3 since 2006, when Nintendo's show was amazing, and Sony's was hilarious. Anyone wanting to watch the live conferences can check www.gametrailers.com for links to streams. They did a fantastic job last year of covering both the live events and posting trailers in a timely manner.
Nintendo will take the stage June 7 @ 9 a.m. PST. They will be showcasing their next home console, rumored to be called Project Café. It's also a sure bet that they will continue to anchor the 3DS with an expanded software lineup. Expected titles to be highlighted are the new 3DS Mario, more on Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, the new Kid Icarus, and I am also expecting another big unveiling. Possibly a new franchise from Miyamoto? Or maybe something a little more obvious, like a new F-Zero or even Starfox. Hey, maybe we'll finally even see Pikmin 3...
Sony's conference begins June 6 @ 5 p.m. PST. They have some very public hand-wringing to do after the PSN, Sony's online service, was down for almost a month after being hacked. Though, at the same time they'll have to bolster support for their next portable, the NGP, now rumored to be called the PlayStation Vita. And with Fumito Ueda not showing this year, it's unlikely we'll see more of Team Ico's next game, The Last Guardian. Not really sure what other titles to expect out of Sony this year, software wise. I'm sure Uncharted 3 will make a splash. Kojima isn't coming this year, so no new MGS title. Am I missing anything?
Microsoft's conference begins June 6 at 10 a.m. PST. has an uphill battle to win back players. Since Kinect launched, it's had no significant software support. I expect a show of good faith from them with Kinect support for the upcoming Forza 4, or even dedicated Kinect versions of Gears of War and Forza. I also anticipate the next Halo title to be shown off this year. Bungie departed, but handed the reigns of the franchise off to 343 Industries.
Leading the pack in advertising and presence will undoubtedly be EA's Battlefield 3 and Activision's Modern Warfare 3, both of which will be battling for market share in the lucrative console FPS arena this fall. This is a critical moment for Activision, the same group who ran Tony Hawk and Guitar Hero into the ground with tepid annual releases. Though the franchise has consistently broken sales records, this is the first major entry to the series that will be operating without its creators at the helm. They were fired by Activision shortly after the release of Modern Warfare 2. Now, the newly formed studio will be put to the test. And with critics' interest waning after Black Ops, and anticipation rising over Battlefield 3, this could be the tipping point in the FPS franchise war. Or, it will be lukewarm at best and outsell Black Ops and Battlefield 3 on name recognition alone
BioWare's ass is also on the line this year with the upcoming launch of its Star Wars MMO: The Old Republic. They still have a lot to prove in order to win over players from World of Warcraft, unless they care to join the mountain of corpses of failed MMOs littering the gates of Azeroth. Either way, we'll be seeing more of Mass Effect 3, and I intend to keep my ears firmly closed during that portion of the show.
What are you guys looking forward to this year?