E3 2010 – Update

Update, I thought of some other stuff. In italics…

Because I basically have no legitimate press credentials I wont be attending this year’s E3. Also it’s more than 8000 miles away and I have no money to get there. Also I’m pretty sure my passport has expired.

But this wont stop me from rounding up what will probably happen at this years event and then live streaming the keynotes and then totally writing up what will actually happen with a few cursory insights a good few hours after all the major outlets have done the same thing. Right?

As if you give a shit, it’s after the jump.

Microsoft

Let’s face it, Microsoft will have to properly demo Natal to get across if it actually works consistently well. It will probably dominate their keynote, if not the whole event. They will also reveal the retail name for the unit and price. They’ll do all this on Sunday night in their own little love-in before the conference proper on monday at 6pm (5pm GMT + 1hr for BST)

I expect they’ll unveil a 360 “slim” as they view Natal as a complete platform relaunch and want it to see them through the next 5 years at least. They’ll show some mediocre release titles for it and ignore the fact that it’ll have way better applications outside of gaming.

Halo Reach will be hyped as it’s released later this year, Gears of War 3 is released next April so there’ll be a long teaser for that. Hideo Kojima announced Metal Gear Solid (drop the solid, it’s not about Solid Snake, people will still recognize the brand) Rising last year on the Xbox stage so perhaps more footage of that. I’m not an Xbox pro or anything so that’s all I anticipate for them.

Peter Molyneux will show up to spout some bullshit about Fable 3. The game will probably be good and I’ve got a lot of time for an enthusiastic game designer and I’ll be fair, the fact that Molyneux makes these wild claims is actually more endearing than annoying. I hope he doesn’t actually believe he’s a demi-god, I hope he’s plenty self deprecating in which case I think he’s golden. Full of shit, but in the way your big brother is when he tells you how he nailed that woman at the bar, you know the one.

Nintendo

Uncle Ninty are holding their Keynote on Tuesday at 5 pm (4pm GMT + 1hr BST) They wanted to announce the 3DS here but they had to jump the gun to avoid a press leak. They will be holding playable demos for the press though and as they no longer have huge lead times on releases I expect they’ll drop a launch date in time for christmas.

The Wii Vitality Sensor will also get plenty of attention and also perhaps a frigging explanation please. I know what it’s supposed to do but they need to show an application for the idea. Yeah it can let you know how calm you are from your pulse but so can my finger. It needs to show pulse rate affecting a game and beyond calming down, playing any game calms me down, unless it is shit.

They’ve been very adamant that no Wii HD or follow-up is coming and even though sales are dipping they are still on top and can easily ride the goodwill for another year before revealing a trump (tee hee). Releasing a new platform so soon after the Vitality Sensor doesn’t make financial sense so in the unlikely event something does pop up, it’ll be a Wii add-on. Put this in the extremely unlikely column as no console add on has ever sold sufficiently to be worthwhile in some cases it never made it to certain territories. 64DD I’m looking at you. But this really will not happen.

I guess they’ll show Pikmin 3, though not very much and they really need to show at least a teaser of the next Legend of Zelda, the biggest reason I still have a Wii.

Sony

Will also hold their conference on Tuesday at the later time of 8pm (7pm GMT+ 1hr BST) They’ve already revealed the Move controller and its little nunchuck friend so they’ll show that only in the context of game demos and whatnot. Expect a SOCOM 4 preview to highlight how it is great for core gamers as well as casual. I actually agree, the Wii-mote was great in the well programmed Metroid Prime 3 and the more accurate Move will perform admirably from a tech standpoint.

I swear to you that I called this way before it was leaked but I can’t find where so you’ll just have to take my word for it. Which in this interwebs means it never happened, so burn on me. PSN Plus will have a bigger reveal. It’ll be under £50 a year, maybe £5-7 per month. We’ll get a Mini or PSN game with it monthly (probably only playable for that one month) and here I go into speculation; PSN Plus will be service added, so the online game experience will remain the same across the board, same servers and so on, you’ll just get extras. So, maybe we’ll get their godawful weekly magazine, the name of which I’ve deliberately forgotten. We’ll get beta invites and it will be a perfect opportunity to get the PS2 emulator paid for, and to inject some more chutzpah into Home. Cross game chat will also be done, but not as part of PSN Plus.

PS2 emulation would be a good idea as now the machine has surpassed its intended 10year life cycle and they will be shit-canning it in the not too distant future. They only started selling it in Latin America and southern hemisphere countries last year, or was it the year before, so production will wind down slowly to support retail in those territories but they’ve got to stop it sometime.

Home will likely not be involved in PSN Plus except possibly for 1 t-shirt per month and will instead focus on content with a short preview of the new alternate reality game from the guys who made Xi last year. Home really does need a kick up the brackets though.

It would do well to have Free Realms announced, it is a very successful free to play family oriented MMO on PC at the moment, made by Sony Online Entertainment. As they push further toward a family audience with Move games and more EyePet it makes sense to have younger people spending time on PS3, especially as they are excluded by the banality of Home. Speaking of MMOs DC Universe Online will get dated and priced and Final Fantasy XIV will get a preview and date, but Square Enix will probably announce pricing later.

InFamous 2 will be there as will Killzone 3(D), but in a fairly short teaser for the latter. InFamous 2 will be a slightly bigger deal. LBP2 will have a live demo and will be fricking adorable. Demon’s Souls 2 will also be presented as Sony will be picking up the publishing rights in all territories this time, having learned their lesson when they dropped the ball on the first, publishing only in Japan (in NA by Atlus and EU by Namco Bandai). Maybe Metal Gear Solid Rising will rear its head for a tiny peak.

Their real big shit will be 3D so they’ll show Pain and Wipeout and such and also, the elephant in the room, Gran Turismo possibly with Move support. Gran Turismo will really need to be priced and dated.

After SCEE President Andrew House’s recent comments on how the PSPGo was a trial, they may be announcing the PSP2. It’d be about time, and I bet the 2nd analogue stick gets a cheer. (VG247)

Others

Rockstar are not attending this year opting to hold their own press to-do around the same time or shortly after E3. They’ll probably show plenty of LA Noire for release late this year. Max Payne 3 for early next and it’s a toss up whether they’ll show agent, or let Sony handle it in their presser as it’s PS3 exclusive. If they date it at all it’ll be for summer/autumn next year. It is unlikely they will even mention the next GTA.

Fallout New Vegas will have a substantial showing.

White Knight Chronicles 2 will have a long trailer.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood will have playable demos.

Driver.

Force Unleashed 2

And so on.

I’ve obviously missed some things so comment away……