Most of these predictions seem pretty safe. Does no one want to predict anything wild? I heard a rumour that Microsoft and Mars Candy Company are teaming up to create a new type of gamer candy called X&M's, which they will be handing out free samples at the show. Soon after, they will be sued by XM Radio for trademark infringement.
E3 2010 Predictions
The staff sounds off on their hopes and expectations for the show.
Nick's Predictions
Wow, I really can't believe E3 is here again already! Last year was pretty light on excitement in the shocking news department, but pretty epic in terms of my own personal excitement of being at E3 for the first time ever. This year, my excitement comes from a much different place; it's much less about just being at E3 and much more about what we'll potentially be seeing there, and what bombshells might be dropped.
Though I wouldn't consider myself a total fanboy, I still absolutely love Nintendo and everything that they do, so for the sake of this writing, I'll start with them. As of this writing, we know for sure that we'll be seeing the 3DS at the show, and it'll probably be a major part of the press conference. I predict that we'll actually get some hands-on time with some games, though I'm sure it'll only be one or two tech demos. For some odd reason, Mario Kart sticks out to me as a game that would demo well on the 3DS, so I predict that it will be at least one of the demos available for play. Though there are still a number of big DS games slated for release through next year, I believe that the 3DS will pre-date these games and release this holiday season worldwide.
On the console side, I think Nintendo will probably play it safe. Given Zelda will be there and playable, it will probably be a major focus for the conference. We already know Wii Party is slated for release, and I'm sure Nintendo will be shedding some light on the Vitality Sensor. Some small part of me hopes for Pikmin 3 to show up, but I have a feeling that Nintendo is holding off on that game until perhaps the next console iteration, or maybe even the 3DS, which would be completely acceptable. Outside of that, I'm sure Nintendo will have a couple small surprises for the Wii, but with the 3DS being there, I feel it will greatly overshadow the Wii.
Moving on to Sony, right now I honestly have a big question mark with what they're going to do. Obviously we have the Move, so there will undoubtedly be a massive focus on the peripheral and games which will be made available for it. However, I don't think this will be the only focus for the company. Given the flailing sales of the PSPgo, and the dying support of the platform in general, a successor to the PSP seems like an obvious thing to display at the show. Of course, this might be a gamble given the hype that currently surrounds the 3DS, but if Sony has something solid enough up its sleeve, it might make the 3DS look gimmicky by comparison.
As far as a game focus goes, I doubt we'll see anything surprising from Sony. The new God of War will obviously be there and it's sure to raise a few eyebrows. Littlebigplanet 2 will probably have a number of crazy displays each showcasing a wildly different game made with the engine. Killzone 3 will also make a splash with journalists, though I'm not sure the market cares much for it. Perhaps we'll start hearing murmurs of a Move-supported Uncharted 3, given the critical acclaim 2 had received last year. Again, with my assumption of a PSP2 unveiling, I feel like Sony will keep most of its other stuff fairly low key with a few bombshells in between.
Last, but not least, Microsoft. With Microsoft, it's already known that Natal will be a major part of the show's focus, though something about their set-up for the show is throwing me for a loop. On Sunday before the show, journalists will be able to attend a Natal-only event where they can come and play a whole mess of Natal-supported games. Given this, it leads me to believe that Microsoft wants to get Natal stuff out of the way for something bigger at the show. I'm not sure any rumors have been circulated about what they might be up to, but I have a feeling it must be something pretty surprising.
We can expect to see all of their latest at the show including Halo: Reach, Gears of War 3, and whatever it is Rare might be working on currently. Of course the show floor will still have a bunch of space dedicated to Natal, but I just having a sneaking suspicion that Microsoft is up to something big.
Outside of the big three, I have no idea what else we might be seeing when we hit the show floor. All I know is that as the day approaches, my excitement is rising more and more.
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