Ground Punch’s E3 2016 Preview

EA will be the first to kick off E3 2016, deciding to not occupy their usual space in the LA Convention Center, but opting instead to host their own event, EA Live, at both LA and London. Regardless, they will still be hosting a press conference as per usual, although EA Live attendees will have the chance to go hands-on with several titles; including Battlefield 1, Titanfall 2, FIFA 17. All in all, we’re expecting the EA conference to be business as usual, save for the likes of Battlefield 1, and a few potential game announcements.

Confirmed / Highly Likely

The following games are either confirmed to be appearing at E3 2016, or are highly likely to appear.

Mass Effect Andromeda

The headline title for EA is without a doubt, Mass Effect Andromeda. The latest entry in the beloved franchise, we’ve seen little of Andromeda to date, save for sparse tidbits here and there. With a release window of “early 2017” Bioware is running out of time to showcase their next darling, so one can safely assume that Andromeda will be taking center stage at EA’s conference. As we’ve yet to meet the lead character, one could safely bet that we’ll finally see their face(s), and hear their voice(s). You could also expect a cinematic trailer, potentially followed by a gameplay demo. While a release date may be announced, there’s no pressing need to announce one for a game that is at least seven months away. Not to mention the ill-will garnered from announcing a release date too soon, and then having to delay.

Battlefield 1

As the game that currently owns the title for most-liked video game trailer on YouTube, you can bet Battlefield 1 will make an appearance.  With said trailer already revealed, I’m personally expecting EA to debut multiplayer, especially given that they’ve featured live Battlefield matches several times before. Given the game’s departure from traditional Battlefront, doubtless the community are nervous as to whether enough DNA from previous games remains. Another possibility is a single-player demo, given how many unknowns remain with regards to how DICE is going to handle WWI-style combat.

Star Wars Battlefront

Star Wars Battlefront has been another huge hit for EA, surpassing their sales estimations, with the most recent count hitting 14 million units shipped. As such, it seems inevitable that EA will wheel Battlefront out, if for no other reason than to say “Look at this game, it made us butt-loads of money!”. With three DLCs already planned, odds are we will see an in-look depth at the Bespin expansion, set to release this summer. It’s also possible we will see the first details for the Death Star expansion, dated for a Fall release. It is doubtful we will hear anything about the yet to be titled fourth expansion, penned for early 2017. Current rumors indicate that it will be based on the upcoming Rogue One movie, so doubtless EA is under heavy NDAs from Disney. At best we could hope for an official title, which should confirm or deny said rumors.

Titanfall 2

With a worldwide reveal of Titanfall 2 already dated for 12^th June (sound familiar?), betting against a trailer for Titanfall would be as foolish as betting that you won’t fall asleep during all of EA’s sports talk! Given that the lack of a campaign was a huge bane of the first game, a story trailer seems inevitable (probably covered with ‘facts’ about how long, revolutionary, and immersive the campaign is, depending on how thick Respawn want to lay it on). Harder to predict is how much of Titanfall 2’s multiplayer we will see. Despite the lack of a campaign being a common criticism, multiplayer is doubtless the main attraction, so it’s a difficult balance to strike. Honestly, it could be anything from a quick “The [Insert a sickening spool of self-flattery] multiplayer is available to play on the show floor”  to even an on-stage demo. I wish I could narrow the field down, but Titanfall 2’s multiplayer is a bit of a wildcard at this point in time.

Sports

As just aforementioned, a good chunk of EA’s conference will be dedicated to a bunch of games whose title’s all end in “17”. I’m just going to be honest here, I couldn’t give a rat’s ass about sports games, even if said rat had the Crown Jewels located south of its rectum. If you’ve seen an EA press conference before, you know what to expect. And if you haven’t, well then, prepare to meet a more effective sleep-inducer than Rock-a-Bye Baby!

Rumored

The following games are rumored to be at E3, mixed with a few guess from us, where we threw darts in the dark to see where they stuck.

Visceral Star Wars Project

We’ve known for a while that Visceral is working on a third person, action-style Star Wars game, with Amy Henning penning the story (creator of the Uncharted series). Currently, the game is slated for a 2018 release date (with Star Wars Battlefront 2 set to release next year) meaning we are potentially three E3s away from the game coming out. As such it may be too soon for an official reveal. We can hope for a teaser trailer, with maybe an official title, but expecting anything more seems to be an exercise in futility. As for Battlefront 2, an announcement seems foolish, knocking the wind out of the sails of any reveals for its prior.

Normally blazing through announcements at an alarming rate (especially for those of us covering the damn thing live!), Microsoft tend to put on a whirlwind show. This pace has increased over past years, with Phil Spencer re-focusing the Xbox brand as a platform primarily for video games, as well as an increased focus on indie games and third-party exclusives. The latter two have especially helped to create a more mysterious Microsoft, compared to the days of when one could predict their conference beat-for-beat. While there are remnants of that predictability—especially with the likes of Halo, Forza, and Gears—these days you can expect an out of left-field bombshell; like ReCore, or backwards compatibility.

Confirmed / Highly Likely

The following games are either confirmed to be appearing at E3 2016, or are highly likely to appear.

Gears of War 4

The headline game of Xbox’s fall line-up, Gear of War 4, is sure to pop-up at some point. We probably won’t see too much from Gears, since we saw a gameplay demo at last year’s E3, as well as a multiplayer beta towards the end of April—plus we have a good idea of when in the Gears timeline it will take place. We should expect to see however a gameplay/cinematic trailer teasing new story details. There is the potential that the trailer will end with a few words from beloved series lead, Marcus Fenix, although his inclusion (if he is included at all) might be something worth saving for the full release.

Crackdown 3

Crackdown 3 is another definite attendee. We’ve seen a few rather impressive trailers that focus on the insane destructibility on offer, but overall we’re a bit short on information given its Summer 2016 release window. On that note, we’re expecting a final release date, with a multiplayer demo seaming the most obvious accompaniment. While there is a single-player element to Crackdown 3, the multiplayer elements are able to take advantage of cloud processing, which—according to Microsoft—will provide 20x the power of an Xbox One. Most of this power is being used to increase physics modeling and render speeds, allowing for the aforementioned destruction. As such, if Microsoft wants to show off Crackdown in it’s most graphically impressive form, single player footage could be locked in the basement until launch.

Sea of Thieves

Sea of Thieves is a stylish, pirate-themed MMO, being developed by Rare (whose 30 years heritage includes Battletoads, GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, Perfect Dark, and Viva Piñata, to name but a few titles), first revealed at E3 last year. While no official release date has been announced, the game is suggested to release later this year. As such, Sea of Thieves is bound to make an appearance, especially since we know so little of how the game functions, being an MMO and all. We are expecting, at the very least, a release window—if the game is to release this year, expect a final release date—with the possibility of extended gameplay, so that we begin to wrap our heads around exactly what pirate antics we will be getting up to. If, for some reason, Sea of Thieves fails to emerge at E3, I’d be led to think that trouble is afoot at Rare, a studio that has notably struggled over the past few years. Another strong possibility is a beta for Sea of Thieves, especially given the network demands of an MMO—potentially a “And it’s available right now!” announcement.

Forza Horizon 3

Forza has been an annualized series since 2011, with developers Turn 10 and Playground Games alternating to release their Motorsport and Horizon titles respectively. As such, the reveal of Forza Horizon 3 next week is a fairly safe bet. Our expectations include a reveal trailer—most likely showcasing Horizon 3’s open world, and the total car count— a release date and potentially the cover art. Given the bi-annual nature of the releases, it’s hard to expect that Horizon 3 will showcase any groundbreaking new features, especially given the Horizon 2 only saw minor improvements over its (albeit excellent) predecessor.

Halo Wars 2

Announced at Gamescom last year, Halo Wars 2 is set for a 2016 release, granting yet another guaranteed seat at the table. With only a brief teaser trailer released, a gameplay trailer seems the most likely reveal. No doubt Microsoft will go over improvements to the gameplay, and you can also expect they’ll add in a number of extract features. We are also anticipating a release date, probably towards the end of summer, given that a strategy game on console will struggle to find traction amongst the deluge of AAA titles that release in the Fall.

Cuphead & Below

The two Xbox exclusive indie darlings , Cuphead & Below, are bound to make an appearance at E3. We’ve seen copious amounts from both games, and have been waiting equally copious amounts of time for both to release. Quite frankly, we don’t want to see anything new from either game, other than a final release date, so that we can get to playing them already!

Microsoft has also taken several steps towards improving ID@Xbox, so fingers crossed more great Indies will get thrown in the mix with the bigger announcements, especially in the wake of Ori and the Blind Forest’s success.

ReCore

Considering ReCore has a release date of Spring 2016, we are certain that we will see a robot dog on Monday. That said, between Spring ending on the Sunday after E3, its subsequent radio silence and the already chockablock fall line-up, odds are it’s delayed—unless of course ReCore is an “And it’s available right now!” style announcement. In terms of what we will see from ReCore, a gameplay trailer seems the most likely. Given that ReCore is a more niche title, a full gameplay demo seems more suited to Microsoft’s Gamescom conference. We’ll also get a release date, although the pessimist in me is going to guess that said release date will end in the number 17.

Xbox Slim

Another reveal that would seem to be set in stone is a revised model of the Xbox One. Minor hardware revisions—that normally result in consoles getting smaller—have existed for decades, not to mention the evidence produced from the rumour mill and leak bakery store. If you still need convincing, at the end of last month Microsoft temporarily dropped the price of the Xbox One to $299, as well as all bundles by $50, with the promotion ending on 13^th June, a date that sounds familiar? Outside of seeing exactly what form the Xbox Slim will take, we should also get a release date and price point, with the potential for bundle announcements (particularly a Gears of War 4 special edition console), and multiple SKU’s (E.g. Elite, 1TB, and 2TB). Perhaps more intriguing. Far less certain, however, is the potential of an official reveal for Xbox Scorpio—although more on that in the rumoured section below.

Rumored

The following games are rumored to be at E3, mixed with a few Ground Punch guesses (where we threw darts in the dark to see where they stuck).

Delays

Despite the fact that Gears of War 4, Crackdown 3, Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 3, and Halo Wars 2 are all dated for 2016 releases, it seems unlikely that all five will hit, if for no other reason than to spread out Microsoft’s release schedule. Likewise, despite being all listed in our confirmed/highly likely category, Microsoft may choose to not bring at least one of these games to E3, saving them for Gamescom instead. The difficulty lies in identifying which games may get benched, with Sea of Thieves, and Halo Wars 2 seemingly the most likely candidates. If we’re wrong on the other hand, Microsoft has the makings of one of the most stellar Fall line-ups in recent memory.

 Scalebound

While we would usually expect to see every game releasing within a twelve month period to make an appearance at E3, we have a suspicion Scaelbound will not appear this year. For a start, the game has already been delayed to 2017, with no season pinned down. As such, it’s quite possible Platinum knocked the game back to summer or even fall 2017. Then there’s the fact that Platinum hasn’t exactly been performing too well recently, the most recent example being Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan. Our own Jeremy Winslow gave the game a 2.0; “Sadly, an uneventful narrative, chaotic combat, meager enemy variety, frustrating boss fights, and an omission of local co-op make this game one of the worst in PlatinumGames’ portfolio.” (you can read his full review here), an opinion echoed by most critics. The Legend of Korra fared equally poorly, with Transformers: Devastation performing somewhat better, though still splitting critical opinion—not great for a studio that used to be all but universally loved by said critics. The one caveat to the aforementioned games is that fact that they were all licensed games, arguably side projects. However, that argument only holds weight if Platinum’s heavy hitters can actually, you know, hit. As such, Platinum may wish to take extra time to ensure Scalebound has the levels of polish that their games are typically know for.

Dead Rising 4

Leaked images (below) have emerged, supposedly revealing Dead Rising 4. This has led to speculation that Dead Rising 4 will be officially announced at Microsoft’s E3 conference— most likely through a gameplay trailer. The image indicates that series protagonist, Frank West, will return. It is also suggested that the game is set in Willamette, Colorado, the location of the first game. These rumors are certainly believable; considering Dead Rising 3 was an Xbox One launch title, we are due for a sequel. That said, thanks to modern technologies, photographic evidence in 2016 is about as trustworthy as the school snitch, leaving this one very much up in the air.

Xbox Scorpio

Rumored to have a 2017 release date, the Xbox Scorpio (codename) is purportedly set to be revealed at E3 this year. Speculation also claims that the box will be roughly 4x more powerful as current-gen consoles, and 1.5x times more powerful than the PlayStation Neo. In terms of what we will see from Scorpio at E3, other than an official announcement it’s hard to give accurate predictions. The problem with predicting what we will see from Scorpio lies in estimating how close to completion the device is. For instance, it would be foolish for Microsoft to announce specs if they’re not final—potentially creating the problem of under delivering on initial promises. An alternative would be to announce minimum specs, but then you run the risk of people assuming their new hardware is not up to scratch. Again, without finalised specs, revealing the box design would be impractical—at best they could reveal concept art.

As such, we’re assuming that Microsoft will instead simply announce Scorpio (under its official title), providing details on how it will integrate with the current Xbox ecosystem (such as announcing that Xbox One games will run on Scorpio), and make some rough allusions to how powerful the system will be. We may also get a tease for one, maybe even a couple, of Scorpio exclusive games. That said, overall we doubt Microsoft will spend too much time on a console that isn’t coming this year, focusing instead on the one that is available to buy.

Ubisoft will doubtlessly rely on the same cadence they have struck the past few years, marrying expected reveals with a few surprises tossed in here and there, and then the big “And one more thing” to wrap it all up. Aisha Tyler will be ‘reprising’ her role as Ubi-host, so expect the usual dashes of off-page humor. As for the games, we have a pretty good idea of what we’ll see—the big question is, what will be the “one more thing” show closer?

Confirmed / Highly Likely

The following games are either confirmed to be appearing at E3 2016, or are highly likely to appear.

For Honor

One of Ubisoft’s biggest surprises in recent years, For Honor is the game we are most interested in seeing. We are hoping for a 2016 release, although the first few months of the year have been kind to new IPs of late. Not to mention that Ubisoft has a tendency to announce games years before their final release—which suggests an appearance is guaranteed, in spite of which decade For Honor finally releases in. Additionally, while we could be waiting alot longer for For Honor’s release, Ubisoft should give us at least a release window to work with—the lack of which would certainly suggest a late 2017/2018 release.

In terms of what we are expecting to see, new details on single player tops the list. Previously thought to be a multiplayer only title, Ubisoft confirmed during last year’s E3 that the game would indeed have a single player campaign, even reiterating the point in January; “…I can promise you that we will have a solo campaign. It’s one of the key subjects we are working on…” The most obvious form for this to take is a gameplay trailer, although a gameplay demo is also a possibility (though we suspect we may get a deeper look at multiplayer instead, given that it would appear to be the game’s main focus). Additionally, we may get a more in-depth look at either the three factions or more character class reveals, as seen at Tokyo Game Show.

WATCH_DOGS 2

[UPDATE: 11^th June]: Ubisoft has revealed WATCH_DOGS 2, confirming that the game will have a new protagonist, Marcus Holloway, and showcasing the much needed gameplay improvements. Also revealed was a 15^th November release date, for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. As such, we’re now expecting a gameplay demo, in addition to a story trailer, so that we can find out more about Marcus, and his involvement with Dedsec.

Original content reads…

Ubisoft announced on Monday 6^th June that there will be a live stream to officially reveal WATCH_DOGS 2, taking place on Wednesday at 5PM BST / 11AM CST. Once the live stream has concluded we will update with our new predictions. Until then, you can read our previous predictions, as they stood before Monday, below.

At this point a certainty, that WATCH_DOGS 2 will appear at E3 has long be alleged—not to mention that Ubisoft hasn’t exactly hidden the game’s existence. Our main expectation is that we will meet the new protagonist, given the universal hatred of Aiden Pearce—hopefully someone with at least a smattering of charisma or personality. The game will most likely be revealed with a gameplay demo, showcasing the significant upgrades that many are expecting from WATCH_DOGS 2 after the first game underwhelmed on initial promises, although whether we should believe anything we see in a WATCH_DOGS trailer is another matter! Personally, all I’m hoping for is that Ubisoft drops the caps and underscore. A release date is hard to predict, since there is no Assassin’s Creed releasing this year, although it is uncharacteristic for Ubisoft to release a game in the same year it is announced. Aside from this Fall, mid/late-spring, (when the original Watch_Dogs released) or fall next year come to mind.

Ghost Recon: Wildlands

Revealed at last year’s conference as the “And one more thing”, tradition (and common sense) dictates the game will return to E3 2016. The main detail we’re expecting is a release date, given that both the reveal trailer, and the “We are Ghosts” trailer failed to display even a release window. That said, we’re suspect the game will come out in 2017, as has been circulating. One of the key aspects of Ghost Recon games is the inclusion of almost science-fiction levels of future tech, and as such is the one of the main game features we’re excited to hear more about. We’re also looking forward to seeing more of the game’s open world—especially since it’s the first time the game has gone open world—and the vein of activities/side missions on offer. You can also expect some more details on the co-op elements of the game. A final possibility is a beta, although far from a certainty. That said, betas are good marketing tools, allowing hype to build for a game ahead of release.

The Division: Underground

Already announced to be coming in June (to Xbox One at least) is The Division’s first expansion, Underground. We’re expecting new details such as the new highest Gear Score, a look at the new Gear Sets, and details on the new Incursion. We’re also expecting a look at the campaign content that will be included, as well as updates to the Dark Zone. We doubt there will be a gameplay demo, since developer Massive Entertainment demos significant portions of new gameplay in it’s weekly “State of the Game” Twitch streams, expecting the standard trailer instead. We’re also doubtful that the June release date will be met, considering the avalanche of bugs and glitches that have plagued the previous two major content updates—expecting to see a revised release date of, at the earliest, July.

Rainbow Six Siege: Operator Reveal

We doubt Ubisoft will spend much time on Rainbow Six Siege, considering that the game released last year, with no paid content updates planned. That said, Ubisoft have promised that eight new operators would come to Siege, with four of the eight already released. Doubtless we will see the reveal of at least two new operators (the operators release in pairs), if not all four, with their accompanying map(s)—accompanied by a reminder that you can unlock new operators early, and without having to accumulate asinine levels of in-game currency, by purchasing the season pass.

Rumored

The following games are rumored to be at E3, mixed with a few Ground Punch guesses (where we threw darts in the dark to see where they stuck).

Assassin’s Creed

Yes, there is no Assassin’s Creed game releasing in 2016, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see the new game at E3 2016. While it may seem unlikely, it is possible that we will get a tease for the new Assassin’s Creed, most likely a thirty-second trailer, that reveals the time period, location, and identity of the new Assassin. Rumours and leaks have already suggested that the new game will take place in Ancient Egypt, so assuming they’re true, a teaser trailer won’t exactly be ‘spoiling’ any details about the game.

There is also the Assassin’s Creed movie, which may make an appearance at E3 with a new trailer.

Far Cry 5

The main difficulty in predicting whether Far Cry 5 will make an appearance lies in the complicated release schedule of the series. Technically speaking, there has been a Far Cry release every year since 2012’s Far Cry 3. However, that’s counting both 2013’s Blood Dragon and 2016’s Primal, the former of which was not a full release, with the status of Primal highly debated. Despite being a 25+ hour game, many argue that Primal is not a ‘full’ release, with less content than the numbered entries, the lack of multiplayer, (although that may have been Ubisoft attempting to save money, because who buys Far Cry to play multiplayer? It was also the approach taken with 2015’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate ) and even claims that the game re-used Far Cry 4’s open-world. If Primal is to be counted as a spin-off, then we are certainly due for a new Far Cry, and if not, we then need to look at how Primal impacted the development schedule for Far Cry 5. Primal released in 2016, so given that 4 released in 2014, and 3 in 2012, it would appear the series releases bi-annually, queuing 5 up for a 2018 release – which one assumes is too far off for any reveal to occur. Assuming the case the Primal was closer to a spin-off title and a full release, then expect a cinematic trailer, revealing the game’s location and villain.

Aside from a Far Cry 5 reveal, there is also a possibility of additional content being announced for Primal, albeit a faint one. If such content were to exist, it is uncharacteristic for Ubisoft to remain silent, although they may have either been waiting for the additional attention of their E3 stage to make such an announcement or waiting to how the game performed in terms of sales, before green-lighting the project. At the very least it’s fun to speculate, and hey, if any of the above does transpire, you heard it here first!

The “And one more thing”

Both Assassin’s Creed and Far Cry 5 have potential as Ubisoft’s, “one more thing”, but my money is on a new Splinter Cell game. With Blacklist, the most recent entry in the series, released in 2013, it is prime time for a new release. Extended gameplay demo seems the most likely reveal, given that both previous “And one more thing”‘s (Rainbow Six Siege [2014], and Ghost Recon: Wildlands [2015]) have focused on gameplay. Alternatively, we could see a new IP.

The most difficult part of predicting Sony’s E3 conference this year, is attempting to work out the balance they will strike between time dedicated to hardware and time dedicated to software. We already know that PlayStation VR will be launching this October, with rumors afoot that Sony will release an upgraded PS4 alongside. PlayStation VR is particularly difficult to predict, given the fact that it doesn’t demo well on screen, but will struggle to find an audience without high levels of marketing. And even on the software side, Sony remains unpredictable. Yes, we know that Last Guardian, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and God of War 4 will all be making appearances, but then there are wildcards, such as Sony Bend’s unannounced game.

Confirmed / Highly Likely

The following games are either confirmed to be appearing at E3 2016, or are highly likely to appear.

PlayStation VR

With both price and release date announced, we’re expecting Sony to use E3 as the platform to convince us to purchase PlayStation VR in the fall. The conference will probably kick off with PlayStation VR, and then lead into an announcement for PlayStation Neo (more on PlayStation Neo next). We’re expecting at least 30 minutes to be dedicated to VR, showcasing  games like RIGS Mechanized Combat League, Robinson the Journey, and Golem. Hopefully, we’ll get release dates for all of the aforementioned games. As for how these games will be showcased, we’re unsure. We’re hoping Sony will just use recorded gameplay footage, considering that the last time they demoed PlayStation VR on stage, it was more disjointed than Donald Trump’s relationship with Mexico. Then of course, there are bound to be new games announced, with Media Molecule and Sony Japan seeming the most likely first party studios to reveal VR games. Sucker Punch has also been silent since 2014, so maybe they will make an appearance?

We then expect VR to remain a part of the conference, with several already announced titles revealing they will support PlayStation VR/PlayStation VR features, and the same for new game announcements.

PlayStation Neo

[UPDATE: 11^th June]: Sony’s Andrew House has confirmed that a “high-end” version of the PlayStation 4 exists, via a recent interview with the Financial Times. He confirmed that the high-end PS4 will not be at E3, but that it will cost more than the current PS4’s $350 price.

Original content reads…

Perhaps the most coherent game of Chinese whispers, at this point the PlayStation Neo is inevitably real. Revealed, collaborated, and consolidated by multiple sources, the Neo looks set for a release between September and the launch of PlayStation VR, touting improved graphical performance and the ability to up-res to an approximation of 4K output. With that said, it’s not a question of if the Neo will be unveiled at E3, but rather how. As such, we are expecting several details, including; final name, price, release date and specs, although some details may be saved for Gamescom/Paris Games Week.

We’re also interested in how the Neo will be revealed, considering that releasing a performance-improving hardware revision just two and half years after the PlayStation 4 was released, is bound to garner ill-will. The difficulty Sony faces is in convincing audiences why they need to upgrade to the Neo, without alienating significant portions of their audience. For instance, one of the big questions we have is; will gameplay demo/trailers use PlayStation 4 hardware, or PlayStation Neo hardware? It will also be interesting to see how much PlayStation VR is integrated into the announcement of Neo, given that VR performance demands is the prime rationale behind Neo’ development.

God of War 4

The highly anticipated God of War 4 was officially announced last year, in so much as Santa Monica Studios admitted they were working on a new God of War title. Since then, several sources have suggested that the game will shift from centering on Greek mythology to Norse mythology. As such, expect the reveal of new locations, characters, and enemies to be front and centre stage when God of War shows up next week, in either a cinematic trailer or gameplay demo. In the case of the latter, we would be excited to learn about any changes made to the combat. That said, whether Santa Monica is ready to show of gameplay will depend on how close they are to release—although they have been working on the game for several years, and thus a release next year is expected. It’s also been rumoured that Kratos will be returning as the series’ protagonist, so we should get a confirmation on that—and hopefully some evidence that he’s had a personality transplant during his journey to the world of the Norse gods.

Horizon: Zero Dawn

On Monday 6^th June a new trailer for Horizon: Zero Dawn released, showcasing several new details (that the main plot will revolve Alloy uncovering the forbidden secrets of the “Old Ones” in an attempt to uncover who her mother was, and that you can ride the robot dinosaurs), as well as announcing a delayed release date of 28^th February [US], 1^st March [EU], and 3^rd March [UK] 2017. Also announced was a collector’s edition, featuring a 9″ statue, art book, in-game items and more.

We had originally been expecting to see a story trailer at E3, as well as receiving a release date. However, taking the recent announcement into consideration, we are now expecting to see a gameplay demo that will showcase several of the game’s RPG features, and perhaps more details on dinosaur riding. We may also find out more about the several clans that exist in the game, given that the trailer footage and dialogue suggest that your adversaries may extent beyond mechanical creatures. In their recent blog post, Guerrilla Games gave no indication as to whether the game would or would not appear at E3, although we suspect they would have informed us if the game was not due to make an appearance.

The Last Guardian

Multiple inside sources have confirmed for us that The Last Guardian has been delayed by at least a year, possibly more, and will therefore not appear at E3 2016.

Had you going there, right? In all seriousness though, The Last Guardian needs to come out already! A story trailer and extended gameplay demo are both strong bets, with a final release date (hopefully!) a guarantee. In terms of the gameplay demo, hopefully, we get a better idea of how the interactions between Trico and the (unnamed) boy will work, and perhaps a peek at some new areas.

Dreams

One of the game’s I’m most excited to see is also one we’re still relatively in the dark about—Dreams. We now know the concept is a pseudo-game maker, where creators can either create their own game assets, and/or import other players creations, to create custom game levels. What is particularly interesting about this approach is that it allows you to only (should you desire) create content that you excel at creating. i.e. if you’re really good at designing levels, but atrocious at character models, you can just import the character models that an incredibly talented artist has created (at least in theory!). That said, there are still several unknowns about Dreams. For instance, how extensive will the pre-built levels be, and mechanically how will they play? Then there’s the question of Move controller integration—which we have seen being used to sculpt models—and if there are Move exclusive features. Dreams also looks to be the perfect game for VR, although no announcements have been made on that front. Finally, there’s the question of that pesky release date. Fingers crossed we get some answers next week.

Gran Turismo Sport

Despite several details being announced at a reveal event in London only a few weeks ago, we’re confident Gran Turimso Sport will appear on stage next week. We assume that we won’t get too many new details about the game, especially given that Sport is doubling down on the eSport elements of the game, thus potentially narrowing its audience. Certainly if simulation games are not your cup of tea, Sport will be your least favorite entry in a series that you’ve probably never played. But joking aside, most likely all we will see from Sport is a very gorgeous trailer, and some VR gameplay/information, with the nitty gritty details being revealed to a more catered audience.

No Man’s Sky

Even before its heartbreaking delay, No Man’s Sky was set to release post-E3, with Sony’s press conference giving the game one final push before launch. In that respect, I doubt either Sony’s or Hello Games’ plans for E3 have changed since the delay. As for what we will see from No Man’s Sky, I honestly have no idea; it’s a game we’ve seen and heard about for years now, while still knowing next to nothing about the moment to moment gameplay, or the desperately required ‘hook’! Also worth bringing up is the possibility that the game will support PlayStation VR, although once again, I’m pretty lacking insight. Clearly the best solution is a coin toss.

Final Fantasy

Closely associated with the PlayStation brand, Final Fantasy will most likely make an appearance. That said, we’re not 100% certain that we’ll see an appearance from XV, given the Uncovered event that took place only a few months ago in March, not to mention that the game is over a year away from release. More likely is footage from Final Fantasy VII: Remake, even if it serves as nothing more than a crowd pleaser. The optimists in us are hoping for a release date for the first ‘episode’ (and the super optimists in us are hoping they’ll drop the episodic crap!). Other than that, any inclusions of Final Fantasy VII should be fairly easy to predict as full of nostalgia; drawing on the soundtrack, and familiar characters/locations to really get the blood pumping. The most obvious way to showcase the game would be delving deeper into the new battle system,  or laying out a clearer vision of how exactly the aforementioned episodic crap will play out from a game design perspective.

With all that said, it is possible there will be no appearance from Final Fantasy, saving such reveals for either Tokyo Game Show (although Sony’s presence at TGS has slowly been decreasing), or PlayStation Experience later in the year.

Destiny Expansion

[UPDATED: 11^th June]: Bungie revealed Destiny: Rise of Iron, confirming it’s title, and that it will have a Fallen-themed raid. With the exception of those confirmations, our prediction remains mostly the same. Bungie also heavily hinted that they will be showing more of the game off, at one of the E3 press conferences, guess which one!

Original content reads…

Activision and Sony have made rather comfortable bed-fellows, especially when it comes to Destiny. The next big Destiny release is Rise of Iron [leaked title], which is said to be bigger than the first two DLCs—Dark Below and House of Wolves—combined, with the possibility of a Fallen-themed raid. Doubtless the close association between Activision and Sony will continue, with at the very least details on the latest PlayStation exclusive content. It’s worth noting that Rise of Iron will not be revealed at Sony’s stage, with Bungie announcing that a reveal stream will take place this Thursday (9^th June), though that’s not to say more details won’t be revealed at E3.

Additionally, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will no doubt take to Sony’s stage, given that early access to map packs on PS4 has already been announced. We expect the usual style of announcements and hopefully a decent trailer. The Modern Warfare remaster may also show up, although the focus will probably be on Infinite Warfare. Taking a random stab in the dark, however, we may, unfortunately, see an exclusive Modern Warfare map for PlayStation only.

Rumored

The following games are rumored to be at E3, mixed with a few guess from us, where we threw darts in the dark to see where they stuck.

Sony Bend Project

There’s not much to say other than the title. We’ve known for some time that Sony Bend, developer of Uncharted: Golden Abyss for PS Vita, has been working on a PlayStation 4 title. As to what that game will be, your guess is as good as mine. We don’t even know if Bend will be showing up at E3. It’s worth noting that Sony like to hold back smaller announcements for either Gamescom (Sony chose to present at Paris Games Week last year, instead of Gamescom) or PlayStation Experience—bringing mostly the big guns to E3. Given Bend’s lack of prestige, it’s possible their game will be announced later in the year, or maybe sometime in the year 2117.

Sucker Punch Project

With inFAMOUS: Second Son releasing March 2014, and its DLC inFAMOUS: First Light releasing the following autumn, Sucker Punch have been silent for some years now. As such, its about time we got at least a tease for their new game—if not a more in-depth look, assuming a late 2017/early 2018 release. In terms of what their new game could be, several rumors are afoot. The most obvious suggestion would be a fourth inFAMOUS game. The story of Second Son is certainly left open for exploration with either Delsin, or Abigail (the protagonist of Second Son), and the franchise certainly has a fan base. On the other hand, rumors have been circulating that Sucker Punch are working on a new Spider-Man game. The case for the latter being true certainly has some merit, with Spider-Man being re-re-booted in Marvel’s Civil War, not to mention that Sony still hold the rights to the character. Then there’s the fact that Sucker Punch has more than a little prestige when it comes to creating superhero games. Of course, both could be wrong, with Sucker Punch opting to create a new IP instead. Finally, there is the chance that Sucker Punch’s new game will be VR based—at the very least the timelines sync up nicely. All in all, your guess is as good as ours, but we’re fairly confident the studio will reveal its hand next week.

Wild

With no release date yet announced, Wild is a game we’re not certain we will even see at E3 2016. Should it turn up, however, we’ll be expecting to learn the release window—if not a full release date. You can expect to see a gameplay demo, given that Paris Games Week’s offering only gave us a quick glance at how Wild functions. Particularly interesting is the lack of a set narrative, allowing the player to act more or less as they please. Hopefully, we can also gain an insight into how deep these levels of player choice go. That said, overall we’re predicting a 2017 release, potentially early 2018, and as such, believe we’ll next see Wild later in the year, or even not till next year.

Detroit: Become Human

The biggest surprise of Paris Games Week, Detroit: Become Human, is Quantum Dream’s next game (known of course for Heavy Rain and BEYOND: Two Souls). With only a cinematic trailer released to date, it’s hard to gauge how far along in development Detroit is. We also have no release window for the game, so it could be as far as two years off. As such, that the game will even appear is a country mile from being certain. That said, we’re hopeful to get any scraps of information we can, especially a release window – which we’re assuming will lie in the late 2017 region. We may also see some gameplay, which will hopefully showcase improvements on BEYOND: Two Souls.

Persona 5

Another popular JRPG, we’re up in the air as to whether Persona 5 will make an appearance at E3. Our main concerns lie around the readiness of the English dub. Typically localizations aren’t done till after the Japanese release of the game. And so the question comes down to whether Sony had the gumption to debut a Japanese trailer. We also have the same concerns as we had with Final Fantasy—i.e. that it will be saved for TGS or PSX.  That said, should we see the game at E3, we’ll be wanting a demonstration of the battle system—especially as either a narrator or on-screen text could then be used to explain the ongoings in English.

Oh poor Nintendo, no long list of games here—although a considerably healthier list than the originally planned Zelda-only approach. Opting for two days of Treehouse: Live, Nintendo is as hard to predict as it is to get excited for their mostly tepid line-up. Nevertheless, here’s what we are expecting from Nintendo at E3.

First off, it’s worth noting that there will be no Nintendo Direct, as has been the norm these past few years. Instead, they will be hosting a full day of Treehouse: Live, which will take place at the following times:-

PST: Tuesday 9AM     CST: Tuesday 11AM
EST: Tuesday 12PM     BST: Tuesday 5PM..

Nintendo has already announced that their next console, the NX, will not be making an appearance. That said, some have perpetuated that this is merely a red herring, or that following the negative reaction to the news, Nintendo has since changed tact. Personally, we don’t think these rumours hold much water, but we do entertain them for a moment later on.

Confirmed

The following games have all been confirmed to appear at Nintendo’s E3 booth, with a strong chance that they will also appear at Treehouse: Live

Zelda

Having previously been the only game Nintendo was going to showcase at E3, Zelda is without a doubt the main attraction. Live extended gameplay demos are a certainty, with Nintendo already announcing that their demo for attendees could take up to 90 minutes to complete. We’re also lacking in the trailer department, so a new gameplay trailer can be expected with relative confidence

Pokémon Moon & Sun

With Pokémon Moon and Sun, we’re unsure if we will see live gameplay demos, but it would allow them to showcase new Pokémon, as well as new multiplayer features—specifically any improvements to trading and battling. It would also allow them to showcase the new region; Alola. Certainly, if we do see gameplay demos, they will take place well within the first few hours of the game so as to not reveal too much. A trailer is a possibility, although we have seen three trailers for the game already. The main reveal we are hoping for is, again, a look at some new Pokémon critters, with perhaps a closer look at the starters’ evolved forms.

Monster Hunter Generations

Hard to say what we will see from Monster Hunter Generations, considering that the game released in Japan at the end of November last year under the title Monster Hunter X. Given that Treehouse: Live will be an all-day event, we’re expecting lengthy gameplay demos, most likely of the co-op variety. There’s also the possibility of a new trailer, and the special edition 3DS might be shown off as well.

For completeness sake, the following games will also be at Treehouse: Live, although we lack the expertise to feel confident in making comments/predictions;-

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past (3DS)
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (Wii U)

Rumoured: NX

Below we entertain potential NX appearances, an unlikely occurrence, but nevertheless a fun one to speculate on.

The big question, if the NX were to show up, is what form would such a reveal take? Having previously announced that the NX would not be at E3 (red herring or not), this means that any reveal would have to be relatively small. As such, we’re narrowed it down to one of two possibilities (albeit unlikely ones). The first possibility is a thirty-second trailer for a new NX game. Teasers are somewhat non-committal, and it would allow Nintendo to titillate fans, without taking anything away from the Wii U and 3DS games on show. The second—far less likely—possibility, is that we will actually see the NX box at Treehouse: Live. While just showing off a box doesn’t reveal too much information, the NX has long been rumored to be a somewhat untraditional console—such as suggestions that NX is a home-handheld console hybrid—with some supporting evidence; “It’s a new way of playing games, which I think will have a larger impact than the Wii U, but I don’t feel it’s a pure replacement for the Wii U.” As such, it may be too difficult to just reveal the look of the box(es?), raising burning questions that people would want instant answers to.