Mark Botwright
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There's nothing like a fresh batch of hardware to get the gaming juices flowing, and with the criticism that E3 (the Electronics Entertainment Expo) has become increasingly predictable in recent years, the impetus of two major console manufacturers eager to slug it out for your hard earned money is an appetising prospect; just what the show needs. So, what can we expect?
Microsoft, fresh from a post-One reveal PR nightmare, will hopefully have been suitably chastened by the coldcock they received at the venomous fingertips of furious gamers taking to forums and social networking to vent their frustration at the perceived signposts on the path to a licence-based console gaming future.
Since the hurried mixed message interviews - desperately trying to set the record straight about DRM, Kinect's integration and the console's online status without actually confirming or denying anything - it's been radio silence from Redmond, with the only comment being that E3 will bring games, games, and games. Good. But if ill feeling isn't to breed any further, clarification must be forthcoming, otherwise all that's laid out could still be viewed through the prism of internet rage. Clear up DRM, trading games and how often the console has to log in to MS central, and hopefully everyone can get back to chatting about the exclusives. But which of the mooted fifteen exclusives - eight of which are new IPs - for the One can we expect to see other than the already shown Quantum Break?
It's established to roll out one big shooter, racing game and footy title, both Sony and Microsoft are reliant upon EA for the latter but have exclusives for the former two genres. Drive Club and Killzone: Shadowfall (Sony) will no doubt go toe to toe with Forza and, fingers crossed, whatever weapons-fuelled blaster Black Tusk have up their sleeves for Microsoft. If that doesn't materialise, the One can always attempt to fall back on the timed exclusivity of Call of Duty: Ghosts' downloadable content. For all the valiant attempts to create a perceived chasm in shooting titles offered, it may be that Battlefield 4 and Bungie's Destiny - both set to be multiformat - steal most of the limelight. That is, unless Fallout 4 arrives.
So, that's a couple of One exclusives, but what of the rest? Well, eagle-eyed viewers of the reveal noted the presence of a Crackdown orb on the dashboard behind Yusuf Mehdi, so that's a distinct possibility. As is the inevitability of a raft of the fifteen being titles designed to finally convince all and sundry that the Kinect, in its new 2.0 form, is far from the family-oriented clunky gimmick many have written it off as in its current guise.
The key for Microsoft will be to act like there was a masterplan all along. Tell the world that they got the boring media-centric fluff out of the way, not to indicate what market the console would be aimed at but rather to clear space so as to keep E3 solely for games. With Sony set to finally unveil their box at the show, and having been less than forthcoming with details regarding functionality, it could prove to be a sound decision, as the Japanese company faces the prospect of filling half a presentation with the same material that saw the One reveal so derided. The first mention of multitasking and web browsers will draw a collective sigh.
Sony keeping schtum has been interpreted by some as taking the high road regarding DRM. However, there's a very real possibility that the decision to enforce such a measure emanates equally from the large publishers, eager to find a way to break the current business model of expanding budgets and risk taking by clawing further money back from second hand sales. It's a contentious point, but were Sony to follow suit, it wouldn't be a huge surprise.
The big moment will undoubtedly be the unveiling of the PS4 itself. The blurry teaser gave little away, other than it looks black and boxy, so perhaps the likenesses to Microsoft's console - already set to house very similar architecture - will keep coming.
There's no better time to try to stress a difference though, and Sony have a couple of weapons in their arsenal. Firstly, they have a very capable portable format in the shape of the Vita, that looks to offer second screen functionality - a move that simultaneously aims a well placed slap in the direction of Nintendo's GamePad and Microsoft's SmartGlass, as well as being intended to boost sales of the handheld. Then you've got the misstep of Microsoft, not allowing indie games to be self published, and Sony can play both the sleek tech and humbly egalitarian cards at the same time. An open goal, providing they haven't already shot themselves in the foot with a DRM, ever-connected or PS Eye-is-required shaped bullet.
Games-wise the already mentioned Drive Club, Killzone: Shadowfall and Final Fantasy should provide the main eye candy, hopefully of the gameplay variety and not carefully edited footage. Infamous: Second Son is one of the few third person titles we yet know about for either console and it's sure to be pushed. Speculation that Naughty Dog - masters of the genre - may have something for the PS4 could be wide of the mark, what with The Last of Us only just hitting shelves for the PS3. Sony aren't exactly low on studios who could bring something new though, with Santa Monica, Media Molecule and Ready at Dawn all possible entries, but it's worth noting that in the run up to the PS4 launch Sony will likely hold some news back for Gamescom and the Video Game Awards.
The PS3 will obviously continue to play a big part in Sony's show, but the amount of completely new titles may be dwindling at this point, Gran Turismo 6, Metal Gear Solid V: The Interminable Title - sorry, The Phantom Pain and Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn tick the returning fan-favourite sequels box, whilst David Cage's Beyond: Two Souls offers at least one standout new IP.
One company that'll be eager to capitalise on the second hand games furore will be Nintendo. The Wii U is faltering and needs a healthy dose of positivity. A price cut, perhaps a streamlining of the two SKUs to one affordable package (who needs a GamePad stand?) with a game code in the box would do nicely.
With the new Zelda for the Wii U taking a while, the appeasement of a HD redux of Wind Waker is a fair stopgap. We can expect to see lots more of the old guard as well, with a certain Italian plumber featuring heavily - a new Smash Bros, Mario and Mario Kart all look to be on the cards. Third party support also looks reasonable, with The Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 2 and Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem.
Oh, and don't forget the 3DS, which has recovered from an inauspicious start to gather momentum. Nintendo used their recent Nintendo Direct broadcast to show footage of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 5 and Monster Hunter 4, and you wouldn't bet against a new Professor Layton and Zelda title making an appearance. They may not favour the event - this year eschewing the grandstanding of a large presentation - but Nintendo know their fans.
Those more at home with a keyboard and mouse may not see the greatest coverage aimed towards their favoured machine, but quality rather than quantity may be the order of the day this year. The long journey for the DayZ standalone to make it to retail looks to be nearing an end, as it'll be playable at E3; considering this mere mod made many a game of the year list - against stiff competition - it shouldn't go unheralded. Want more shooting? ARMA 3 should tick that box.
If you needed any further prompting that the PC was still the place to be for social gaming, look no further than Elder Scrolls Online; The Old Republic may have dulled the appetite for such titles, but this still has the potential to get the formula right.
As ever, some publishers walk the line between allegiances, and it'll be strange to see so much attention aimed towards the exclusives when arguably the biggest AAA titles will be multiformat. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (sadly not the Henry Rollins sim I was hoping for), CoD: Ghosts (now with added dogs) and Batman: Arkham Origins are the big three colon-heavy sequels expected to wow.
If you want to put your money on a showstopper though, a cut-scene laden further peek at any new Metal Gear Solid game garners huge - and predictable - praise, whilst Thief has the ability to steal a few hearts. And then there's the possibility of Fallout 4, which could push even Battlefield 4 to one side as the game of choice for early adopters, were it to make the PS4/One launch windows.
A left field punt at an outsider to get tongues wagging is Killer is Dead on the 360 and PS3, a spiritual successor to the cult Killer 7 Gamecube title. Though not confirmed at this point, an appearance from a Suda 51 game that looks every inch the stylised antidote to the formulaic appeal of the industry event could help the oddball gaming auteur finally get the hit his work deserves.
Sadly Valve have already made it clear that they have no intention of showcasing the Steambox at this year's event. The one piece of hardware capable of making Sony and Microsoft look over their shoulders with fear, should they choose to lock people into a restrictive games market of their own making, will be a little while longer in gestation. Considering numerous reports claim it could launch literally at any time, non attendance is disappointing.
At least it exists though, which is more than can be said with any confidence about the Last Guardian. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst is the motto of Team Ico fans awaiting the elusive PS3 game, and there's little reason to think - even at this late stage in the console's life cycle - that this year it will prove it's nearing completion.
E3 will take place June 11th-13th. Be sure to catch up with the gaming team's pre-E3 podcast, and stay tuned for our reactions to the event in a post-E3 podcast special, as well as further coverage during the event.
Lessons learned
Microsoft, fresh from a post-One reveal PR nightmare, will hopefully have been suitably chastened by the coldcock they received at the venomous fingertips of furious gamers taking to forums and social networking to vent their frustration at the perceived signposts on the path to a licence-based console gaming future.
Since the hurried mixed message interviews - desperately trying to set the record straight about DRM, Kinect's integration and the console's online status without actually confirming or denying anything - it's been radio silence from Redmond, with the only comment being that E3 will bring games, games, and games. Good. But if ill feeling isn't to breed any further, clarification must be forthcoming, otherwise all that's laid out could still be viewed through the prism of internet rage. Clear up DRM, trading games and how often the console has to log in to MS central, and hopefully everyone can get back to chatting about the exclusives. But which of the mooted fifteen exclusives - eight of which are new IPs - for the One can we expect to see other than the already shown Quantum Break?
Shooty-racey-ball
It's established to roll out one big shooter, racing game and footy title, both Sony and Microsoft are reliant upon EA for the latter but have exclusives for the former two genres. Drive Club and Killzone: Shadowfall (Sony) will no doubt go toe to toe with Forza and, fingers crossed, whatever weapons-fuelled blaster Black Tusk have up their sleeves for Microsoft. If that doesn't materialise, the One can always attempt to fall back on the timed exclusivity of Call of Duty: Ghosts' downloadable content. For all the valiant attempts to create a perceived chasm in shooting titles offered, it may be that Battlefield 4 and Bungie's Destiny - both set to be multiformat - steal most of the limelight. That is, unless Fallout 4 arrives.
So, that's a couple of One exclusives, but what of the rest? Well, eagle-eyed viewers of the reveal noted the presence of a Crackdown orb on the dashboard behind Yusuf Mehdi, so that's a distinct possibility. As is the inevitability of a raft of the fifteen being titles designed to finally convince all and sundry that the Kinect, in its new 2.0 form, is far from the family-oriented clunky gimmick many have written it off as in its current guise.
The key for Microsoft will be to act like there was a masterplan all along. Tell the world that they got the boring media-centric fluff out of the way, not to indicate what market the console would be aimed at but rather to clear space so as to keep E3 solely for games. With Sony set to finally unveil their box at the show, and having been less than forthcoming with details regarding functionality, it could prove to be a sound decision, as the Japanese company faces the prospect of filling half a presentation with the same material that saw the One reveal so derided. The first mention of multitasking and web browsers will draw a collective sigh.
Turning Japanese
Sony keeping schtum has been interpreted by some as taking the high road regarding DRM. However, there's a very real possibility that the decision to enforce such a measure emanates equally from the large publishers, eager to find a way to break the current business model of expanding budgets and risk taking by clawing further money back from second hand sales. It's a contentious point, but were Sony to follow suit, it wouldn't be a huge surprise.
The big moment will undoubtedly be the unveiling of the PS4 itself. The blurry teaser gave little away, other than it looks black and boxy, so perhaps the likenesses to Microsoft's console - already set to house very similar architecture - will keep coming.
There's no better time to try to stress a difference though, and Sony have a couple of weapons in their arsenal. Firstly, they have a very capable portable format in the shape of the Vita, that looks to offer second screen functionality - a move that simultaneously aims a well placed slap in the direction of Nintendo's GamePad and Microsoft's SmartGlass, as well as being intended to boost sales of the handheld. Then you've got the misstep of Microsoft, not allowing indie games to be self published, and Sony can play both the sleek tech and humbly egalitarian cards at the same time. An open goal, providing they haven't already shot themselves in the foot with a DRM, ever-connected or PS Eye-is-required shaped bullet.
Games-wise the already mentioned Drive Club, Killzone: Shadowfall and Final Fantasy should provide the main eye candy, hopefully of the gameplay variety and not carefully edited footage. Infamous: Second Son is one of the few third person titles we yet know about for either console and it's sure to be pushed. Speculation that Naughty Dog - masters of the genre - may have something for the PS4 could be wide of the mark, what with The Last of Us only just hitting shelves for the PS3. Sony aren't exactly low on studios who could bring something new though, with Santa Monica, Media Molecule and Ready at Dawn all possible entries, but it's worth noting that in the run up to the PS4 launch Sony will likely hold some news back for Gamescom and the Video Game Awards.
The PS3 will obviously continue to play a big part in Sony's show, but the amount of completely new titles may be dwindling at this point, Gran Turismo 6, Metal Gear Solid V: The Interminable Title - sorry, The Phantom Pain and Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn tick the returning fan-favourite sequels box, whilst David Cage's Beyond: Two Souls offers at least one standout new IP.
It's-a-me!
One company that'll be eager to capitalise on the second hand games furore will be Nintendo. The Wii U is faltering and needs a healthy dose of positivity. A price cut, perhaps a streamlining of the two SKUs to one affordable package (who needs a GamePad stand?) with a game code in the box would do nicely.
With the new Zelda for the Wii U taking a while, the appeasement of a HD redux of Wind Waker is a fair stopgap. We can expect to see lots more of the old guard as well, with a certain Italian plumber featuring heavily - a new Smash Bros, Mario and Mario Kart all look to be on the cards. Third party support also looks reasonable, with The Wonderful 101, Bayonetta 2 and Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem.
Oh, and don't forget the 3DS, which has recovered from an inauspicious start to gather momentum. Nintendo used their recent Nintendo Direct broadcast to show footage of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney 5 and Monster Hunter 4, and you wouldn't bet against a new Professor Layton and Zelda title making an appearance. They may not favour the event - this year eschewing the grandstanding of a large presentation - but Nintendo know their fans.
PC gone mad
Those more at home with a keyboard and mouse may not see the greatest coverage aimed towards their favoured machine, but quality rather than quantity may be the order of the day this year. The long journey for the DayZ standalone to make it to retail looks to be nearing an end, as it'll be playable at E3; considering this mere mod made many a game of the year list - against stiff competition - it shouldn't go unheralded. Want more shooting? ARMA 3 should tick that box.
If you needed any further prompting that the PC was still the place to be for social gaming, look no further than Elder Scrolls Online; The Old Republic may have dulled the appetite for such titles, but this still has the potential to get the formula right.
Sitting on the fence
As ever, some publishers walk the line between allegiances, and it'll be strange to see so much attention aimed towards the exclusives when arguably the biggest AAA titles will be multiformat. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (sadly not the Henry Rollins sim I was hoping for), CoD: Ghosts (now with added dogs) and Batman: Arkham Origins are the big three colon-heavy sequels expected to wow.
If you want to put your money on a showstopper though, a cut-scene laden further peek at any new Metal Gear Solid game garners huge - and predictable - praise, whilst Thief has the ability to steal a few hearts. And then there's the possibility of Fallout 4, which could push even Battlefield 4 to one side as the game of choice for early adopters, were it to make the PS4/One launch windows.
A left field punt at an outsider to get tongues wagging is Killer is Dead on the 360 and PS3, a spiritual successor to the cult Killer 7 Gamecube title. Though not confirmed at this point, an appearance from a Suda 51 game that looks every inch the stylised antidote to the formulaic appeal of the industry event could help the oddball gaming auteur finally get the hit his work deserves.
MIA
Sadly Valve have already made it clear that they have no intention of showcasing the Steambox at this year's event. The one piece of hardware capable of making Sony and Microsoft look over their shoulders with fear, should they choose to lock people into a restrictive games market of their own making, will be a little while longer in gestation. Considering numerous reports claim it could launch literally at any time, non attendance is disappointing.
Stay tuned
E3 will take place June 11th-13th. Be sure to catch up with the gaming team's pre-E3 podcast, and stay tuned for our reactions to the event in a post-E3 podcast special, as well as further coverage during the event.
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