E3 2008 predictions

Feature

Publishers are at their most secretive just around the yearly E3 show. What games will they reveal this year? And the console makers, what will they do? Some predictions from the HG staff.

July 13th, 2008 by HG Staff

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Sony

Sony has been fighting a bit of a uphill battle with the PS3 since launch. With its hefty price tag and small selection of games it definitely has taken some hits � sales wise and critic perception especially. This E3 Sony is going to be all about the games, with super heavy hitters like Killzone 2 and God of War III, along with smaller gems such as Resistance II, Socom: Confrontation and Motorstorm II; Sony is going to be on fire with games. More colors for the PSP and some new features or peripherals are to be expected. Home will most likely be shown again and we might even get a solid release date for Little Big Planet. With Sony beefing up its increasingly robust Sony Online and stepping it up in the games department, the $600 George Foreman Grill might just steal the show.

Microsoft

The Xbox 360 was out first and we all know and love the Red Ring of Death. Being the 3 year moldy oldy that it is, Microsoft may want to clue us in on possible hardware enhancements and maybe a price drop if we�re lucky. Gears of War II will be the showcase title along with Halo Wars, Fable II and Peter Jackson�s unnamed Halo project. Expect additional movie support and perhaps some more info on the Xbox Live � Netflix combination that the internet has been touting. It�s as good a time as any for the Zune to finally release games that have Achievement Points that go to your overall Xbox 360 and Games for Windows gamerscore. A nice surprise would be the much anticipated launch of Duke-Nukem 3D for Xbox Live Arcade. That weird motion controller that was rumoured Microsoft was developing might rear its ugly head to the masses, as well as the Mii rip-offs. I want an Xbox Live update too!

Nintendo

If Satoru Iwata and Miyamoto can get through the ridiculous piles of cash they have lying around we might see something from Nintendo this E3. The Nintendo press conference will start with Reggie Fils-Aime riding in on his magic money carpet with the sound of cash registers churning in Wii profits. In all honesty though, Nintendo could just show off a new black Wii and different colored Wii-motes and fanboys would be tearing the place apart. You�re probably going to get a tsunami of third party casual mini-game compilations and crappy new peripherals. Nintendo�s DS is still selling like crazy so some new colors are about all I�m expecting. The Wii Balance Board may have some exciting new games that are being developed for and Mario is of course going to be there in one shape or form. If the stars line up right you might catch a glimpse of Samus or Link�s next adventure, time will tell.