E3 2017 is right around the corner. (As of writing, our Editor-in-Cheif Keith “Mr Frame Ratez Matter” Mitchell is on his way to E3) So why not take a moment to go over the last 12 months of promises and see what things will need to be addressed on the show floor or at the Press Conferences during the golden week of video games. A lot of this will be games that simply went silent after appearing at E3 2016, but there’s always a reason why I want to know more.
This list is not in any particular order, just a top 10 of things I would like to see or hear about at E3 2017.
1. Project Scorpio: New Name and Release Date
While I’m not much of an Xbox player, hell I’ve never owned one of those Microsoft machines, but I’m interested in seeing what Microsoft brings out for Project Scorpio at E3 2017. Will we get a new name for the console? Will we find out a release date and price point? Will we see the first proper game playing live on the console? There’s a million and one questions that I would love to see answered during Microsoft’s Press Conference. If this is done right, then Microsoft’s streak of “losing” E3 will be well and truly broken.
2. Detroit: Become Human
In the first of many game updates I want to see at E3 2017, Detroit: Become Human is at the very top of that list. This story based game involving the ability to change almost any choice to shape the overall story arc in millions of different ways had an amazing first trailer in 2016, but since then the developers have gone silent and there have been no updates in over 12 months, not even a rumor has been heard of even if the game is still in development. I hope there’s still something out there and we get to see it at E3 2017.
3. God of War
Another game that has been very quiet since it’s announcement, God of War still looks like it’s going to be a good game just like the others… If we saw anything at all. After playing the amazing Horizon: Zero Dawn, God of War is going to have to pull out all the stops and more to out shine Horizon. Let’s hope Kratos and his son have enough left in the tank to smash Aloy and her robot dinosaur/beast friends into scraps.
4. Spider-Man
With Spider-Man Homecoming just around the corner, it would be a great time to show us more about the Spider-Man game that we saw a small glimpse of in 2016. With marketing being a big thing in the games and movie industry, it would be perfect to see Peter Parker swinging through New York City once again in something that works its way into the upcoming movie.
5. Days Gone
Days Gone might end up being another slouch in the ever growing zombie survival game genre, but you can’t admit that you weren’t surprised and amazed at the amount of zombies that filled the screen when this demo was shown in 2016. Dead Rising 4 set a very high benchmark for rendering zombies on Xbox One, now let’s see if Days Gone can out perform it on Playstation 4… If it still exists.
6. The Last of Us Part II
Now I’m not a huge fan of The Last of Us. I thought it was a very over-hyped but at the same time I know it was a well handled and well written story. We got a taste of what’s to come at the Playstation Experience last year, but it’s at E3 where we want more than a taste. Announce a demo, or at minimum show off some segments of gameplay and we’ll be lining up to drop money on that preorder right after E3 2017 is over with.
7. Microsoft Hololens
First shown off over 2 years ago, Microsoft Hololens gave us great high hopes of being able to use our whole room as some sort of big kids playmat for moving armies in a strategy games, building worlds in Minecraft, and maybe even throw punches at 3D fighters all without the need for a VR headset connected to a whole bunch of terrible cables. Microsoft need to do more than say “It’s still in development” at E3 in some press release. Give us an update using some of the great titles that E3 can produce.
8. Sony’s Answer to Project Scorpio
2013 was fun year for the console wars at E3. Microsoft announced the Xbox One with some very interesting choices in regards to used games and accounts that was quickly changed. And why did they change? Because Sony came out with an amazing 1-2 jab at Microsoft with announcing their upcoming Playstation 4 would have no cumbersome DRM on games, no online check in features, and would only cost $399 at launch. If Sony can do something similar at E3 with their answer for Project Scorpio, then it could turn the tides against Microsoft’s upcoming new console.
9. Something completely stupid and amusing
If there is anything that you can always count on at E3 it’s that something stupid and/or meme worthy is going to happen. From “my body is ready” to non-working demos to complete crashes of prototype games or systems, it’s always amusing and reminds us that as perfect as people think E3 is, it’s just a trade show full of incomplete demos and sorta functioning hardware. Things like the stuff-up highlight reel are always a high point of the post-E3 cool down and I hope this year is no exception.
10. Anything on Nintendo Switch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5uik5fgIaI
I’m going to be honest here. While I think that there is a LOT of potential in Nintendo’s new portable-style console, the launch line up isn’t exactly all that spectacular. Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers was overpriced but ok, Disgaea 5 Complete is just another port… Like a lot of other Switch titles. Nintendo has confirmed ARMS, Hey! Pikmin, Pokkén Tournament DX, Splatoon 2 & Super Mario Odyssey will be playable on the show floor, it’s not like we don’t already know about these titles. I want something to really WOW me from Nintendo, and games that were already on the failed Wii U (Too soon?) or sequels of games from that console aren’t going to do it. Super Mario Odyssey looks weird but it’s Mario so it’ll be good, but it’s not enough. I want a console seller from Nintendo.
I know it doesn’t seem like much and is very Sony heavy, but I think Microsoft is in a good place with Project Scorpio coming up as they can push the hardware this year and announce a blockbuster line up of games to help strengthen the console. Nintendo has the hardware out there but needs to support it with more than the usual line up of ports and cash cow names we’re used to. Sony is the dark horse for the first time in a while and needs to have a lot of answers for some heavy hitters to their bottom line.
With The Outerhaven members on the show floor this year as well as manning the streams during Press Conferences as usual, The Outerhaven is going to be the best place to come for independent E3 2017 coverage on the internet. For all things E3 leading up to, through and after E3 2017; click on this link.
