ince Billy’s all crusty and jaded about E3, he thought it would be a good idea to let the two new guys give a fresh perspective on gaming’s biggest event of the year. Nick and Bryan tell you what they think will happen with Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, and PCs. And also go into what they’re particularly excited about. Read on to get your E3 juices flowing!

E3 Predictions

With E3 barely over a week away, it’s about time we made some predictions about what’s going to happen. Now, I’ve been to an E3 before, but not in an editorial capacity, so I know the general vibe. This will be the first time I can get into press conferences, behind closed doors play tests, and booth encased interviews. So here’s what I think will happen based on a perception from a guy who’s wandered the show floor and waited in ridiculous lines.

Microsoft

Microsoft comes into E3 with an interesting dilemma in their hands. Since the Xbox 360 is already on the market, Microsoft will be faced with the challenge of luring people away from two brand new consoles from Sony and Nintendo. They’re going to have to come up with something pretty impressive to battle the whole “Yeah, 360, I have one of those at my house” mindset. Plus, the regular Xbox is pretty much a lame duck at this point and they don’t have a portable console to show off either.  At least not one we know about…

And this is when they’ll have to unleash their not-so-secret weapon, Halo. Whether it’s called Halo 3 or Forerunner or whatever, Microsoft has to show at least a teaser at E3 or they’ll be totally buried in Wii (sorry, couldn’t help myself). Halo is obviously their one killer app exclusive. Most of the rest of their big name titles will have to be shared with PC or PlayStation 3 gamers (Prey, TimeShift, Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Star Trek: Legacy, Phantasy Star Universe, Medal of Honor: Airborne – to name a few). The good news is that these games will probably look better on the 360 than PS3 simply because the dev kits have been out for a year longer. Developers are leaps ahead on the 360 architecture, and it’s going to show.

Moving on from port comparisons, there are plenty of 360 exclusives I’m excited to try out: [eM] -eNCHANT arM-, Blue Dragon, N3: Ninety-Nine Nights, Dead Rising, Chromehounds, Saint's Row, Crackdown, Lost Planet, Gears of War, Mass Effect, and Too Human.

Perhaps Microsoft will still put forth some effort on the hardware front. We still haven’t seen the add-on 360 HD-DVD player in action nor the EyeToy-esque camera. Plus, there have been those rumors floating around about a 100GB hard drive.

But Microsoft’s true ace in the hole might not be at E3 at all. It will be everywhere else. Peter Moore has stated that they plan to flood Xbox Live with trailers and demos the whole week of E3 so that the average gamer can get a taste of the action. I’m skeptical about how this will work in a “theory vs. practice” type of way, but wouldn’t it be awesome to be able to play the same demos that industry types are playing on the show floor? This is currently impossible for Sony or Nintendo to replicate, and could really give 360 gamers a firsthand experience to rally around. After all, which would you be most excited about: some editor’s description of a game or your own experience with said game?

C’mon Microsoft, 2006 is the only year you’ll have this exclusivity opportunity. Make the most of it.

Sony

Sony has a whole mountain of things they’re going to have to cover this time around. Obviously, the big focus is going to be on the PS3, but PS2 and PSP have their fair share of tasty titles in the dugout as well.

So far, the PS3 is being billed as the powerhouse machine of the next generation. We know about the Blu-ray, HD, online, etc. But how much is this all going to cost? It’s doubtful this will be addressed at E3. With another six months or so until the projected release, Sony’s going to try and crunch the numbers for as long as possible. We saw the first glimpse of the PlayStation Network Platform (basically PlayStation Live) at GDC. And we should hear a whole lot more about PS3’s online service this time. Will Sony have that silver bullet to take down the already popular Xbox Live and Nintendo’s extremely promising Virtual Console? It’ll be interesting to see what Sony can bring to the table that won’t seem like a “me too” gesture.

My main curiosity out of all of PS3’s unknown factors, however, is the controller. Sony’s made it clear that the boomerang design is just a prototype, and every PS3 game demo I’ve seen still uses a regular old PS2 DualShock. This does nothing to boost my confidence that the PS3 controller will be fundamentally different than any PlayStation controller before it. Sony, if you’re still taking suggestions, please steal the analog triggers from the 360 controller!

As far as software, PS3 will tout their big exclusives from established franchises (Killzone 2, Tekken, Devil May Cry 4, Metal Gear Solid 4, Vision Gran Turismo) to reassure the mass market that, “Yes, we still have all your favorite games!” How many of these titles we’ll actually get to play – that’s the real question. I’m guessing not many. PS3’s playable software will most likely come from multiplatform SKUs from big publishers like EA and Ubisoft.

For PSP I’m expecting some kind of announcement for a hard drive enabled redesign. This is what I’ve been waiting for ever since the release of the PSP. I don’t want to plunk down a couple hundred bucks for a portable system, and then have to throw in another wad of cash just to get a decent amount of storage. Make my dreams come true, Sony!
Still, it’ll be great to be able get my hands on titles like Lumines II, Gun: Showdown, Killzone: Liberation, LocoRoco, and Ultimate Ghosts 'n Goblins.

But let’s not forget the trusty old PS2. Final Fantasy XII, Bully, Okami, Guitar Hero II, Disgaea 2, Yakuza, Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra, Lumines Plus, Dawn of Mana, God of War II, God Hand, Rogue Galaxy are all just as exciting, if not more so than the majority of upcoming next-gen titles. With so many great games in the pipeline, Sony may have a hard time convincing the PlayStation faithful that they really need to move onto the next system any time soon.

Nintendo

E3 2006 is what it all comes down to for Nintendo. A mass amount of people will finally get their hands on the controversial remote and nun chuck control scheme, and spread the word to consumers worldwide. Will the Wii launch titles feel like a bunch of quickly produced carnival games? Or will they truly revolutionize the way we play games (as Wii’s former codename suggests)? Sure, it won’t be that black and white, but first impressions are lasting nonetheless.

We know for sure about a few of the games (Red Steel, Elebits, Super Smash Bros., Metroid Prime 3), but can only hope for a showing from the major franchises like Mario, Zelda, Pilotwings, Animal Crossing, and F-Zero. Maybe we can even get the full scoop on The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess’s Wii-specific features (I’m not even going to give the GameCube any credit on this one). Plus, third parties will finally be allowed to blow the doors off of their top secret Wii games. Speaking of secrets, what is Nintendo’s final promised big bomb going to be? Bah, so many variables.

This doesn’t even touch on Nintendo’s frenzy building Virtual Console. We’ll finally find out at least an initial solid classic games list. And how about some more confirmed publishers outside of Nintendo, Sega, and Hudson? What about a pricing scheme for this service as well as for the system itself? Is it going to be subscription based or will we have to pay on a per game basis? Must… know… details…

And what about all of those enticing DS games set to appear? I’ll be all over games like New Super Mario Bros., Children of Mana, Xenosaga I & II, Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, Final Fantasy III, Mega Man ZX, Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime, and Castlevania: Portrait Of Ruin. Now just give me a DS Lite U.S. release date so I can start marking Xs on my calendar.

PC

Even though the PC market isn’t under one blanket company, it always has been and always will be a large part of the gaming industry. Sure, it shares a load of titles with its next-gen console brethren, but check out these exclusives: Crysis, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, Spore, SiN Episodes, Heroes of Might and Magic V, Half-Life 2: Episode One, and World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. These games are more than enough reason to update your rig, especially if you’re an MMO nerd or prefer mouse and keyboard controls for your FPSs.

Overall

Microsoft pros: Halo 3, possible new accessories, second wave of games, Xbox Live E3 trailers and demos.

Microsoft cons: Competing against major hardware announcements.

Sony pros: More PlayStation 3 info, PS2 Still kicks ass, possible PSP redesign, play first PS3 games.

Sony cons: Not so much PS3 to play, boring final PS3 controller revealed, online plans could suck.

Nintendo pros: Finally play with Nintendo's Wii, Wii's big secret uncovered, Virtual Console details, more sweet DS games, DS Lite U.S. launch date announced.

Nintendo cons: Wii games could be a huge letdown, Nintendo could be stingy on Virtual Console information, big secret ends up being as lame as the Revolution’s new name.

Okay, so PC doesn’t get on the pros/cons breakdown because it’s basically all software based. But after stepping back and looking at all of the companies separately, it seems Nintendo has really done the best job of building up my interest for E3. For as much as we know about Wii, there is still so much that they’ve expertly teased us along about. Plus, the lines to play Wii games on the show floor are going to wind around to infinity. Even if you take away the fanboys, Wii’s success is completely based around this crazy new control scheme. With PS3 and Xbox 360 games, gamers can relatively imagine how a game would be controlled from screenshots and videos. With Wii, that’s all thrown out the door, and that kind of risk is thrilling.

But all three companies most likely have secret weapons they can’t wait to unleash. I’m very curious to see how my post-E3 impressions compare to these babies. Inevitably, they’ll be completely juggled around. But either way it’s going to be one hell of an exciting week.

- Bryan Vore

Hello E3, my name is Nick.

Having recently been dropped into the gaming industry, I have learned of this event known as E3. Why E and why the need for three of them? I don’t get it. Ok, that’s a lie. I may be new to the wonderful world of editorial, but I have been following the industry for many years and have watched E3’s go by from afar for just as long. Now that I am going from zero to sixty in like three seconds, I have been franticly trying to prepare my delicate brain for what might, should, will and won’t happen this year.

Sony

Ok guys, seriously, what is your deal? I love you but you’re acting like that indecisive kid at the toy store with $10 to spend. Mom’s coming and you need to make a choice. The PlayStation 3 is still a while out and already the history has been a bit bumpy. I know Sony is smart enough to see this and know they need to get the hard facts down in every gamer’s brain. Despite what many of the blogs and message boards are saying, I think Sony will finally announce a price and solid feature set for their new console. And I don’t mean a bunch of tech specs that everyone “ooohs” at but secretly have no idea what it means, but the features we actually care about like controllers and storage. And if they don’t, then I guess I shall shrug my shoulders and say: “Fine, be that way.”

Unfortunately, because of the route Sony has chosen to take with their system, I have all but almost forgotten about most of the games they talked about last year.  Of course I still remember Killzone, but who doesn’t? Beyond that, I have pretty much stopped thinking about the rest. The only PS3 exclusive that we have really seen anything on is Untold Legends: Dark Kingdom and it looks good but not nearly as good as Sony told me everything will look. But this is E3 and Sony will undoubtedly reveal gameplay footage for at least a good chunk of games they show for the system. I wager on Warhawk, MotorStorm, Metal of Honor: Airborne, Assassins, Unreal Tournament 2007, and Resistance: Fall of Man (I-8 last year) being the titles they push hard. I also think that Sony should show more on Vision GT, Killing Day, and Untold Legends.

It’s really easy to go on and on about the PlayStation 3, but two of the games I am looking forward to seeing the most are actually on the PlayStation 2. Kratos just isn’t done being Kratos, and it’s pretty obvious that we will see a lot more of God of War II. And then on the total opposite end of the gaming spectrum, we have Guitar Hero II. The breakout hit of 2005 is also returning for an encore. I think Sony is a little lucky that they have these two games holding up the caboose of their E3 train.

Nintendo

After the GameCube’s run, Nintendo took the time during summer to get a new haircut, some sweet new duds and a killer pair of new kicks. Slowly, but surely, Nintendo has been building up steam again. First the DS once again showed the world who really owns the handheld market and now the Revolution…oops Wii is on a strange track to do well also. I say strange because of the recent announcement to call it the Wii. Sure, we have laughed at it and are, in fact, still giggling. But we did the same thing when Apple announced the iPod. Now the iPod is the coolest thing on the planet and we point and laugh at people who don’t know what it is.

Nintendo seems to have gotten their third-party marbles once again as the first big Wii game announced was Red Steel, a gritty, violent action/shooter from Ubisoft. This is a whole new beginning for Nintendo and I think it will serve them well. Sure, the Mario company is banking on the idea of gameplay being the most important part of the experience rather than the tech specs, but is that really so wrong?  This year’s E3 will give us that answer. Nintendo seems to have the attitude of letting the gamers judge for themselves when they get their hands on the Wii controller, which I cannot wait to do. Red Steel is very intriguing and I cannot wait to try it out.

The handheld area is where I have no doubt that Nintendo will once again shine. The DS just seems to be getting better, and it even went on a diet to get all gussied up for the show. The DS Lite is one hot little piece of plastic. Toss a New Super Mario Bros. cart in there for personality and I am in love. Sure, we have known about this long before we were even thinking about E3, but it’s all another stepping stone for the company. A new Meteos, Final Fantasy III remade in 3D, and even the quirky new Brain series has me pumped. E3 for the DS is going to equal exactly what Nintendo wants it to be. Fun.

Microsoft

Despite the launch, Microsoft is technically winning the next-gen war. Don’t agree with me? Count the amount of next-gen systems and games the other companies have in the living room right now and compare it to the Xbox 360. Things may be a little slow for the Xbox 360 at the moment, but there have been some very cool announcements for the system. Games like Rainbow Six: Vegas, Test Drive Unlimited, Saint’s Row, Crackdown, Splinter Cell: Double Agent, Gears of War and Dead Rising are all looking like great additions to the growing library.

So yes, I think Microsoft is in a better position than most people do when it comes to the next-gen war. But I also think that they don’t have much of a chance at stealing the show and winning this particular battle. Well, unless the core of the Earth cracks and we see media of Bungie’s next game or they announce a gaming specific handheld device. No, the route Microsoft will take will be the “Gaming on Windows Vista” road. And on that note….

PC

Ahh yes, the personal computer – the most expensive gaming platform ever. This year, it’s all about the engine. It’s like asking the dress designer at the red carpet “What engine is your game running on?” One of the new hot new trends in PC gaming seems to be the episodic series. Valve’s “You either hate it or love it” Steam service will be rolling out not one, but two games that run on the Source Engine and will be released in short episodes. The continuation of the Half-Life 2 story has PC gamers biting their nails with anticipation. SiN Episodes will also rock the episodic gaming style. A third game running on the Source Engine is the new Dark Messiah of Might and Magic. The new first-person RPG is looking to steal some Oblivion thunder. I have no doubt in my mind that we will see plenty on this Source trio at the show, and although Half-Life 2: Episode One is due out just after E3, I’m sure that Valve will just use the opportunity to both show off future episodes and remind us of that release date.

Although the Source Engine still seems to be doing well, new technologies are putting very strong pressure on. Crytek’s newest announcement, Crysis is running on a very powerful looking CryEngine. It would be silly for publisher EA and Crytek to not show off this gorgeous game as much as possible. Also fighting for the PC spotlight is Epic and the Unreal 3 Engine with Unreal Tournament 2007. Epic has an advantage at E3 this year because of the fact that everyone and their grandma licensed their engine. So even if they don’t get much exposure from UT2007, they have already won on one level or another.

And then there was me, the noob….

So as I sit here and write this, I notice myself getting more and more excited for E3. I’m sure the accuracy of these predictions have been completely thrown off due to the fact that I am still in the “Oh sweet, I’m going to E3. I’m such a badass!” mode. Shaking my head back into reality, I realize that E3 2006 is going to be one hell of a battle for all of these companies. It seems that the angle in which everyone is approaching is so different from past years and, if nothing else, the show will be very interesting.

- Nick Ahrens