A Kinected Xbox
With Microsoft’s 2011 lineup “centered around Kinect,” we expect their E3 showing to be all about the motion controller. Though, we don’t expect Microsoft to leave its hardcore fans in the dust. They said so themselves. Microsoft has promised more from its Halo, Fable and Forza franchises and we believe that’s exactly what they’ll bring to the expo.
E3 would be a good time to announce the oft-rumored Halo: Combat Evolved remake, supposedly in development at the New Jersey-based Saber Interactive. Surely, everyone’s waiting to see what a new Halo first-person shooter not developed by Bungie will turn out like.
Peter Molyneux will probably be on hand with a new project. Considering both him and Microsoft has said there will be more Fable games in the past, we expect he’ll bring the newest in the franchise. Though, we’d love to see him bring out a new property, instead. Let’s just hope he doesn’t make-up features to keep us awake.
At last year’s presser, Microsoft announced Codename: Kingdoms, a new Xbox 360-exclusive developed by Crysis 2 developer Crytek. Since then, no further details have been announced. This year might see Crytek step on stage to finally talk about and reveal a name for the title, which we’ve speculated is Microsoft’s response to God of War.
Moving on to the company’s main focus, we expect to see plenty in the market of ‘hardcore’ Kinect titles. Rumors have pointed to the Gears of War franchise coming to Kinect. Trademarks for a Gears of War: Exile showed up in mid-January — we suspect that will be the name of the reportedly on-rails shooter. Microsoft registered a domain for Halo: Kinect, too, but with a Halo: Combat Evolved remake likely to surface, we’re not sure if Microsoft will reveal a Kinect-based Halo quite yet.
Also in the lines of ‘hardcore’ Kinect games, recent domain registrations suggest that Electronic Arts may bring its SSX and Sims (okay, so not that hardcore) to the Kinect platform. There would be no better time to announce the games than on stage at Microsoft’s press conference.
We should see Microsoft and LucasArts lift the lid on the 2010-announced Star Wars game for Kinect. Recent survey leaks suggest the game has more than just lightsaber battles — with other features being pod racing and rancor riding. Maybe we’ll also hear more on Kinect’s Steel Battalion, Codename D and Project Draco.
Of course, expect the latest on Gears of War 3 and Forza Motorsport 4, maybe the announcement of a timed exclusive or two, and quite possibly the revival of Project Gotham Racing, as it’s been rumored in the past.
If they want me to take them home, Rare will step on stage and announce the revival of the cancelled Kameo II. Actually, if Rare announces anything that doesn’t have Kinect attached to it, I’ll take ’em home.
Turn on the hoses
Though Valve‘s just put out their latest console release in two years — Portal 2 (which earned a 9.5 by our standards) — we expect plenty more on the way from the Half-Life and Team Fortress developer. In September last year, the company teased “three pretty big surprises in the next 12 months,” and unless we missed it, Valve has yet to reveal any.
The developer has already said they have “other stuff” in the works for consoles and we believe E3 might be the time to show one off. As the company has stated that it’s “not done” with its Half-Life series, urging fans to “hang in there” for news on Gordon Freeman’s yet-to-be-announced third adventure, we might finally see Half Life 2: Episode 3 / Half-Life 3.
A new Half-Life is inevitable. Lucas Molyneux scared Valve straight.
Desmond’s final assassination
Ubisoft has said that it’ll reveal the next Assassin’s Creed in May. Following that reveal, which we expect to be a teaser for the big show, we’ll more than likely see a media blowout at E3. We don’t know whether it will be another subtitled game or the actual third numbered entry in the franchise, but recent resume leaks have pointed to the latter. Then again, the leak of a game titled Assassin’s Creed: Revelations says otherwise. And if decoded messages are anything to go by, Altair plays a role in the game.
In December, last year, Ubisoft began surveying Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood players on which new features they’d like to see added to the next Assassin’s Creed. If anything, expect to see some of them.
Grand Fifth Auto
One of the biggest announcements to potentially steal the show, Grand Theft Auto V is more than likely to be unveiled at E3. Rumors began surfacing this year after Rockstar parent Take-Two started registering domains associated with parodies typically pulled off by the Grand Theft Auto franchise. After that, they registered even more domains. A supposed ‘leak’ detailing the cast came out in early March.
Other than that, there’s been a good amount of whispers from industry sources, including IGN.com’s Jim Reilly, who says the game will arrive “next year“.
The most recent installment in the series, Grand Theft Auto IV, was announced at E3 2006.
640509-040147
Agent 47 should be making a return. With all the rumors of a new HITMAN, Io Interactive teasing a new game announcement “fairly soon“, and Square Enix trademarking the name Hitman: Absolution, a new game in the franchise should be considered confirmed.
But… it’s not confirmed, yet. By E3, however, it most likely will be.
Ghost of war
If rumors are to be believed, a new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is in development for release later this year. Infinity Ward is reportedly developing the game, with Activision subsidiaries Sledgehammer Games and Raven Software lending a helping hand. The former two are crafting single-player while the latter is in charge of online multiplayer.
January rumors say the game it’s not Modern Warfare 3, but a prequel to 2007’s original Modern Warfare starring the fan favorite Ghost character.
Unmask the dark side
Ninja Gaiden III was announced at the Tokyo Game Show last year, but since then we’ve heard little detail on the sequel — developer Team Ninja has yet to even confirm platforms. Fortunately for the occasion, the team will unveil all at E3.
Protagonist Ryu Hayabusa is said to be a great deal darker in his third installment, where the game focuses on his “life and lifestyle” and “feelings and thoughts”. Violence has been given a boost so much that you’ll know “what it is to actually gut someone”.
A “complex multiplayer mode” will also be in the game. With the only Ninja Gaiden multiplayer in the past being co-op, something more “complex” gains attention from our ears. All eyes will be on Team Ninja at E3.
Input: Hideo
We already know that Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima wants to announce his “dream” project for NGP at the show, but there’s apparently more to come from the legendary game developer. Rumors from late March suggest that Kojima is set to announce two games at the show, one of them being a “quasi-logical step for an existing game” and the other Metal Gear Solid 5.
If true, we’d guess the “existing game” would be Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker updated for NGP or HD platforms. Then again, these are rumors, and with one rumor comes another. A rumor from early February tells of Kojima announcing the next Metal Gear at the Tokyo Game Show in September, contradicting the latter of the two supposed announcements. Maybe, then, we’ll see that new Zone of the Enders everyone’s been hoping for.
Regardless, there will still be at least one Metal Gear title present with Metal Gear Solid: Rising at center stage. We expect Kojima Productions and Konami to announce final release details at the event, as well as put a playable version on the show floor.
Billions of guns… again
It’s a “no-brainer“, according to Gearbox Software‘s Mike Neumann. And it’s been a no-brainer since 2009, when the original Borderlands released across consoles and PC.
By show time, Gearbox should be done with Duke Nukem Forever and ready to shed light on their next project. Borderlands 2 is most likely that next project. The first game has sold over three million copies worldwide and publisher Take-Two has already stressed the ‘importance’ and ‘longevity’ of the franchise.
With recent leaks of a game animator’s resume listing Borderlands 2 in his portfolio, I’d say an announcement is right about set for gaming’s biggest expo.
The crossover
Two once platform-exclusive developers have crossed over to major publishers to develop multiplatform games. Those studios are Insomniac Games, known for Ratchet & Clank and Resistance, and Bungie, known for Halo.
Insomniac’s new IP, to be published by EA Parnters, missed E3 last year, but the developer’s not yet confirmed or denied its presence, this year. Nothing is known yet on the new IP. This feels like a good time to shed some light.
Bungie’s new IP, to be published by Activision Blizzard, is also still a mystery. All we know of are some possible names, thanks to domain registrations by Bungie. They include: Dead Orbit, Seven Seraphs, and New Monarchy. With Bungie’s latest project, Halo: Reach, out last September, now seems like a proper unveiling for the new IP.
The latest and greatest
Of course, the influx of new announcements believed to take place at this year’s E3 shouldn’t necessarily outshine the potentially amazing upcoming games we know of. Expect to hear new developments on Mass Effect 3, BioShock Infinite, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Final Fantasy XIII-2, DmC Devil May Cry, Saints Row: The Third, Sonic Generations, Dark Souls, Tomb Raider, Devil’s Third, Dragon’s Dogma, Catherine, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Battlefield 3, Street Fighter X Tekken, Prey 2, The Darkness II, Silent Hill: Downpour, Anarchy Reigns, and so much more.
Yep. This year’s E3 will be something amazing.