The year's biggest video game event is less than a week away and while the event is important for nearly every major player in the industry, the big three console manufacturers are the ones who have the most to gain from next week's proceedings. With that in mind, let's take a look at what we expect to see from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony.
Microsoft
Microsoft has the most to prove going into E3, as sales of the Xbox One have lagged behind the PlayStation 4.
Part of the reason for the Xbox One's weak sales is the fact that the company has seen few major exclusives beyond Halo Wars. Though it has a few that are coming out this year, none can match the popularity of some of Sony's offerings. With that in mind, the first thing we'd like to see from Microsoft is the announcement of some new exclusive games for the Xbox One. Console-exclusive games are a bit of a sore point among gamers as they are not very consumer friendly; however, from a business perspective, that is exactly what Microsoft needs to turn things around.
The second major thing we want to see is, of course, the Scorpio. Microsoft has done a pretty good job of building up hype for its powerful new console, but it still hasn't convinced us that we need to buy it. In order for the Scorpio to succeed, it will need to be significantly more powerful than the PlayStation Pro while remaining cheap enough that users aren't tempted to buy a gaming PC instead — though that would benefit Microsoft, if not, the Xbox division.
Microsoft's press conference will be held on Sunday at 2:00 PDT.
Sony
Unlike Microsoft, Sony is heading into E3 riding high on impressive sales numbers backed up by a string of popular console exclusives.
Sony isn't unveiling a new console this year so it doesn't have to sell anything except new games — and that's what players want to see from the company. It should give the release date for the next God of War or Uncharted game and let users play Insomnia's Spider-Man, or give something completely new.
However, there is one thing we don't want from Sony — lame gimmicks. Sony, for all its success, has a bad habit of releasing gimmicks that are often copied from Nintendo. The PlayStation 4 has one of the most impressive lineups out there and it would be a shame to see that squandered on some gimmick that no one wants.
What does Sony's press conference hold in store for us? Find out on Monday at 6:00 PDT.
Nintendo
Nintendo, as lovable and quirky as always, remains hard to predict, but we have a few idea of what to expect from them.
The biggest thing on the horizon is Super Mario: Odyssey, the latest in Nintendo's historic platforming franchise. We will likely see new gameplay footage, floor demos, and possibly a release date. Aside from Odyssey, we want to hear about new games for the Switch. It should give a new Metroid or Starfox, or something completely new from in the vein of Arms. We'd love for them to make up for that disappointing Nintendo Direct by announcing a Pokemon game for the Switch, but we won't hold out hope.
First party titles aside, the biggest thing Nintendo needs to prove at E3 is to rally enough quality third-party support to the Switch to ensure that it doesn't suffer the Wii's fate — a destination for Nintendo games and shovelware. If Nintendo can do that then it'll be well on its way to maintaining the momentum the Switch has brought to the company.
The one thing we don't want to hear from Nintendo is an announcement concerning more remakes of old Wii U games. Sure, Super Mario Kart 8: Deluxe is a great game, but a but Mario Kart 9 would have been even better. Nintendo needs to give its fans new titles not remakes of three-year-old games.
Nintendo isn't holding an actual press conference this year, but the company will be live streaming an event that will be held on Tuesday at 9:00 am PDT.
