Historically, E3 press conferences have been the big stage where the major powers of the game industry pull back the veil on what's to come in the next few years. Whether it's a new console or a highly anticipated sequel, if it's a tentpole announcement, it was likely made at E3.
With E3 being open to the public for the first time this year, it has resulted in a change of schedules for the press conferences, which have normally been on a Monday. So when are this year's conferences taking place, and what could you expect to see there?
Electronic Arts - Saturday, June 10 3PM ET/12PM PT
Okay, so technically this isn't an E3 press conference. This is the keynote to kick off EA's 'EA Play' event that will run from June 10 to June 12. However, the format of the show is in line with what EA has done at E3 in the past. It will be interesting to see if the publisher also copies the keynote from last year's 'EA Play,' where half the show was in Los Angeles and the other half in London. Hopefully, the show will be a bit simpler, keeping it in one location instead of the split approach from last year. However, this does put EA in prime position to kick off the week with a strong showing. With titles such as Star Wars Battlefront II, Need for Speed Payback, the EA Sports games, etc., EA certainly can.
Microsoft - Sunday, June 11 5PM ET/2PM PT
Going by technicality, this will be the conference that kicks off E3. Microsoft has taken the poll position for its conference for nearly a decade now, looking to come out of the gate hot with some big announcements and demos. With rumors flying about Project Scorpio, it's safe to say the system will be a centerpiece of the conference. Hopefully, there will be some new exclusives announced at the show since Microsoft's exclusives lineup is looking very thin right now. Some new exclusives could go a long way to help bring back fans that may have jumped to PS4.
Bethesda - Sunday, June 11 12AM ET/9PM PT
This will be the third year that Bethesda will be holding its own press conference, once again favoring a late start time. The first two shows proved fairly successful, thanks to heavy hitters such as Fallout, Doom, and Prey . Bethesda has also been good at keeping a lid on any announcements coming, keeping Fallout 4 under wraps until its reveal at the 2015 conference. Given the latest rumors that have floated around, one possibility is a sequel to Wolfenstein: The New Order, but we'll have to wait and see on that one.
Ubisoft - Monday, June 12 4PM ET/1PM PT
Ubisoft decided not to divert too far from its Monday slot, deciding to hold it a little later in the day than in the past. Usually, Ubisoft has been the buffer show between the Microsoft and Sony press conferences. Going into this year, Ubisoft has a strong lineup as well with games such as Far Cry 5 and the new Assassin's Creed game set as two of the show's centerpieces. However, will there be a surprise announcement at the end of the show? This has been a big part of Ubisoft's show for the last few years and hopefully, it won't end anytime soon and Aisha Tyler is still hosting.
Sony - Monday, June 12 8:30PM ET/5:30PM PT
Once again closing out Monday is the Sony press conference. Sony usually has a strong show to close out the first official day of E3, with the last two years affectionately referred to as the "years of dreams" because of all the announcements. These included the kickstarter for Shenmue III in 2015 and the reveals of Death Stranding and Resident Evil VII in 2016. Making it a hat-trick is going to be a daunting task for Sony; however, with the software lineup at this year's E3, it could happen.
Nintendo - Tuesday, June 13 12PM ET/9AM PT
So this isn't a normal press conference since Nintendo hasn't had a tradition one in the last few years. Instead, it will be hosting a "Nintendo: Spotlight" on the Switch and its upcoming software. This has proven to be the best format for Nintendo since the last few press conferences it held before changing the formats were filled with notably awkward moments. Granted, Nintendo has one of the most loyal fanbases in gaming and the announcements have been able to overcome those moments. However, as the Wii Music demo showed a few years ago, a new Legend of Zelda isn't always enough. Despite that, Nintendo is riding a high going into this show with strong Switch sales and some highly anticipated titles such as the Super Mario Odyssey to show off.
So make sure to catch all these when the conferences stream on Youtube, Twitch, etc. when the shows go live.
