For the last several years, when June rolls around and the Electronic Entertainment Expo hype begins, I have created lists of fifty questions that set up the scope of what game enthusiasts are anticipating. These questions are framed in the sense that they can be definitively answered “YES” or “NO” by the time E3 concludes. This year will be a bit different. Because of the shifting landscape of the press conferences this year, three posts will pose these kinds of questions. In each, I will directly give you my E3 2016 predictions. We continue with…
SONY
Conference: Monday, June 13 – 9 PM ET
Will a new, more powerful iteration of PlayStation 4 be revealed?
Call it PlayStation 4K, Neo, 4.5. Call it whatever you like. It was the first of the two leading, competing consoles to have sources leak rumors of a potential hardware upgrade. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. So this will happen in time, especially when Xbox on the improved Xbox One “Scorpio.” The timing for this announcement is everything, especially when one considers that the impetus for this console would be to give more power to PlayStation VR. A launch alongside the new virtual reality platform makes sense, which would mean an E3 reveal for PlayStation 4K would make the most sense. How Sony messages the performance difference will be another aspect altogether.
I say: YES
Will there be an on-stage PlayStation VR demo during Sony’s conference?
Remember the demo from PlayStation Experience 2015? It didn’t go so well. I think Sony has learned their lesson, much like how Nintendo experienced on-stage difficulty with The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword at E3 2010. Talk about PlayStation VR, show some sizzle reels, tell attendees to try the show floor, maybe even announce a retailer initiative for consumers. But a stage demo would be problematic for the device, so it’s best to pass on that.
I say: NO
Will PlayStation VR functionality, besides Theater Mode, be announced for No Man’s Sky?
No Man’s Sky has already created quite a bit of unnecessary drama with its recent delay announcement. It could really do with a bit of good news. But honestly, the game should focus on releasing to the public first. Seeing the new dimensions that PlayStation VR can add to games sounds very exciting, not to mention that No Man’s Sky seems like a perfect candidate. But with a release in August before the VR device’s release in October, there is time to work on a patch. Plus, I don’t think I can handle seeing No Man’s Sky at yet another E3.
I say: NO
Will The Last Guardian receive a specific release date that is before September 1, 2016?
This was quite the way to start off last year’s show, wasn’t it? After six years, the long-lost Team Ico game was revealed once again, with a promise of a 2016 release. That time frame has been stressed over and over again by director Fumito Ueda, so a delay at this point is unacceptable. Still, this isn’t a game that is going to benefit from a long advertising leadup and it would probably be just as newsworthy for the game to be released in the next couple months. Sony’s first-party releases are likely lacking in late summer, so I could see an August release for The Last Guardian.
I say: YES
Will God of War 4 be revealed during Sony’s conference?
Santa Monica Studio has to be working on this game. Whether it was implied or flat-out leaked, the game exists. If Sony wants to show a game that benefits from the extra power of PlayStation 4K, this would be the likely showpiece for it. It would be a huge surprise if God of War 4 is not shown at E3, meaning it’s just not ready and it would be pushed back to PlayStation Experience. Even if this is a Holiday 2017 title, a reveal here just makes sense.
I say: YES
Will a new Crash Bandicoot game be announced?
There have been teases. So many teases. Recently, there was even that. You know, THAT. Does that bode well for the Crash Bandicoot IP, in a way that a game has been worked on in secret all this time? I doubt it. Perhaps all the teases were leading to that. You know, THAT. For now, this is just a dream where I’ll believe it when I see it.
I say: NO
Will Bend Studio reveal their long-anticipated PS4 game?
Sony Bend’s last game was Uncharted: Golden Abyss for the PlayStation Vita at its launch. That means we are nearing five years since the team’s last release and we still have yet to see an official reveal of Bend’s PS4 game. Granted, we’ve heard rumors that it’s called Dead Don’t Ride and features an apocalyptic open world with motorcycles. For all the time it has been in development, a Fall 2016 release seems actually likely, so an E3 reveal should occur. It’s finally time.
I say: YES
Will Sucker Punch reveal their next project?
Sucker Punch has been quiet for a while, since closing the book on Infamous: Second Son and Infamous: First Light. The most recent tantalizing rumor about the studio is that an “Untitled Spider-Man PS4 Project” is in the works, which pins Sucker Punch as the ideal studio to make an open world superhero game. Regardless, if this is going to be the E3 that fully fleshes out the current projects of the Sony first-party studio lineup, Sucker Punch is one of the only ones left. Seeing the web slinger in an Infamous-like game sounds like a perfect fit, but even if the game isn’t that, we should still be seeing a new title from the studio.
I say: YES
Will Hideo Kojima take the stage in person during Sony’s conference?
After the last year’s series of debacles that summed up the implosion of Konami in the console space, the news of Hideo Kojima’s free-agent signing with Sony was a big win for PlayStation fans. We’ve seen teases of Ludens, the character behind the logo for the new Kojima Productions, but setup of the new studio is still likely being finalized. Sure, Kojima may have an idea for a game, but it’s still far too early to show anything. If Hideo Kojima were to take the stage at the PlayStation conference, it would most likely be in a “hey, remember that we have this guy” capacity at the beginning. Still, that seems unlikely. Let the man work. We’ll see him next E3, I think.
I say: NO
Will the word “Vita” be spoken during Sony’s conference?
As much as I love the system, Vita is dead. It’s an afterthought. Yet, the key here is what will happen during the Indie section of the conference. Depending on how these games are presented, it’s entirely plausible that a speaker will say something to the extent of “and it’s available for Cross-Buy on PlayStation 4 and Vita.” Though, if something like that is only shown visually in a sizzle reel, that wouldn’t count. Not even mentioning Vita would be a huge indicator by Sony. I’m just not ready to embrace that future yet.
I say: YES
Will the specific phrase “US Dollars” be spoken during Sony’s conference?
We have to ask this every year. And lo and behold, hardware is expected to be revealed during this conference! But no show can be as dreadful as the infamous 2006 conference. They have to have learned since then. They have to. This will not happen.
I say: NO
MY BOLD SONY PREDICTION
In an attempt to make this conference “Dreams 2.0,” another long-lost project will be shown to be active again. In this case, Rockstar will re-reveal Agent.
RECAP
New, more powerful PS4: YES
PlayStation VR on-stage demo: NO
PlayStation VR functionality for No Man’s Sky: NO
The Last Guardian release date before September 1: YES
God of War 4 revealed: YES
New Crash Bandicoot game announced: NO
Bend Studio reveals their PS4 game: YES
Sucker Punch reveals their next project: YES
Hideo Kojima on stage: NO
“Vita” spoken: YES
“US Dollars” spoken: NO
YES: 6
NO: 5
What do you think of these E3 2016 predictions? What are yours? Let us know in the comments below?
Peter Spezia
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