E3 2009 Predictions and General Discussion
By Computerplayer1 3 Comments
I was one of the many people who were heart broken when it was announced E3 was going to become some small event in a bunch of hotel rooms, and few people would be allowed in. I wanted to scream, because as over the top and ridiculous as E3 can be, I personally think it's necessary for growth in the industry. Everything has it's "superbowl" of sorts, and E3 is just that for gamers.
Luckily we've got E3 back this year, and I'm totally stoked for it. I've been itching to see what the big three have up their sleeves, and it's all but a week away. I've never given any predictions for this thing, and since I'm bored and my soapbox has finally been bumped off the front page, I figured why not give it a go. I'll break it down into the big three and just rant a bunch. I'll also talk about my flailing hope choices, and non-exclusive titles. Come along with me, it'll be fun, I promise.
Microsoft
Ok, so the last time E3 was E3, Microsoft didn't really do all that well. This year I'm hoping will be much better. They should have a lot to play around with, maybe not as much as Sony, but enough to stir things up. Here's the list of games I expect to make an appearance and/or cause a stir:
Alan Wake
This is in some small way becoming the next Duke Nukem Forever. People have been waiting for this game for what seems an eternity. I'm one of those people, and really hope to see some gameplay, maybe a stage demo or something. At this point I just want to know it's still coming out, because to be honest it's getting a bit nerve wracking. From the brief clips and screens that are out as of now, I can say that the game looks pretty good. Hopefully there will be a smattering of new stuff during the show. I'm positive A. Wake will show itself this year.
Halo 3 ODST
Duh?! So this isn't going to surprise anyone when its shown, but I think it will still turn many heads. There still isn't a whole lot known about ODST, and I expect it to make a showing in sty1e. Expect a group of Asian guys dressed like a soldier to do backflips across the stage as fireworks go off and a gameplay trailer plays in the background. Michael Jackson may, or may not make a personal appearance.
Mass Effect 2
I think that I will probably curl up in the fetal position and cry when I finally see some gameplay footage of ME2. I'm positive that Bioware has set up a section to be made playable or demoable. This is going to be one of the flagship titles Microsoft is going to flaunt this year, and for good reason. There is all sorts of people dying to see more about this title, and Microsoft would be stupid not to play this up as much as they can. I'm going to say that Bioware is going to pull some serious shenanigens with what they show off and get everyone speculating wildly for another six months.
Forza 3
Words cannot describe how giddy I am to think that there will be a bunch of info coming for this game. I am a huge fan of the series, and cars in general. The racing genre is one of the few that I'm actually really good at. Microsoft might make this the flagship of the week, and I'd be happy if they did. This is bound to be there as it will inevitably be going head to head in comparisons with Grand Turismo 5...the actual one...not the prologue.
Flailing hope: Next Lost Odyssey project
Ok so my flailing hope for the Microsoft line up is the announcement that another Lost Odyssey is in the works. I really loved LO and aside from it being very bare bones, its story and characters were all very good and made my 100+ hours with the game very enjoyable. I'm sure they will continue LO at some point, but will it show itself this year? I'm more inclined to say this is more in line with a TGS type reveal, but a man can dream, can't he?
Sony
Sony always seems to be on the dry edge of the big three. They come in, do their thing, and save the cheese and fireworks for the other two players. This year, however, I hope they put it all on for the fans because Sony has a lot of great games coming up that make me wish I had the money to dish out for a PS3. Here are my picks for this year:
Heavy Rain
This was a flagship for Sony when it was first announced, and I have no doubt that they will make a huge fuss about it at this year's E3. I'm going to say that they will have a stage demo, and maybe have it be playable as well. The game seems like its playable in its current state, and it looks great. By that, I mean the graphics look outstanding. Whether or not the gameplay is up to par remains to be seen. Luckily, we'll all find out within the week.
MAG
I myself am looking forward to seeing how this game ends up. Any time someone says they're going to make a console game capable of supporting 256 players in online multiplayer, I sit up and pay attention. Its possible they may have a stage demo where they will play with the maximum 256 players. On the other hand, they may let this game fly a little under the radar, its hard to tell. Letting people get their hands on it would certainly be interesting.
Grand Turismo 5
I've played all the GT games, and have generally enjoyed them all. GT3 was the best in my mind, and so I've been waiting for another good one since 4 wasn't so hot. This will be playable, and Sony will most likely have a big section of their conference devoted to talking about how they're still making the real game, and that the prologue is still just a prologue.
Flailing Hope: New Metal Gear related game / New Team ICO game
There's been a countdown timer up for a few days now, and it has become obvious it's MG related. The question is what kind of game are we going to see? I'm putting my money on a God of War/Ninja Gaiden type game starring Raiden. Raiden has the moves, and those type of games sell like bananas so why not? Also, I'm hoping to see a new title from the makers of Shadow of the Colossus (damn, that game was good). There was recently a bit of test-like footage titled project Trico, and I'm thinking this might might another related appearance next week.
Nintendo
Nintendo is kind of hard to guess at. There is such a random smattering of games for the Wii, that trying to pick out what they would possibly bring out to show is difficult to say the least. Here's my best stab at it:
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks
You know, as much as I absolutely love almost all things Zelda, the whole Link in a train thing is walking a bit too far out on that limb. With that being said, I can't remember the last horrid Zelda title, so it would surprise me if this broke the streak. I'm actually very curious about this title and look forward to seeing some gameplay. I doubt they'll put it on stage, but they will more than likely make it playable somewhere.
No More Heroes: Desparate Struggle
The original was pretty popular, and I'm sure a lot of people are looking forward to Desparate Struggle. I was actually intrigued by the original, and wish I had a Wii so I could play it. I'll be looking for this one to see how its shaping up. Will it be playable? Possibly, if not certainly.
Dead Space Extraction
The Wii is finally starting to get some more goring fun, and I'm very interested to see how this game turns out. This will more than likely be playable on the show floor as its due out this year, and it will probably draw a decent amount of attention for being related to one of the most under appreciated horror games to come out in years.
I have no idea what else...
Seriously. I know I don't keep close tabs on all things Wii and DS, but I've got nothing else. I'm sure I'll get torn appart for not knowing more, so I will apologize now for my Nintendo ignorance as of late.
Flailing Hope: New Legend of Zelda Platformer
I'm still waiting for the spiritual successor to OoT. Twilight Princess just didn't feel like Zelda to me, and I still to this day, hope that Nintendo Surprises me.
Non-Exclusives
These are the games that might not have a huge part of the spotlight, but I hope/know will be there anyway. To be honest, these are usually the games that end up drawing more of my interest than anything else. I won't write any comments on them, but feel free to talk about them in the comments section and we can banter about them.
Modern Warfare 2
Guild Wars 2
Dragon Age
Prototype
Ghostbusters
GTA IV DLC
Army of Two: The 40th Day
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Brutal Legend
Star Craft 2
Diablo 3
Bioshock 2
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Overlord 2
Well, that's it. I'm sure I've probably included some game I shouldn't have, or missed one that should be included, so call me out on it if I have so I don't make a further fool of myself 
Which games are you looking most forward to that might make an appearance at this years E3? What game(s) are you desparately hoping to see?
Have a good one,
CP1
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