E3 2014: Sony, Microsft and Valve
E3 2013 was the most competitive and downright crazy show we’ve been to in the recent history of gaming. The Xbox One went head-to-head with the PS4 and began the new generation of console gaming.
But that doesn’t mean it was all great. After all, it’s been a whole year and there still aren’t a lot of games on the roster. That’s why we’re figuring this time, big games are going to come out and play.
Though that’s not all we’re expecting to see – virtual reality was the star of GDC 2014 and there’s likely going to be a ton more information from Sony, Oculus and more.
We’re also hoping to see more of the Valve Steam Machines in action and perhaps hear an announcement from Nintendo to see just what the heck the über private company’s been up to. Check out a more detailed list of what we want to see at E3 2014 below, and keep checking back as we update the page for more information leading up to our coverage of the show floor.
Sony sets sights on VR
Sony seems to be on a roll lately. With the success of the PlayStation 4 and the announcement of its virtual reality endeavors, Project Morpheus , all we need is a big game for the company to be unstoppable.
Speaking of Morpheus, we’re expecting to hear more about the headset during Sony’s June 9 Press Conference. We were lucky enough to test out the gear ourselves, not once but twice and were duly impressed both times.
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OQtByjyD-4
Along the way, we found out that Sony’s headset will probably change quite a bit before it becomes available to buy. Plus that light bar isn’t just to be a flashy feature – Project Morpheus was one of the main reasons it was put on there.
This headset looks so promising, we might even see an announcement for a Morpheus-specific game at E3.
We’ll also probably hear more about PlayStation Now, Sony’s Netflix-esque gaming service. With the PS Now beta out since the beginning of the year, and a release expected for mid-2014, it seems like it’ll fall perfectly in line with June’s Expo.
Microsoft says ‘Game on’
It’s been a more tumultuous year for Microsoft and the Xbox One but it’s not like the console or company are losing fans anytime soon.
Thanks to Xbox One-friendly Titanfall, the next-gen console has remained in the ring. Ryse: Son of Rome also proved popular at a time when the PS4 didn’t have any big titles. Rumor has it that we’ll be seeing a sequel announced during the June 9 Microsoft conference. It’s also likely we’ll here more about that new Halo game – and perhaps more than just a Master Chief teaser this time.
Major Nelson has noted on his blog that the conference will be called Xbox: Game On, so it’s safe to say there will be at least one or two (hopefully more) titles announced.
But games aside (don’t worry, it’s a brief aside) we’ll probably learn more about Microsoft’s new entertainment model. Specifically, with the consoles turning into a one-box type of entertainment machine with music and TV, we may get previews of Xbox’s new, original shows including the Steven Spielberg-produced Halo show.
Check out more Sony and Microsoft rumors about E3 right here!
Valve probably taking a breather
All’s been a bit quiet on the Valve front but the company was definitely busy earlier this year.
There was plenty shared during CES, Steam’s Dev Days and GDC but aside from getting our paws on both iterations of the Steam Controllers, we still have yet to play around with a Steam Machine.
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc62TasmDsw
So far we’ve gone hands on with the Alienware Steam Machine, and though it’s a slick device, we’re hoping to really see it in action during the Expo.
With the Machines unleashing from the various third-party vendors "later this year" and a likely fall release for the redesigned Steam Controller, we’re hoping to hear more about the new features – like Steam Music.
Just how many Steam Machines are there? This list details them all.
E3 2014: Nintendo, and more games
Nintendo needs something. Anything.
Nintendo is being, well, Nintendo again. The Japanese company is repeating the same affair of avoiding the E3 pomp and circumstance by holding a bunch of smaller events and hosting a "Nintendo Digital Event."
Hopefully whatever Nintendo has planned will put it on the map again. Perhaps a few game announcements are in the works? Like say, Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U? Or even some new Nintendo hardware. It’s already been confirmed by the company that we actually won’t see hardware, but knowing the company’s insane privacy measures, we can still cross our fingers and wish.
More games, NOW
A few titles have already been mentioned but let’s get right down to what we want to see happen at E3 this year.
GTA V for the PC is due pretty soon here and it won’t be a surprise if Rockstar decides to finally out it at the show.
Uncharted 4 (or whatever it’s called) has to show up with more footage during Sony’s conference – at least that’s the rumor flying around right now. Let’s just cross our fingers that the Naughty Dog exodus really won’t affect the game development.
Bethesda has also been a busy little bee. Could we see the announcement and teaser for Fallout 4? Who knows, but The Evil Within sure looks promising and has to be on the show floor in some capacity.
Ubisoft has been just as busy with hit after hit (albeit with some controversy stirred in) but you can’t deny that Tom Clancy’s The Division looks pretty dang cool.
Mass Effect 4 has also been heavily teased by Bioware for awhile now and it seems about right to show us something at E3 – perhaps during EA’s press conference?
Regardless of what gets announced, we just really want more games. There’s nothing wrong with wanting more games, right? In the meantime, keep up with us as we countdown the days to the Expo and fill up the page with even more news and bits of rumors to keep your gaming appetites satiated.
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