Arturo Hilario/El Observador
As we approach the summer months I am reminded of barbecues, river rafting, hating the sun for brief moments, and the yearly visual stimulation and excitement that can be found at the AC-extravaganza that is the Electronic Entertainment Expo, which is operated by Electronic Software Association (ESA) and is a trade only event.
On June 14th I and other writers, bloggers and media personnel will venture out to LA for the yearly trade show which has in the last decade become a glitzy and frenzy one-upping of swag giveaway, tech, and information coming from the big 3 console makers (Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony) as well as hundreds of video game publishers and virtually anything related to the gaming world.
As such I get pensive about what the latest and greatest feats of gaming will be presented this year around. Through the hoopla of everything it’s sometimes easy to get lost in the show and forget about the core of the expo, what’s going to be the next greatest game. Not the coolest presentation, not the one with the most booth girls, but the game of excellent pedigree.
Last year’s E3 brought us such highlights as Cuphead, an awesome ode to old animation, particularly that of the Mickey Mouse “Steamboat Willie” vibe where up to two players can take on the world of enemies trying to kill you, all while being set to a 20’s soundtrack and aforementioned animation style. I loved that demo and the aesthetics of it, and to me was the take all show stopper of last year’s E3.
But, we need to get into some of this year’s possible highlights.
This year EA hopes to wow the crowds with its sequel to Titanfall, another Battlefield unveiling, and the return of Mass Effect with their newest iteration titled “Andromeda”. As far as big news goes the reveal of Mass Effect: Andromeda should be the bee’s knees.
Bethesda, creators of the latest DOOM reboot, will most likely be unveiling downloadable content for Fallout 4 as well as more tidbits to be announced closer to the date of the event.
Now for the heavyweights. Sadly, it has been confirmed that Nintendo will not be unveiling it’s follow up console to the Wii U, code-named “NX”, nor releasing any info on it. It is important to note that in the years I have gone to E3 Nintendo by far has the best presentations and engages attendees with such a great attitude and attention to what makes Nintendo so beloved. The others have mixed approaches, like Microsoft giving out brown Banjo Kazooie foam fingers last year, for example. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to Nintendo’s fun and innovative games and upcoming productions, even if we don’t get a look at the future console that is sure to have some sort of innovation that differs to the other console makers.
Speaking of Microsoft, the company hopes to enthrall gamers with its more compact version of the XBox One. Future backward compatibility titles may be announced as well. As for Sony, they will be announcing their E3 lineup closer to the Expo.
Stay tuned for more coverage of E3 as the time gets nearer.
Live Streams will be available for the big 3 at their respective websites.
Microsoft Presentation: June 13, 9:00 a.m. PDT/12:30 p.m. EDT
Livestream: Twitch.com | Xbox.com | On XboxLIVE | Spike TV
Nintendo Presentation: June 14, 9:00 a.m. PDT/12:00 EDT
Livestream: Nintendo.com
Sony Presentation: TBA
Livestream: TBA
More info on e3expo.com
