It's that time of year already, the time of the year where gamers get a peek at what they will be devoting their wallets and time toward in the gaming world. It's June, and that means E3 is just a few days away, the best couple of days of the year where our hopes for a certain game(s) being revealed is as much a possibility as our desires for it to be true. I love E3 it is just an exciting time. Watching livestreams of conferences, and seeing people in the industry get hyped about the games being shown off, just puts me in a good mood. E3 though is still a few days away which means it's time for the usual predictions for all the major conferences. This time around I thought I would simplify things by providing "what I think will happen" and "what I hope to see" from the conferences.
EA
What I think will happen: EA has always had some of the more divisive conferences, thanks to the inordinate amount of snarky tweets and comments that come up whenever the "sportsball" stuff comes up and slows down the presentation. FYI to those who do this, you're not funny. It is fair to say we will see the usual Madden, FIFA, and other sports or racing related games on display, new Need for Speed game has already been confirmed, but what most people care about at this point is Star Wars. I've been disappointed in the lack of anything notable from the variety of Star Wars games in development. We know pretty much nothing about them besides from some developer diary stuff, I think this year the curtains will be pulled back and we will see some actual gameplay from a few Star Wars games that aren't Battlefront 2. With the rocky reception of Mass Effect: Andromeda, I doubt we will hear about any other projects from Bioware this year. Besides from the AAA games that EA is known for, I believe we'll see a fair amount of the indie projects that the company has pushed more recently, I think a Unravel 2 is a good possibility to be revealed this year.
What I hope to see: I would love to see what exactly the Star Wars games being developed by Respawn and Visceral are like, hopefully with some gameplay to accompany it. In a more unlikely hope, I wouldn't mind a new Dead Space game also, but I doubt it will happen.
Microsoft
What I think will happen: Scorpio will be a huge part of their show, I think everyone will agree with that. I think it would be a mistake for Microsoft to end their show without revealing the price (I'm guessing around $549) and the some games that will push people towards a Scorpio, or whatever they officially call it. Besides from Scorpio, Microsoft is in need of showing off some first party games that will get people's attention. With no Halo or Gears of War available to be the showcase game, they need to pull something new from the first party basket and see if it can standout. Crackdown 3 and Sea of Thieves will most likely get some demos, and release dates, along with a the usual indie showcase section. Don't be surprised either if Player Unknown Battlegrounds, is teased for Xbox One at some point as well.
What I hope to see: What I really want from Microsoft is to see some new IPs from their studios. They can't rely on Halo and Gears of War forever and they need something new to bring to the party. I would also love to see the price point for Scorpio being cheaper than I think it will be, but I'm not betting on it.
Bethesda
What I think will happen: When Bethesda first revealed they were going to have a conference a few years ago, I thought it would be a one time thing thanks to Fallout 4, yet they seem to be sticking with the idea of a conference yearly. I'm concerned they won't have enough this year to make their conference standout, but I've been surprised before. They probably won't have anything to show from Arcane studios, since their two teams just released Prey and Dishonored 2. What about Todd Howard's team? No doubt we will see a few of the smaller projects that his team is working on for mobile, although that might be it. The showcase game this year will most likely be the new Wolfenstein game, which should be interesting to see where they take the series.
What I hope to see: The next Elder Scrolls game is definitely on the top of my wish list for their conference, but it might be a little early for the reveal this year. I honestly would also be interested in seeing the Fallout and Elder Scrolls team create a new IP as well. I would love to see a Fallout 3 or New Vegas remaster as well.
Ubisoft
What I think will happen: We already know that Far Cry 5 is going to be at the show, which was a game that I was hoping to see get revealed anyway, but we can also expect South Park: The Fracture But Whole and the Mario Rabbids game as well to be shown. Oh, and Just Dance whatever number they're on. The new Assassin's Creed game will also probably be revealed and be one of the key focuses. I'm very much looking forward to seeing what the extra time has done to change the series, if at all. Lastly, Ubisoft usually has it's one last thing surprise that it loves to do. I feel as if the one last thing will be a new Splinter Cell game, since it has been a long while since Blacklist released, it will probably be a more co-op focused entry though.
What I hope to see: What I hope to see is basically what I think we will see, I mainly want to see how Far Cry 5 and the new Assassin's Creed are shaping up, and whether or not Ubisoft is starting to move away from their usual open world formula. I also want to another Splinter Cell game, and also a sequel to the 2008 Prince of Persia, but that's not gonna happen is it....
Sony
What I think will happen: I would say out of all the conferences that I'm most excited for PlayStation's. I thought they had a great show last year, and it started with an epic bang with the new God of War, the chances are pretty high that we will see more from God of War, along with the handful of other exclusives shown off last year, like Spiderman, Days Gone, and the new Uncharted. Destiny 2 will probably be a big part of the conference as well. I don't expect many new games to be announced, since so many were last year, but I do expect to see more from those games, which I have no problem with.
What I hope to see: Bloodborne 2 is no doubt what I most am hoping to see revealed at the conference, I think it has a decent shot at getting announced. I would love to see a release date or window for both God of War and Spiderman as well. One game I don't want to see though, is The Last of Us 2, cause that game sucks. I'm kidding, but I would prefer for them to show more of the game when it is much closer to actually coming out.
Nintendo
What I hope to see: Let's change it up and go with what I hope to see from Nintendo, before I discuss the harsh reality of what will probably happen. I would love to see a new 2D Zelda game get teased, for hopefully Switch and 3DS. Super Mario Odyssey is a sure bet, however I still am interested to see more of it and also a release date. A new Metroid...yeah I know. A console Pokemon game, wait Nintendo already killed that hope this morning! Overall I would love to see just more new games that are coming out for the Switch, and Wind Waker HD and Tokyo Sessions ports to Switch as well.
What I think will happen: Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, Arms. Bunch of games that should be on Switch but are coming to 3DS for some reason. Pokemon Ultra Moon and Sun gameplay. As you can see I'm not expecting much in terms of surprises, however what I listed really wouldn't be a bad showing in reality, yet my unrealistic dreams continue to not settle for this reality.
Do you have any predictions or thoughts about any of the conferences at E3 this year? Feel free to share them below or make a sad face emoji, whatever floats your boat.