It’s E3 time, and we’re reviving the Speculator for a special prediction competition! Six Snackbar staff weigh in on the Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo events at this year’s E3. Who will win?
At Microsoft’s event
Monday, June 9. The company is heading into E3 having just announced a Kinect-free Xbox One edition, and looks to regain ground against Sony.
Graham’s take
This is the first show in a while with Microsoft in the challenger position, and the Xbox One’s advantages — like television and Kinect — aren’t anyone’s favorite topics right now. Does it double down on the media aspects to win a new audience, or basically copy Sony’s 2013 show and fight to reclaim its old one?
New Kinect-based dance game announced
Graham Russell 45%, Andrew Passafiume 60%, Justin Last 50%, Henry Skey 60%, Eric Albuen 30%, Chris Dominowski 75%
Standalone Xbox One Kinect announced and priced
Graham 80%, Andrew 90%, Justin 100%, Henry 30%, Eric 100%, Chris D. 95%
Footage of Halo 5 gameplay shown
Graham 70%, Andrew 70%, Justin 75%, Henry 10%, Eric 60%, Chris D. 80%
New Rare title announced
Graham 20%, Andrew 25%, Justin 10%, Henry 30%, Eric 0%, Chris D. 15%
Cloud-based games or backward compatibility option revealed
Graham 15%, Andrew 75%, Justin 60%, Henry 50%, Eric 25%, Chris D. 25%
More information given on the live-action Halo TV show
Graham 55%, Andrew 55%, Justin 25%, Henry 80%, Eric 75%, Chris D. 20%
New Gears of War title announced
Graham 50%, Andrew 60%, Justin 90%, Henry 90%, Eric 30%, Chris D. 25%
Any Xbox 360 game announcement made
Graham 35%, Andrew 5%, Justin 40%, Henry 75%, Eric 90%, Chris D. 10%
Indie developers given segment to show off non-Microsoft-published games
Graham 30%, Andrew 20%, Justin 10%, Henry 20%, Eric 10%, Chris D. 40%
At Sony’s event
Monday, June 9. Last year’s event was full of jabs against Microsoft, but this year it’s heading into the show in a dominant market position. So what does it do?
Graham’s take
Sony’s show is all about expanded initiatives. The company’s betting hard on Morpheus and PlayStation Now to extend its reach beyond the usual base and gaming fare, but how much it’ll focus on those — after a 2013 games-focused show that earned it serious kudos — is yet to be seen.
Any new information given on The Last Guardian
Graham 25%, Andrew 50%, Justin 30%, Henry 60%, Eric 10%, Chris D. 5%
Project Morpheus release window named
Graham 45%, Andrew 30%, Justin 50%, Henry 50%, Eric 5%, Chris D. 20%
New first-party Vita game announced
Graham 80%, Andrew 5%, Justin 90%, Henry 80%, Eric 95%, Chris D. 45%
Gameplay trailer for new Uncharted shown
Graham 70%, Andrew 70%, Justin 70%, Henry 15%, Eric 45%, Chris D. 65%
Vita TV announced for U.S. release
Graham 40%, Andrew 10%, Justin 50%, Henry 60%, Eric 80%, Chris D. 45%
New Ratchet & Clank game shown
Graham 35%, Andrew 55%, Justin 65%, Henry 30%, Eric 80%, Chris D. 30%
PlayStation Now made available to general public within the week
Graham 30%, Andrew 40%, Justin 20%, Henry 80%, Eric 10%, Chris D. 20%
PS4 game shown using camera functionality
Graham 50%, Andrew 5%, Justin 20%, Henry 90%, Eric 60%, Chris D. 70%
Second wave of indie games showcased
Graham 70%, Andrew 90%, Justin 95%, Henry 95%, Eric 99%, Chris D. 85%
At Nintendo’s presentations
Tuesday, June 10. Once again, the company is skipping a full live event, instead opting for a Nintendo Direct and some mid-week special-focus sessions.
Graham’s take
Nintendo’s show this year likely can’t lean on new Mario games, as the company’s beaten that drum a bit too much over the last few years and can’t crank out another platformer. And Zelda for Wii U is big, but also a given at this point. So we expect one of the company’s secondary franchises to return, but there’s just no consensus on which ones. Metroid? F-Zero? Star Fox? We’ll see soon enough.
New game in Metroid series revealed
Graham 50%, Andrew 60%, Justin 15%, Henry 10%, Eric 35%, Chris D. 25%
Gameplay footage shown for Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem
Graham 45%, Andrew 55%, Justin 25%, Henry 35%, Eric 45%, Chris D. 15%
Wii U Zelda title officially announced, trailer shown
Graham 90%, Andrew 75%, Justin 100%, Henry 55%, Eric 35%, Chris D. 50%
NFC figures revealed, with gameplay examples
Graham 85%, Andrew 85%, Justin 45%, Henry 80%, Eric 70%, Chris D. 55%
New first-party IP announced
Graham 90%, Andrew 15%, Justin 0%, Henry 25%, Eric 80%, Chris D. 25%
New 3DS or Wii U hardware revision revealed
Graham 25%, Andrew 10%, Justin 80%, Henry 10%, Eric 20%, Chris D. 10%
New Star Fox or F-Zero game announced
Graham 35%, Andrew 5%, Justin 30%, Henry 5%, Eric 55%, Chris D. 25%
New game announced in wider Mario franchise
Graham 50%, Andrew 80%, Justin 95%, Henry 95%, Eric 75%, Chris D. 45%
Another third-party developer making game with Nintendo IP
Graham 55%, Andrew 40%, Justin 10%, Henry 80%, Eric 100%, Chris D. 45%
Tune in after the show for the results and see whose speculation reigns supreme!
