In the matter of a few days, every gamer’s questions finally will be answered — for better or for worse.
From Saturday to Tuesday, the Los Angeles Convention Center will be overrun as the biggest developers, companies and personalities in gaming converge for this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo. We already know much of what will be at the event, but there’s still a decent amount of mystery.
NESN.com’s Dakota Randall and Pat McAssey put their heads together and came up with a list of what they hope to see at E3 2017.
Dakota:
“Super Smash Bros.” for Nintendo Switch
Nintendo in no way shape or form has hinted at a “Smash” title coming to Switch, let alone E3, but the general consensus is the company’s been waiting till now to drop the news. If that happens, Nintendo might struggle to keep up with the demand for its new console.
Some people are concerned the game will join “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe,” “Splatoon 2” and “Pokken Tournament DX” as just another ported version of a Wii U title. Personally, we don’t care what form it comes in, we just want to play “Smash” on Switch.
“Red Dead Redemption 2”
Although Rockstar already has revealed this game, it hasn’t confirmed whether it will appear at E3. The developer usually skips out on E3 in favor of holding its own private event, but if “Red Dead 2” is going to pop up anywhere at E3, it will be during Sony’s conference.
“Red Dead Redemption” has garnered universal critical acclaim, and for good reason. Hopes are high for the sequel, and getting a glimpse of it at E3 would be a pleasant surprise.
A reason to buy “Project Scorpio”
We know “Scorpio” will be at E3, but we’re going to learn about Microsoft’s new console is a total mystery. It’s fair to assume that “Scorpio” will be an impressive piece of hardware, but will bring enough to the table to convince Xbox One owners to trade in, or for Nintendo and Sony diehards to make the switch?
Personally, we don’t see much Microsoft can do to sell us on the idea of getting a new Xbox just a few year’s after purchasing the One, unless the retail price is reasonably low.
Pat:
“Forza”: virtual reality
Both “Forza Motorsport 6” and “Forza Horizon 3” are very detailed and have lifelike physics, but those aren’t the only things that matter anymore when it comes to sim racing games. In the past, utilizing high-resolution graphics and realistic gameplay were the only way developers could make gamers feel like they’re actually racing. With the emergence of VR headsets, however, players can truly immerse themselves in the game.
Many of the games that compete with “Forza,” such as “Assetto Corsa” and “Project Cars,” already include this functionality, but Turn 10 Studios has yet to introduce it. Microsoft likely will highlight “Project Scorpio’s” graphics at E3 using a 4K version of “Forza Motorsport 6,” and we hope it also announces VR support too.
FIA Gran Turismo Digital License
“Gran Turismo Sport” is ready to take the fight to “Forza” with 4K graphics and HDR lighting, but the game will have another feature that we’re even more excited about — or rather we will be if it comes to the United States.
Users who complete certain requirements in “GT Sport,” such as racing etiquette lessons, will be eligible to receive an FIA Gran Turismo Digital License, which will “hold the same value as a real life license,” according to the game’s official website. As of May 2016, 22 countries had signed on to participate in this program, but the U.S. isn’t one of them. It will be nice if we learn that’s since changed at E3.
“Need For Speed: Payback”: cars
Apart from one trailer, EA and Ghost Games hasn’t released much information about the upcoming “NFS” installment. Since there’s almost no hope of it having maps as cool as “Forza Horizon 3’s” new Hot Wheels ones, we mostly want to know more cars that will be in the games.
Most of the models shown in the trailer are also in “Forza” titles, so they do little to set the game apart from the crowd. The exception was the inclusion of the upcoming BMW M5. If “NFS” adds more cars like the M5 that other games don’t have, it could give it the competitive advantage it needs.
Thumbnail photo via Flickr/E3 Expo
