The Electronic Entertainment Expo finally is upon us.
From Saturday to Tuesday, the biggest names in gaming will gather for E3 2017 at the Los Angeles Convention Center (hopefully) to shed light on their best, and worst kept secrets. A culmination of a year’s worth of news and rumors, E3 also represents the industry’s grandest celebration.
Perhaps the most exciting aspect of E3 is predicting what will be revealed, and the ensuing surprise or disappointment once the expo closes. But developers and companies also confirm much of what they’re bringing to the show before their respective press conferences start.
Here are some of the confirmed E3 appearances that are generating the most hype:
Microsoft: “Project Scorpio”
Sure, Microsoft”s bringing plenty of games to E3, but the only thing people care about is its next console, codenamed “Project Scorpio.” There’s a general consensus that “Scorpio” is just an updated version of the Xbox One, albeit an extremely powerful one. But the truth is we don’t know that Microsoft has up its sleeve. While we expect to get a price and release date for the system, Microsoft could shock everyone with an overhaul of the platform’s current operating system and features.
Microsoft has billed “Scorpio” as a system capable of putting an end to console-gaming generations as we know them. If it reveals anything that makes that notion seem possible, the company will dominate the E3 headlines.
Nintendo: “Super Mario Odyssey,” “Pokken Tournament DX,” “Splatoon 2,” “Skyrim”
Although, once again, Nintendo won’t hold a traditional press conference at E3, it will live stream its Nintendo Switch presentation, referred to as “Nintendo Spotlight.” Many fans were disappointed Tuesday when Nintendo failed to reveal a mainline “Pokemon” entry for Switch, but what the company is bringing to Los Angeles still is pretty exciting.
Perhaps the most fascinating game Nintendo will show off is the Switch edition of “Skyrim.” If its new system proves capable of supporting a game as massively detailed as “Skyrim,” it could open the floodgates for third-party developers to flock back to the company.
Sony: “God of War,” “Uncharted: The Lost Legacy,” “Spider-Man”
As it usually does at E3, Sony will make it all about the games. Following its reveal at last year’s event, “God of War” likely will be the focus of Sony’s conference. A dark-horse candidate, though, is “Spider-Man,” which hopefully will be the game Webslinger fans have been waiting for.
Bethesda: Bethesdaland
Perhaps the most well-respected developer in the industry right now, Bethesda is getting a little crazy for this year’s E3, as it’s bringing a theme park called Bethesdaland. Within the park are several areas representing current Bethesda games. but there also are two areas that are under construction, suggesting the developer has some surprises in store.
Electronic Arts: “FIFA 18,” “Madden NFL 18,” “NBA Live 18,” “Star Wars Battlefront II”
There’s a good chance that “Star Wars Battlefront II” will be the focus of EA’s conference, but “FIFA 18” might be the most interesting game it brings to E3. Specifically, what form the game takes on Nintendo Switch will say a lot about how the company plans to approach bringing games to the console in the future.
Also noteworthy is “NBA Live 18,” which has a steep mountain to climb if it wants to usurp “NBA 2K 18” as the dominant NBA sim.
Cross-platform highlights: “Destiny 2,” “Call of Duty WWII,” “Sonic Mania”
Some of E3’s biggest games aren’t specific to any platform. Titles such as “Call of Duty: WWII” and “Destiny 2” are carrying lots of buzz into the expo, and could leave some of the most lasting impressions once the doors close.
This year’s event is particularly important for “Destiny” developer Bungie Studios, which has a lot riding on the series’ second entry.
Thumbnail photo via Flickr/E3 Expo
