E3 2010: Our predictions
Here, in handy bullet point form, are our collective predictions for the most and least likely news to come out of this year's E3 conference. Feel free to print this page, tack it to a wall, and keep track of our hits and misses during the week.
Reading the tea leaves of the annual Electronic Entertainment Expois a bit like handicapping a Steve Jobs keynote. There are some things so reliably leaked or telegraphed they're virtually sure bets, whereas other announcements are so out of left field you'd never see them coming (to say nothing of the occasional highly expected software or hardware news that goes MIA).
Here, in handy bullet point form, are our collective predictions for the most and least likely news to come out of this year's E3 conference. Feel free to print this page, tack it to a wall, and keep track of our hits and misses during the week.
Sure bet, take it to the bank!
- Microsoft's Project Natal named/priced/bundled
- PlayStation Move price, date, launch titles announced
- Rock Band 3 focuses on its new "keyboard" instrument
- Additional premium video partners for Xbox Live/PSN
- PS3 3D firmware confirmed/dated, with Killzone 3D demo
- New "3D" version of the Nintendo DS
- "Slim" version of the Xbox 360
- Nintendo details the not-seen-since-last-year Vitality Sensor along with a "de-stressing" game
- Gyroscope-enabled iPhone 4 games announced
- Xbox Live/Windows Phone 7 integration
- Annual subscription for premium PlayStation Network access
- Next Half-Life episode gets a simultaneous Mac OS X release
- New Nintendo Wiimotes build in MotionPlus hardware
- Hulu comes to Xbox Live
We'll throw in one final category, for ideas and products we think it would be cool to see, but that we have no basis in fact or even trustworthy rumor to expect. Think of these as our out-of-left-field musings, and please, don't count them against us while scoring the predictions above.
Wishful thinking
- Multiplatform iPhone/Android games announced
- Nintendo Miis make their way to the DS platform
- Nintendo revamps online plan, ditches Friend Codes
- Fictional Sony VP Kevin Butler emcees the PlayStation press conference
- Nintendo 3DS works as a 3D camera or augmented reality device
- Nintendo's DSiWare adds huge downloadable GameBoy library
- Microsoft announces a 3D workaround (perhaps using Natal)
- Xbox Facebook app upgraded to play games like FarmVille
There you have it, our educated predictions--and some hopeful wishes--for what video game news will break at the annual E3 show. Check back next week to see how on-the-money we were, or just to marvel at our prescience.
In the meantime: what do you think will--and won't--be revealed next week in Los Angeles? Share your predictions below.