SideQuesting E3 Predictions: Aaron, Ryan and Mike W

This final day of predictions sees the triplets with the highest Gamerscores amongst SideQuesting face off.  Aaron loves force feedback, Ryan is yearning for Mirror’s Edge 2, and Mike is dropping the biggest bombshell of the show.

Read their “intelligent” insights below.

Aaron Kirchoff

Microsoft
– More information on Natal including a better idea of price and a vague release scheduled for holiday ’10
– Rare’s next project revealed
– Showing off more of Halo: Reach. Maybe playable campaign on the show floor?
– Fable 3 gameplay presentation narrated by Molyneux
– Halo HD for XBLA

Sony
– Move demonstrated with an actual game, not just tech demos – release date announced
– new Home-related announcements
– Infamous 2 teased
– Killzone 3 teased

Nintendo
– 3DS talked about, maybe show a prototype. Not playable.
– Vitality sensor dated/priced, possibly bundled with an exercise game
– New Zelda for Wii
– Pikmin 3 makes an appearance in some fashion

PC
– …there are PC games?

Individual Publishers
Activision
– Announcement of new project with Bungie, possibly a description (unnamed)
– COD: Black Ops shown off
– (Blizzard) StarCraft 2 somethingorother

EA
– Mirror’s Edge 2 teased
– Dead Space 2 new footage, possibly playable (will at least show gameplay)
– Madden ’11

UbiSoft
– AC: Brotherhood shown off
– More shown of Beyond Good & Evil 2 (It’s not dead!)

Suda51/Grasshopper
– New project

Technology
– Some kind of new force feedback gear: a helmet, gloves. Created by an indie team or collegiate group. Electrodes are likely to be involved.

Ryan Gan

General
– “Noticeable” amount of iPad games at booths (noticeable = at least 3)
– Microsoft wins E3, but most interesting announcements are 3DS-based

Microsoft
– Big Halo: Reach push
– Lots of playable Natal crap (some kind of shooter, sports)
– Xbox 360 slim mention with 250GB HDD + Natal, priced at $350
– Big wows from Peter Moleyneux’s Milo
– New New Xbox Experience w/ Natal’s release

Sony
-Sony Move, playable w/o price point
-PSP2 named, no UMD for it, all downloadable content
-New Playstation UI experience

Nintendo
– 3DS named
– No Wii HD
– More on Wii Zelda, nothing playable for attendees
– Metroid Other M playable
– Mario for 3DS shown
– New Super Mario Bros 2 (DS)
-some game that will require a new peripheral for the Wii that will make people mad

Individual Publishers
Square Enix
– Big push for FFXIV
– FF Versus XIII downplayed, not mentioned at all, or jettisoned into the deepest depths of space
– A few new IPs that are not FF
– FF 4, 5, 6, and Chrono Trigger to be put out in some downloadable form on Wii, 360, or PS3

EA
– Mirror’s Edge 2 shown
– Dead Space 2 shown and/or playable
– No mention of Mass Effect 3 yet
– Mentions of Dragon Age stuff
– Star Wars: The Old Republic shown

Capcom
– MvC3 playable (a few characters only)
– New Resident Evil game shown for PS3 and 360
– Some arbitrary Mega Man stuff in-booth

Ubisoft
– Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood shown
– Far Cry 3

Valve
– New Team Fortress
– Portal 2 playable
– Half Life 3 announcement/demo/mention

Activision
– Very short movie about Bungie’s new IP
– Call of Duty Black Ops gameplay shown, not playable for attendees
– A variety of sequels from existing IPs

Sega
– Some new Sonic stuff
– Playable Alpha Protocol mission for attendees
–Virtua Cop Wii!

Mike Wehner

Microsoft
– CoD Black Ops is shown, just as MW2 was at the 360 conference last year.
– Natal, duh
– 360 Slim, double duh
– Lots of Numbers, triple duh
– Renewed push for Xbox Originals
– Mirrors Edge 2 in-conference announcement

****OK, heres the one insane prediction I allow myself each year****
Are you ready for this? Are you?……….. Steam. For Xbox. Valve just added Steam to Mac, and the people working on that conversion could have started working on another conversion right after that. Yes, it would fragment a bit of the downloadable games market on 360, but lets not kid ourselves, Xbox Indie Games isn’t really going anywhere at the moment. They need another push. They’ll want a piece, or at least their name on the front. Steam. Steam For Xbox 360. Believe.

Sony
– New Little Big Planet
– Gran Turismo 5 is still going to be awesome… whenever it comes out! “Trust us!”
– PSP2 will not be called PSP2, and may not carry the PSP name at all
– “Sorry about Linux”
– 3D BluRay update coming for PS3

Nintendo
– 3DS, half a dozen launch titles shown/playable
– SOMETHING about F-Zero, not for 3DS, sooner than that. Possibly a DSi-ware version of the original game
– Wii Vitality Sensor makes a comeback, bundled with some new title
– Metroid Other M big push
– New No More Heroes (WiiMotion Plus functional)

General
– Bigger iPod/iPad presence than any past years, as companies like Activision and EA will have a lot of the devices on display