SideQuesting E3 Predictions: Dali and Mike M

Day 3 of our E3 predictions!  This time, Dali Dimovski and Mike McGarrigle show off their insights into gaming’s biggest possible secrets.  In love with Mass Effect, Dali is hoping for the best in 2011.  Mike sees less of a push for 3D technology as we may have all originally thought.  Their thoughts below.

Dali Dimovski

Microsoft
– XBox Slim w/ Natal for $250, internal memory of up to 4GB?
– Natal by itself for $100
– XBox Arcade to $179.99, XBox Elite to $250
– Mass Effect 3 debut trailer
– Mass Effect MMORPG
– Natal in Fable 3
– Major NXE interface update
– Natal sports pack-in game
– Natal health game
– Halo:Reach push
– New Halo game teased
– Minimal 3D gaming push (“Hey look, we can do it too. But you don’t want it, anyways.)

Sony
– PSP2 (Will be $200 PSP with hard drive, can still accept UMD, and have second thumb stick)
– PSPgo price drop to $150-$175
– Final Fantasy XIV push
– Final Fantasy Versus XIII to be released in 2011… still PS3 exclusive
– Gran Turismo 5 to have MOVE compatibility and be released in October (finally)
– Uncharted PSP debut trailer
– Little Big Planet 2
– PS3 MOVE combo system = $350
– PS3 MOVE with mostly casual games revealed. Potentially show a God of War MOVE demo-type-thing as the one “killer” core game… maybe Kratos will be in that Motion Fighter game that they have coming
– Major interface update, to include better PSN integration, more “social” PS3 features
– Infamous 2, Killzone 3, Resistance 3

Nintendo
– 3DS debut
– Star Fox game for 3DS debut
– “Killer app” 3DS game will be a brand new IP
– $199 3DS to have small hard drive, SD card slot, bigger screens than DSi, GameCube/Wii-level graphics, motion-sensing, rumble
– 3DS online store to be more like iTunes store, with more focus on apps and games and the 3DS marketed as more than just a games system
– New menu/user-interface update for the Wii
– New Donkey Kong game (perhaps retro-style, like New Super Mario Wii)
– New Mario game… Not Galaxy or NSMBWii, but completely different and perhaps casual-influenced.
– Vitality Sensor games: WiiParty, Pikmin 3, WiiFit 2 (or similar health game)
– New Legend of Zelda

Other Publishers
Valve
– Giant push for Portal 2, Half Life 2 Episode 3

Activision
– Call of Duty Black Ops gameplay to debut during XBox press conference
– Another Call of Duty game (MMO? Third-person action game?)
– Next Tony Hawk game to include snowboarding

EA
– Madden, NBA, Fifa to have some type of physical fitness training included (like EA Sports Active on Wii, but included in games)
– New SSX game

Rockstar
– Grand Theft Auto 5 teaser… will take place in foreign country (maybe Europe?)

Mike McGarrigle

Microsoft
– Project Natal will be reveled with pricing for standalone unit from $75 to $99. It will come bundled with the new Slim 360 for $299.
– More updates to the dash board. Friend count will be increased and group support will be shown. Update to come on or before Slim 360/Natal ship this fall.
– We’ll see a partnership with a major ISP (probably Comcast) to bring some On Demand TV to the 360.
– A Zune Marketplace subscription will be announced.
– They’ll highlight integration of the 360, PC, and Windows Phone 7.
– No Blue Ray player (sorry Nathan)

Sony
– Focus on Move and first party games. Move will retail at $99 and the bundle will be $349.
– We’ll see a paid subscription model coming in the near future.
– Kevin Butler will make a stage presence.
– PSP will get a new model at same price.
– PSPgo will drop to $199.
– Gran Turismo 5 SHOULD be dated and hands on, BUT it won’t be. (Please note: I really hope it is, but I lost faith long ago. I will be happy to get this one wrong).

Nintendo
– There will be no Wii HD.
– New Zelda will be shown off.
– New Metroid will have hands on.
– More first party games will be announced. Third party and more hard core game will continue to be ignored.

Publishers
– We’ll see nothing from Respawn and EA, but I’m sure they will be there and hinting at something big to come in the future.
– Activision will be trumpeting their partnership with Bungie and we’ll get a teaser of what’s coming from them.
– Ubisoft will continue to crank out Tom Clancy branded game. We’ll see Rainbow Six, Advanced Warfighter, and Hawx, but they won’t be playable.

Technology
– 3D… will be there, with little support behind it.
– On Live will be there, but have nothing really new to show.