Written by: Shawn Reynolds
E3 2017 starts today, and anticipation is high as we wait for the biggest announcements for our favorite video game franchises. EA is scheduled for Saturday June 10 at 12:00 PM; on Sunday, June 11, Microsoft opens at 2:00 PM; and Bethesda closes out the day at 9:00 PM. Monday, June 12, Ubisoft and Sony start at 1:00 PM and 6:00 PM, respectively, leaving Nintendo aside for Tuesday, June 13 at 9:00 AM.
I honestly don’t expect a lot to be announced at EA’s conference. There are sure to be some sport titles announced such as 2K18 and Madden 2018, but anything else is up in the air. We recently got a new Battlefront from them, but a new one could be on the horizon. Usually I find myself bored by the conference every year so I’m not expecting anything. Microsoft will be focusing on presenting Project Scorpio, I presume, and I expect one major exclusive announcement. We could very well see the reveal of Fallout 5 at Bethesda’s conference and with Ubisoft, we know that Beyond Good & Evil 2 won’t be appearing, but it’s good to know that the game isn’t dead. Due to a leak a couple weeks ago, we know we’re going to get the official announcement of the Mario x Rabbids RPG, most likely with some early footage. Beyond that, it’s a mystery to me. Sony is the big one: they have a history of making big announcements, with 2015 giving us the incredible reveal of the Final Fantasy VII Remake, the release date for the long awaited The Last Guardian, and footage of Horizon: Zero Dawn. 2016 gave us footage from the new God of War.
The Last of Us Part II received an announcement trailer at the tail end of last year and it’s very likely we’ll finally get some gameplay footage at this year’s event. I have kept myself in the dark about any of Sony’s possible announcements and I like it as such. If, or when, they do make a big announcement it will be all the more glorious when it occurs.
Nintendo has already had a big year. The Nintendo Switch released back in March and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has gained legendary appraisal. They have already announced a ton of games such as ARMS and Splatoon 2; just three days ago they revealed Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon and Pokkén Tournament DX. There is still more to be had at E3 however. Nintendo has plans to show off more of Super Mario Odyssey. We’ll also be getting invitational tournaments for Splatoon 2 and ARMS. Since little was shown of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Moon, we will likely get more footage of the Sun and Moon sequel and find out just how much is different from the 2016 release. Nintendo is also planning to have another Treehouse event, and for those who don’t know, the Treehouse is basically a session where they demo several games. It’s an opportunity to get a better feel of the games and honestly, last year’s was the most exciting part of E3. This would also be a good time to get more in-depth looks at various Nindie titles that were revealed a while ago such as Dandara.
Aside from announcements from the showcased companies, I am eager to learn more from Square Enix. Considering Square’s history I am not expecting much to be shown of Kingdom Hearts III or Final Fantasy VII Remake, if anything at all. I do think it’s within reason to get some new footage of Project Octopath Traveler, along with its official title. It would also be great to get a new JRPG for home consoles announced by someone who isn’t Atlus or Square Enix. E3 is the most exciting time of the year for me and I am eager to sit down and watch the event unfold.
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