So it’s almost that time of year folks! E3 is just under two weeks away and the rumour mill has already begun turning. Nintendo has announced it’s intention once again not to have the glitz and glamour of a live stage show, instead opting for a ‘Digital Event’ to showcase what they have planned for the future. With the Xbox One trailing behind the Playstation 4 with regards to sales Microsoft has the most to prove to its devoted fan base. With the Kinect pretty much a failure and everyone clambering for a Kinect-less Xbox bundle to drive down the price to compete with Sony, what will Microsoft’s new big cheese Phil Spencer have up his sleeve? Maybe they have learnt their lesson from last year and will have a focus on what people care about, mainly games, and put the stuff that most of their fan base, mainly the cavalcade of sports apps etc, on the back burner!

In the eyes of the general public and press, Sony can’t put a foot wrong at the minute. From day one Sony listened to what its fan base wanted and designed the Playstation 4 to cater directly to gamers. Granted Microsoft shot themselves in the foot with regards to its fans by shackling them with restrictions on game sharing and DRM but Sony were always on the right track with their new console regardless. Infamous: Second Son and Killzone: Shadow Fall showed the world what the Playstation 4 is capable of with their beautiful graphics and captivating gameplay.

But what will happen when band rolls in to L.A? Only time will tell, but in any case here is a snippet of what I would like to see once the dust has settled at E3…

Mass Effect 4

Being a HUGE Mass Effect fan I have been waiting over 2 years to see something concrete from the guys at Bioware. With the new generation of consoles firmly established, this years E3 is the perfect time to blow people away with a slither of gameplay to keep them wanting more. Hell, even some screenshots would quench my thirst!

It’s been just over a year that Casey Hudson revealed at PAX East that work had begun on a new instalment of the franchise. People were a little upset to say the least that Commander Shepard wouldn’t be making his triumphant return in the 4th game but I think that this is the right direction to head in with the future of the franchise. Given how big the Universe is and how many different species and locations there are, Bioware would be foolish not to spin a yarn from the this bottomless pit of tales and events within this gaming world.

A prequel could also be high on the agenda for the developers to further establish their universe similar to Star Wars, granted it would be done a whole lot better than Lucas Arts managed with their prequels. Having heard the event mentioned several times throughout the series and through entries in the Codex, I would love to see a game built up around the First Contact War. Seeing humanities first glimpse of another intelligent race would be a great story to tell. As well as some of the ground battles that took place during this war, such as the Occupation of Shanxi, there could also be a new feature added to the gameplay in the shape of the space battles. Imagine being able to take control of an Alliance starship and battle with the Turians with a Mass Relay as the backdrop.

Whatever Bioware decided to show, I’m sure the crowds at E3 will be circling the release date on their calender and counting down the days like a child waiting for Christmas.

New Nintendo Hardware

What can you say other than the Wii U has bee a monumental failure. With the Xbox One and Playstation 4 dominating the market, the Wii U has hardly got a look in. When I worked at GAME, people would often forget that it was even there at all when they came in to buy a new console. Overpriced for what it was, forcing people to use a tablet and not even having the decency to release a bundle that just included a controller, the Wii U never stood a chance. It’s for these reason’s that I think Nintendo should surprise everybody at this years E3 and announce a new console that can compete with Sony and Microsoft.

State of the art graphics and plenty of 3rd party games are a must if they were to announce new hardware. Can you imagine the sort of response Nintendo would get if they decided to release realistic looking Pokemon! 3rd party games have kind of been an Achilles heel for Nintendo in recent years with developers reluctant to publish anything for a floundering console. Even when they did get their hands on something, it had already been released way in advance for other consoles i.e. Mass Effect 3 and Batman Arkham City. Thats why I think that Nintendo should seek to sign some sort of deal with Mojang, or a similar company, to get Minecraft released on a new console, or even to help the Wii U sales before they decided to announce new hardware. The target audience with Nintendo’s consoles are usually families thats why something like Minecraft would be a perfect addition to the gang.

Nobody want’s to see Nintendo go the way of Sega and stop making consoles all together. I really do hope they have an ace up their sleeve for their, and our, sake.

Rockstar’s Presence

I for one am always baffled as to why Rockstar Games never show up to E3. Maybe they think they are too big for the Convention? Or maybe they think they don’t need the publicity that comes with being one of the biggest developers there? Whatever the reason, I think a lot of people would wait with baited breath if Rockstar decided to announce their presence.

If they chose to attend, the inevitable rumour that would make the rounds is that they plan to release a PC version to the mega hit GTA V but I think that they should pull a swerve of huge proportions. Don’t get me wrong  I do think a PC version is coming, but I think it would be a wasted opportunity to just focus on this. A few months back, via an IGN article, a Rockstar New England employee let slip on their Linkedin profile that they were working on a new version of a famous Rockstar IP, but gave no further details as to what it was. Rockstar could use E3 as an opportunity to showcase where they are heading in the future. Dan Houser declared that he is interested in making a sequel to Bully, so why not announce this at E3? Or possibly a sequel one of my all time favourite games, L.A Noire?

Whether they plan to RSVP or not is anyone’s guess but I think that they would be foolish to pass up on the exposure that E3 gets every year. Rewarding the fans for their loyalty and the fantastic launch of GTA V would show a touch of class on Rockstar’s part and would give fans something to look forward to.

What are you guys looking forward to? More from Activision and Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare? Maybe you are excited to see what Nintendo has in store for Mario? Whatever it may be make sure to let us know in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.

ASTON SHAW