E3 2017 is among us, so that means that all of the months spent speculating are coming to a crashing halt. In this series of articles, we are going to highlight our predictions and hopes for what will be revealed at this year’s E3.
Let’s start with what we can safely assume is going to be featured in Sony’s E3 conference this year or playable on the show-floor. We will ignore third-party games such as Battlefront II, Call Of Duty, and various other multi-platform titles that could show up on either Nintendo’s, Sony’s, or Microsoft’s stages.
God Of War
Making it’s world premier at last year’s Sony conference, it’s safe to say we are going to, at the very least, learn more about Kratos’ adventure in Norse mythology. My guess, if we aren’t getting this game this year we will at least get a soft release date which should be sometime in 2018.
Spider-Man
Another game that debuted last year at E3, Insomniac’s take on Spider-Man looked amazing in the cinematic gameplay that was shown. Hopefully, the game itself can live up to what we saw last year and deliver not only one of the better super-hero games of this generation, but some of the developers are calling it one of the best PS4 games. There’s been some confusion as to whether or not this game will be out this year, my prediction is no, but there have been rumors. Nevertheless, I expect this game to be shown again.
Especially with Spider-Man Homecoming right around the corner, we may not be getting this game this year but Sony will be marketing this game and cross-promoting the movie for sure.
Last Of Us 2
Making it’s debut last year at PSX, I think we can safely say the follow-up to the critically acclaimed game will show it’s face again. I would imagine this game is no where near finished though.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy
A safe bet to be another cornerstone of Sony’s conference. Uncharted has a release date already carved out so my guess would be a gameplay focus for this game. Sony’s relationship with developer Naughty Dog almost provides absolute certainty that we will see this game.
Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom
First revealed in 2015, the sequel to the Studio Ghibli RPG is soaking wet with anime goodness. This massive RPG may not be coming this year but I would be shocked if we didn’t see this beautifully crafted, living and breathing Ghibli film turned game being shown on the big stage.
Marvel VS Capcom: Infinite
So, I originally said I was going to stray away from mentioning third party multi-platform games, but given that Capcom has no conference and the relationship Sony has with them currently, I’d expect this game to be at Sony’s conference. I’m hoping the rumors and alleged leaks I’m seeing online aren’t true because not only does this roster make me nervous, but the idea of a stream of paid fighters that are already outlined make me fear the worst.
PSVR
Virtual reality is still in an infantile state. The control schemes are heavily tethered and the library of games and lack of killer apps isn’t helping. This isn’t just for Sony, but for all VR at the moment. There hasn’t been a reason or a game that I’ve played or seen that has made me want to invest.
The PSVR is doing well, it’s sales are high and it continues to have a demand from consumers. Sony needs to show some fantastic content that will take advantage of the hardware Sony has to offer. I would expect to see some games with added PSVR support as well as some VR titles.
How Sony Can Win E3
Sony is in a great position, they have Xbox sales at about a two to one ratio, and their marketing strategy of making it seem like all of the third party games are PS4 games by paying to have their splash screen begin or end a trailer is paying off. Though, Sony has been more smoke and mirrors than some would care to admit the past few years. Sony needs to hunker down and focus a little more on games coming out this and next year, and a little less on the spectacle of the future.
The reveal of new and exciting sequels and brand new IPs is enthralling, but eventually all of that hype is going to kill the games that are still years away from completing development. I think Sony’s best strategy to capitalize and keep their lead is to focus on games coming this and next year, and bringing more interesting content to their VR platform.
Sony’s 2017 E3 Press Conference will be live Monday June 12, 6:00 PM PT / 9:00 PM ET.
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