Working Title 06.03.11: Working Predictions: E3 2011

Posted by Jordan Williams on 06.03.2011

From a new Halo game and Project Café's official name to an apology for the PSN debacle and more, 411's Jordan Williams makes his predictions for next week's E3 convention! Check out the full article to see what predictions he's making and why!

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Welcome to the #1 Column to use COPIOUS amounts of adult language, WORKING TITLE . As someone mentioned last issue I tend to cuss a lot here…and that's the way I like it. You see five long years ago when I started Working Title it was always meant to be more of a rant/blog type of deal versus a standard column with its fancy words and spell-check and shit like that. And I'd say that has been working for me so far. So if anyone DOES have a problem with my adult language when I don't know what to tell you.

But I do know what to tell you about this week…

IT'S MOTHERFUCKING E3 TIME

That's right, bitches. It's E3 TIIIIIME. This time next week we a going to be up to our necks in gaming news and disappointments so large we will need MULTIPLE columns to hold them! We will find out just what the hell Project Café is, We will see what the PSP Vita will cost and what it can really do. We will see what the HELL Microsoft is going to do with the rest of the year. On top of that we have all new games to look at, new shit to look forward to and just…

IT'S E3.

But it's never EVER too late to think of what we might see. In fact…one might say that right now…IN THIS VERY COLUMN, I might break down what we SHOULD see this year from the Big 3 and the likelihood of it happening.

But that…that just isn't going to happen.

Working Title: E3 2011 - What Should Happen

Yeah, I'm a fucking liar. But you love the way I lie. That's right…I just quoted Rhianna.

Anyway this is the time of the year when everyone is gearing up to be sent out to Hell Week and do a ton of articles, previews, meetings, and set through mostly boring conferences and otherwise gets their ass KICKED by the video game industry for three days. Luckily people like me get to sit at home and just watch all of the mayhem unfold and then get to write snarky remarks about it and act like we know everything ahead of time.

But what exactly do we know ahead of time this year? We know that Nintendo is debuting the Project Café, we know Sony is going to apologize and try to make it up to us with the PSP Vita, and we know Microsoft is going to try REALLY hard to make us think that the Kinect was worth buying and that they have some semblance of a game plan for the rest of the year that doesn't say "RELEASE GEARS OF WAR 3".

But half the fun of this is trying to predict the stuff…so sit back and digest this totally-not-a-list-but-totally-is-sort-of-like-Fact-or-Fiction-but-not.

I think I officially used my hyphen limit for the week.

Nintendo

So if there is one company that I think all of the eyes will be watching this year I think it will definitely be big ole Nintendo. But it won't be because of the games or some other big named thing they have planned, it's because they are the first ones to kick off the next generation of consoles. So when you think about what the press conference will most likely revolve around it's no real surprise what they will be talking about.
I am going to break my predictions into Easy, Normal, and Hard just to have fun. Next week (assuming I am not late again) I will go through each of them one by one to see if it was a good thing that I was right.

Easy Mode

Nintendo will give Project Café a Name

I highly doubt Nintendo is willing to take another PR hit like they did with the Revolution turning into the Wii. Although we all came to know and love the Wii names, it was pretty obvious that the Revolution was hands down a cooler name. So I really think they are going to stress HARD that the Project Café is only the code name and we will get a proper name for it going forward…or a better one.

Nintendo will reveal three (3) NEW first party mascot-based titles for each of its consoles (meaning one each)

Nintendo needs games badly. I think it's about time they bust out the FIRST PARTY MAAGIIIIC and keep everyone going home happy. So I expect them to reveal the final big Wii game, a new first party 3DS game and what will be the lead in game for the Project Café. What are those? No fucking idea. However it's been a LONG ass time since we've seen F-Zero. Just sayin'.

Normal Mode

Nintendo will announce that Skyward Sword will be a Café Launch Title

The less I see about this game, the more I think it's going to get the Twilight Princess treatment and get bumped to a dual release or something. I just have this gut feeling that this might be the big cherry on top of the Café Announcement.

Nintendo will announce solid release dates for LoZ-3DS and Kid Icarus 3DS

This almost has to be in easy mode because they almost HAVE to give us some concrete release information here. The 3DS is not selling as fast as Nintendo would like and I think the fact that the two games everyone wanted for it were not out at launch is the big problem. I expect that before they get into the 3DS news hardcore they will announce the release dates of these titles.

Hard Mode

Nintendo will announce Project Café's Price Point

We'll be lucky if we get a NAME for the Café let alone a price point…but stranger things have happened. Nintendo could always pull a fast one on us and tell us right then and there that the Café will launch at XXX USD and blow the roof of the joint or they could just keep being Nintendo and keeping everything under lock and key like they usually do.

Nintendo will announce Project Café's new online structure

Speaking of shit that will NEVER happen. I think Nintendo knows it needs to do something a bit more with its online plan but I don't think we will get an inkling of that this year. They are going to hope to blind us with the tech and with whatever games they show and then let all of the other cookies crumble where they lie.

So from Nintendo I think we will see a lot of promises…perhaps more so than usual until they lead into the Café news which will probably round out the rest of the Nintendo's Conference. The question is does this really signal a turn in the Nintendo style or will we walk away more disappointed than surprised? Fool us once…




Microsoft

Yeah, it's the Windows Logo. Sue me.

Honestly, I think Microsoft has the most to prove this year. After dominating the console race (at least on the hardcore side of things) they seem to have become a bit of a non-factor this year AND last year. Sony is cranking out worthwhile exclusives and downloadable content at a steady clip now while the 360 seems to be pulling stuck in a bit of a rut. They have no real exclusives to call their own and the only big name game they have coming this year is Gears of War 3…which was supposed to come out two months ago. So what is Microsoft going to do to get some much needed attention?

Easy Mode

Microsoft will announce a hardcore title for the Kinect

Of course Microsoft is looking to sell Kinect. After devoting almost WAY too much time to it last year they need to show the hardcore gamers what the device can really do. They will still probably layer on the casual bits but they definitely need to give the 10 million people that bought the damn thing SOMETHING to play on it.

Microsoft will announce SOMETHING regarding Halo

Another near no-brainer. Will we finally see the Halo: CE Remake? Or will 343 Studios show us something new from the Halo universe? The fact is Microsoft is hurting BIG for some sort of exclusive that is guaranteed to sell money and the one thing they can control 100% is Halo and I think they are going to pull this card out to get people talking.

Normal Mode

Microsoft will try to pimp the HELL out of CoD Elite

This one is sort of iffy to me because I can't tell if Microsoft is going to give it much lip service because CoD is a big seller for them…but honestly CoD is the biggest game they can lay claim to despite it being a multiplatform title. I think they are going to have to sell CoD Elite a little bit harder for MS customers because of the simple fact that they are going to be paying a service that they technically already pay for to get perks and what not. I can see Acitvision giving the MS CoD Elite members some extra stuff to work with.

Microsoft will make a backhanded swipe at the PSN Outage

Usually this would go in the Easy Mode section but I can't tell if Microsoft has grown out of taking backhanded swipes at the competition. It's a REALLY easy target and I am sure they are tempted to do it but I don't know if they are going to throw stones in their glass house or just let the event speak for itself. …But they will somehow find a way to REFERENCE it nonetheless.

Hard Mode

Microsoft will hint at new console

Since Microsoft was the first one to jump into the current gen, I would have to think they are not too far off in cranking out news about the next console either. The real question is does Nintendo's announcement of the Café spur them to make a split decision and rush out some hints at the new console or do they stay quiet?

Despite Valve not being at E3, Microsoft will announce Episode 3 for the Xbox 360

This one is a LOOOOOOOONG shot, but I figure since Valve did the big announcement with Sony last year, maybe they would mix it up this year and do it with Microsoft. Of course since Valve has come flat out and said that they will NOT be at E3 in any capacity this year this is probably not going to happen…but Episode 3 for 360 with some extras (and PC of course) would be a great get for Microsoft.

Like I said before, this is going to be the time for Microsoft to convince us all to give a fuck about them for the rest of the year. They are seriously lagging behind in the worthwhile exclusive department and with Sony having the Vita to show off along with new games and Nintendo having the Café and 3DS to show off Microsoft are sort of left holding Kinect and…nothing else. And we know firsthand how bad a Kinect-heavy conference can be.

Sony

Poor, poor Sony. They have just had one really bad year so far. But this is the chance to make it all right. This is the chance they have to sweep in and land the killing blow to whomever they want…and they have the ability to do it. They have the Move, the NGP/Vita AND some top list exclusives they can bring out. The question AND the problem is that Sony tends to make promises WAY in advance and rarely shows you stuff you will be playing by year's end. Will they fix that this year?


Easy Mode

Sony will pimp the hell out of 3D…again

It's Sony. Out of the Big 3 they are the ones that have the most vested interests in the big 3D bang so I expect them to point out 3D capability A LOT with any and everything they show. They will also try to put on the big pressure on the 3D TV market because that is something they have their hand in. Will it do any of the games any good? Who knows?

Sony will show a complete list of NGP/Vita launch titles.

I am not sold on the Vita name yet so I am not fully embracing it but I think it will be a safe bet that Sony will show off, in motion, a full bevy on launch titles for the new handheld. Seeing as it is going to be out by the end of this year in Japan I can imagine them using this to drum up some interest for the American market…which…I hope works out better for them this time than it did last time.

Normal Mode

Sony will apologize for the PSN Outage in a serious manner

They HAVE to. I mean that flat out fucking HAVE TO. I don't care if it's a little aside glance or something but Sony has to say something about the PSN Outage and apologize for it. I think they will take the high road and have a serious tone about it because as entertaining as these Press Conferences are for the consumers they are also filled of businessmen who only care about the money and I am sure Sony has a LOT to answer for in regards to that.

Sony will FINALLY name a date for Last Guardian

I honestly could not care less about this game but all of the Team Ico fans out there want this game to have its little underselling-yet-critically acclaimed babies. So for the last two years we have seen trailers and all of this other sappy ass shit but they have never told us WHEN it is coming out. So…this is the time. Just get it over with already so everyone can cry when the bird dog thing dies at the end.

Hard Mode

Sony will apologize about the PSN Outage…by using Kevin Butler

I really hope Sony doesn't do this. I think the PSN Outage was something serious that needs to be addressed seriously. Kevin Butler does NOT need to be on stage spouting his usual sarcastic dribble and buzzwords to try to make the situation humorous. While the general public might find it funny but I fucking doubt that the big wigs sitting in the audience and war rooms will find the leak of thousands of customer's info and losing a ton of revenue funny. Please don't fuck this up, Sony.

Sony will list a US price for the NGP/Vita

Now this is the one long shot I see from Sony. I don't THINK they will drop the price point for the NGP/Vita. I think they will try to hint at an area but for some reason I don't think we will get a solid figure yet. Although I really think I am wrong about this but hey…if I am going to get one Hard Mode question wrong I hope it's this one.

Sony is the one in prime position here. They have a stable fan base, a stable bevy of titles and although it might not seem that way they are growing in the online space and are becoming a huge threat to Microsoft. But Sony has honestly always been in that position, it was just that they had a SEVERE lack of execution. Let's hope they get it right this time.

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So like I said next week the site is going to be E3-TASTIC. Although I am not doing the 3Rs for E3 this year like I have for the last three years someone will do it and it should be up on Thursday or something. As for next week I'll pretty much be reposting this column to see what exactly I got right and what I got wrong…but first…?

Working Question

Let's keep it simple.

Call of Duty Elite: Yay or Nay?

***OR***

What do you think will be the big shocker of E3?

Until next time, I'm Jordan Williams…and we are going to have a WHOLE lot to talk about next week.