What to look forward to at E3 2016

Mark your calendars for June 13 – 16. The biggest companies and names in video games return for the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles with huge announcements in store for gamers around the world.

E3 is one of the biggest annual events in gaming which top companies use as a platform to present the games and hardware that the industry and its fans can expect from them.

This year’s E3 promises to be an interesting one with talks of new hardware coming up, upcoming features, and a plethora of much-awaited games that fans have been clamouring for. Here’s a list of the gaming news we can look forward to at E3 2016.

Playstation Neo vs Xbox Scorpio

Another console battle is coming sooner than we think. News of Sony’s Playstation 4K video compatible console, code-named “Neo,” has been going on for a while now. It is supposedly an upgraded and slimmer version of the Playstation 4 (PS4). And while there is no talk of the specs yet, it is expected that the Neo will be able to fully accommodate the Playstation VR (PS VR) and will also satisfy the graphics and performance requirements of upcoming video games. 

With all this talk of Playstation Neo, it’s no surprise that we are now hearing news and rumors of an upcoming device from Microsoft. Much like Playstation Neo this new console is expected to be an upgraded version of the Xbox One and will serve as the solution to their current generation console’s performance woes. The device is code-named Scorpio and according to gaming news website Polygon, the console is planned to be 4x more powerful than the current Xbox One.

While we can expect to learn more about Playstation Neo at E3 2016, it remains unclear on whether or not Xbox Scorpio will be announced at this year’s event or at E3 2017. What is a little more certain for this year’s E3 is Xbox One’s slimmer version which could be the smallest Xbox ever made.

VR devices and games get more time to shine

We had a taste of virtual reality gaming in last year’s E3. Sony wowed the audience with the PSVR (first called Project Morpheus), and since then it has impressed many with its user-friendly features and its compatibility with the Playstation’s Dual Shock and Move controllers.

Meanwhile Microsoft’s presentation of their augmented reality device Hololens left us wanting more. On top of that, Microsoft also made a big move to partner with Oculus last year for the Oculus Rift. The Oculus Rift is another popular VR device that gained praise for its performance and capabilities since it was first introduced years ago. 

The Oculus Rift launched this March while the PSVR is expected to launch in October 2016. With tboth devices becoming available to the market this year we can expect more quality VR games from both AAA and indie developers to be highlighted at E3 2016. 

Cross-platform online gaming

Microsoft made the first move towards cross-platform online gaming after they announced that they are allowing Xbox One players to play against PS4 and PC players online. They started with Rocket League, which recently received a patch that would allow cross-platform play between Xbox One and PC Players. 

However, for cross-platform play to truly work across the board Microsoft would need Sony’s cooperation. And fortunately, Sony had an encouraging response to Microsoft’s invitation. In a statement published on GameSpot the company said that they have been “supporting cross-platform play between PC on several software titles,” and that they would be “happy to have the conversation with any publishers or developers who are interested in cross-platform play.” 

Will we witness a temporary truce for the sake of online gaming on E3? Whether or not this is in store for us this year, we can look forward to Microsoft announcing more games that are available for cross-platform play between the Xbox One and the PC.

Games we’re expecting

E3 is not E3 without a slew of sequels and new titles coming our way. Already we have a handful of games confirmed to make an appearance at E3. 

Notable in the list are Attack on Titan, the video game adaptation of popular manga Shingeki no Kyojin, EA’s Mass Effect Andromeda which made a surprise appearance last year, and The Legend of Zelda for Wii U which will be Nintendo’s main focus for this year’s E3.

New sequels for FPS veterans Battlefield and Call of Duty will definitely make an appearance on E3 as well. Battlefield 1 takes you back to basics while Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare takes you beyond the skies.  

We will also be getting our Final Fantasy fix with three of the franchise’s titles confirmed for E3: Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, and Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward.

Games we’re not expecting

E3 is also not E3 without huge and surprising gaming announcements. It seems every E3 the gaming titans always have a contest to see which of them could blow the minds of gamers the most.

Last year, Sony led this unspoken competition with three whopping game announcements. Out of nowhere they announced Final Fantasy VII, The Last Guardian, and Shenmue 3 back to back. EA also had their own amazing moment with Mass Effect: Andromeda. 

A lot of games have not been announced or confirmed to make an appearance in E3 which means we could be in for a lot of shockers. Games that come to mind are a possible Last of Us sequel, the revival of childhood favorite Crash Bandicoot, a remaster of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and the return of Capcom games Resident Evil and Devil May Cry.

With the new consoles, established VR devices, and the possibility of true cross-platform gaming, we may even be in for more exciting surprises.

Pumped for E3? What games are you hoping to be announced at the event? – Rappler.com