E3 2017: Facts & Rumors

You’re going to want to book off work and cancel any plans from June 13–15. Those three days mark the 23rd annual Electronic Entertainment Expo. It’s hard not to speculate about what’s to come at the next E3. The biggest and brightest developers, publishers, and platforms will be in attendance showing off exciting new titles and hardware. Though there’s still some time before the official schedule will be released, let’s take a look at what could be shown at the 3 biggest booths.

Sony

Sony is almost always the dominating force at the expo, and there’s little doubt in our minds that they’ll overshadow other platforms in 2017. Days Gone, Detroit: Become Human, and Spider-Man are all set for demonstration, but it’s Kojima’s enigmatic Death Stranding that will no doubt take centre stage at E3 ’17. So far, we’ve only seen a glimpse at naked Norman Reedus and his fetus (the name of our punk band) and a slightly ominous Mad Mikkelsen kitted out in camo. We’ve been teased for long enough, so a look at gameplay is on our wish list for June.

Since last year saw the release of the PS4 Pro, PS4 Slim, and PSVR, it’s almost guaranteed no hardware reveals will accompany these games at the expo. But hey — if we see an actual demo of Death Stranding, all would be forgiven.

Nintendo

If all goes according to plan, the Nintendo booth will be equally devoid of hardware updates. Nintendo Switch is slated for a release sometime in March. That means we should expect a lot of new titles to emerge at E3 in support of its launch. Rumor has it that Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and a brand new Super Mario will be in attendance, as will a remastered version of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon.

Microsoft

Project Scorpio may just get delayed for a launch at E3. Yes, you remembered correctly. Though the new console was technically announced at last year’s E3, it’s looks like we’ll have to wait until this June to see it. For those impatient few who are tired of waiting for an upgrade, you can always placate yourself with a new Xbox One skin until June hits. These Xbox One skins are inexpensive decals that can boost the novelty of your system with different colors and textures at any time of the year, even if you aren’t willing to fork out for the Scorpio.

In terms of games, however, Microsoft is set to rival PlayStation with a full roll out of titles. We expect the buzz around Scorpio will include new games to show off its superior computing and display capabilities. There’s already rumors surrounding Forza Horizon 3 and Gears of War 4 being compatible with the new console, but we’re excited to see which games were made with the Scorpio in mind. There are a lot of titles that could be at this year’s E3, but there’s no way to confirm if Halo 5 or Sea of Thieves will be done in time.

We know it’ll be a while yet until our forecast is proven right (or wrong) but speculation is the name of the game. It’s in our blood. If even half of our predictions come true, E3 2017 will be another great event, so we’ll keep an eye on ticket sales as soon as they’re released.