It’s roughly a week away, but for myself and some of my fellow entertainment seeking writers on this site, E3 cannot come any sooner. The electronic entertainment expo, also known as E3, will kick off next week with a traditional press conference from Microsoft and end a few days later with Sony giving their own. If you happen to be tuning in, and you should, Nintendo will be giving the press their look at what is to come for both the 3DS and WiiU. Don’t fret though. Nintendo will be giving the info out via the Nintendo Direct service. So, what can we expect, you ask? Well, games of course, but it’s never that easy.

My expectations:

I think Sony is going to try and push games harder than Microsoft to try and put themselves at the front of the “gamers first” mentality. Whether they will do so or not, we won’t know until E3 is over and the dust settles. I would believe that Microsoft is definitely going to hammer games into skulls of us that wanted it so bad back when they announced the Xbox One and were left with Forza, Call of Duty, and that one Quantam game. While I expect Sony to talk about Assassin’s Creed and a ton of Indy games, I’m looking forward to seeing Destiny. I’m most intrigued that Bungie is showing of its latest and most hidden title through Sony rather than Microsoft.

Other than Destiny, I am actually anxious about what and how Nintendo presents itself. Yes, I know that Nintendo isn’t the same as Microsoft and Sony, but I certainly have had some of the most fun I’ve ever had while gaming with Nintendo IPs. I’d love to actually see some form of any of the 3 Zelda’s that are coming out (Windwaker HD, Untitled Zelda for WiiU, and the sort of sequel to Link to the Past for 3DS) as well as the new Smash Bros. title that’s been talked about.

I’ve never been a huge Sony fan so I may be geniunly surprised and impressed by what they have to offer. I expect to actually see the console and a lot of support from new developers that may be willing to risk new ways to utilize the PS4.

As a whole, I’d like to see a rough price point for both the PS4 and Xbox One and maybe a date that’s more specific than the holiday season. And now, I pass the torch to David.

David’s expectations:

The reveal of the Xbox One has left many gamers, like me, coming away with questions that Microsoft promptly did not address or hint upon. While the initial reveal showed a rather impressive, sleek, modern design compared to the original Xbox 360 models, features such as the required Kinect device and voice control are accessories that I find unnecessary. They also focused more on the media aspect about the system, ignoring more of the gaming part of the console. While video of EA’s Madden video game series looks impressive, the lack of new launch titles or anticipated sequels were not revealed. The vague details of the console left many Xbox users disappointed and many questioning Microsoft’s future in gaming for the next generation.

Rumors have flown about that the Xbox One will not play used games. This has caused uproar, as many buy used games as a cheaper alternative and cause stores such as GameStop to lose considerable business and potentially cost employees their jobs. While Microsoft addressed the rumored Always Online connection (it won’t be required), the emphasis on home media and the lack of attention to the games and the rumor of not allowing used games need to be addressed. If Microsoft wants to hold off the threat of Sony outselling their product, they must address these specific needs and reveal more details about upcoming launch titles and the console price. This will be a make or break moment for Microsoft, as Sony will attempt to swoop in and woo gamers with their console and convert Xbox users to the PS4. If Microsoft can’t impress at E3, then I think the PS4 will be the top selling console system of the eighth generation.

Chris has already mentioned his thoughts on Assassin’s Creed IV and Destiny, with the latter being the game I’m most interested in, I’m also interested in hearing the details of the new Warner Brothers Interactive game, Batman: Arkham Origins. This is a prequel to the highly successful Batman: Arkham Asylum series, depicting Bruce Wayne’s early days as Batman. Many are skeptical about how the game will be as Rocksteady Studios is not involved on the project and the game is being developed by Warner Bros. Games Montreal and is without famed DC writer Paul Dini. While many fans of Arkham Asylum and Arkham City are predicting that Arkham Origins will be a letdown, giving gamers the opportunity to see game play and a hint at the story could persuade skeptics to go all-in and buy the game when it releases in October 25th.

While leaked images of Pokémon X and Y have appeared on websites such as Bulbapedia, it’ll be interesting to hear what new features will be included Generation VI of Pokémon. The initial images look impressive with a full 3-D environment and more realistic graphics, but having full video of the game play should get fans excited and look into purchasing the 3DS.

And while it’s not confirmed, Chris and I have spoken about the potential surprise reveal of Halo 5. 343 industries could help solidify the Xbox One with a teaser trailer. While Halo 5 probably won’t be a launch title, just giving fans of the Halo series something to be excited about could insure that the fans buy the new console to continue the story of Master Chief and uncover more secrets about the Forerunners.

Ending Thoughts
There is a lot to look forward to in the coming week, and David and I will be here to tell you about it. Hopefully, by the end we will all know what new console we will be allowing to take up space in our living rooms.