It's the most wonderful time of the year. E3 is just a few short days away -- and many gamers, myself included, feel like children waiting to tear open presents on Christmas morning. One of my favorite things about E3 would have to be Sony's press event. While it has been hit and miss over the years, I always get excited to see what new things are coming to PlayStation.
This year is shaping up to be a big one for Sony. Rumors and speculation have been flying around for months now regarding new consoles and new IPs. Next week we will finally see what Sony has to announce; but until then, here's five things I think we can expect to see.
PS4.5 Announced, Releases in 2017
The PS4.5, PS4K, or the NEO, however you want to refer to it, has been rumored for months now. There's been so many leaks regarding the new upgraded PlayStation 4 that there's almost no chance that it doesn't exist. It should come as no surprise if Sony talks about the new console during their press event. What may come as a surprise, though, would be the release date.
Rumors and speculation from many gaming insiders have claimed that the upgraded console will release later this year, around the same time as the PSVR. I, however, think that's just a bit too early. With the mixed reception that has already been met from gamers regarding the new console, I anticipate that Sony will instead opt to release their new system early in 2017 instead.
This will allow them to then focus solely on trying to sell more units of the PSVR, which is practically a console in its own right when considering the $399.99 price point. It also gives Sony more time to craft their marketing for the new console and convince the already 40 million people who own PS4's why they should upgrade. I then expect to see a final release date for the new Sony console at the PlayStation Experience event in December.
Sony Bend Reveals New Game, Dead Don't Ride
If you're a PlayStation fanboy then you know that most of Sony's first party studios have revealed the games they're working on for the PS4 at this point. One studio, however, that has yet to announce their newest project is Bend Studios. While many expected to hear about their new game at PSX last year, I think E3 will finally be where we see this new title.
Industry insider Shinobi602 tweeted a few months ago about what we could expect to see from Sony Bend. The game will supposedly be called Dead Don't Ride and seems to take place in a post-apocalyptic world. From the game's title and the little bit of info Shinobi provided, the game will most likely feature zombies and some sort of motorcycle combat.
While many rumors like this get debunked, Shinobi has a history of being a valued source, so I feel confident in saying that Dead Don't Ride will definitely be revealed next week.
God of War 4 Revealed, Focuses on Norse Mythology
This should come as no surprise. We've known for some time now that a new God of War game has been in development. What we haven't been sure of, however, was the setting or story of the game. Recently, rumors have been churning that the game will feature Kratos taking his god-killing talents from Greek mythology to Norse mythology. I'm guessing that all of these rumors are spot on.
The transition from Greek to Norse mythology is such an excellent idea, and finds a way to keep the games fresh. Loki, Odin, Thor, and many other Norse gods will make for some excellent boss fights in God of War 4. Plus, assuming the game is set in Asgard, the new locations will be beautiful. Killing hordes of enemies while crossing the rainbow bridge sounds extremely fun, and I can't wait to see what it looks like.
The Last Guardian Gets A 2016 Release Date
Yes, that's right. The game that we all thought would never release is finally going to get a release date, and it's going to come out sooner than you expect. While many people are still skeptical that this game will launch this year, I think there's absolutely no way Sony can let it slip into 2017, especially after Horizon Zero Dawn was delayed until 2017 just yesterday.
Sony now needs a big first party game for the second half of this year and The Last Guardian needs to be that game. Plus, if this game were to get delayed again, then the stigma surrounding it would continue to be extremely negative. With its re-reveal last year, I think it's absolutely vital for Sony to release it as soon as possible. I expect The Last Guardian to launch in August of this year.
Bloodborne 2 is Revealed, Releases Next Year
Of all of my predictions, this one is definitely the most far-fetched. However, last year I predicted that Dark Souls III would be revealed and I was correct. I'm hoping that I'm spot on again this year with this prediction.
There's been a new game from FromSoftware every year for the past three years now. The Souls series is currently one of the most popular in gaming, and people are frothing at the mouth to play a new one as often as possible. With Dark Souls III being released just a couple months ago, that means a new Bloodborne game should be up next.
Does it seem too soon to reveal the next Bloodborne? Possibly, but I'm taking my chances and saying that it will get announced. FromSoftware will make it four straight years of releasing a Souls game, and Bloodborne 2 will launch early next year.
What else do you think we can expect from this year's E3? Let me know down in the comments!
Published: Jun 7, 2016 07:22 am