With E3 making it’s way to gamers once more within the next 6 or so weeks we take a look at 20 possible predictions that may happen:

#1: The Legend of Zelda U Will Get An Official Title/Date; May Be Playable On Show Floor:

 

Considering the tech demo was playable back in 2011, there’s no telling just how far along the actual Zelda U game is in development. However, Nintendo has stressed that the game would indeed be present at this year’s E3 and that more concrete info would be known. Though they’ve been pretty mum on progress of the title for the last few years, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Nintendo has the game in some playable build, we should also take into consideration that the new entry has a proposed 2014 release, though given Zelda’s recent production history don’t be too shocked if a 2015 date is revealed at the end of a new trailer. Zelda U has long been rumored to have an open world equal in size to that of Rockstar’s Gran Theft Auto series. This rumor continues to pop up here and there, so there may be some merit to it.

#2: Microsoft Is Going All Out With Games; Major IPs Will Be Announced:

 

After last year’s debacle E3 fiasco, Microsoft has been doing fairly well with getting back into gamers good graces, though some loyal Xbox fans (who moved on to other platforms) were still left with a sour taste in their mouths due to some rather mind boggling behavior from some key Xbox employees. Now Microsoft will attempt to win those gamers back, and have already said their E3 conference will be focused on games. I’ll go out on a limb and say Microsoft may even go as far as reviving some Rare franchises such as Conker & Banjo Kazooie for Xbox One (and possibly 360). Hell they revived Killer Instinct, right?

 

#3: Grand Theft Auto V Gets Confirmed For PC, Playstation 4, Xbox One, and (unlikely) Wii U:

 

It’s been near a year (4 months) since Grand Theft Auto V graced our last gen consoles, and many had thought for sure that a next gen port was on the way. It didn’t help that international retailers were taking advantage of fans speculation by constantly listing the port on their store sites for pre-order. Rockstar has yet to truly comment on the matter besides the usual, and maybe they feel that a port isn’t really necessary. But, given the recent last gen/current gen port trend it’s hard to imagine that Grand Theft Auto V isn’t under serious consideration.

#4: The 3DS/Wii U Successor Will Get Announced:

 

As far as the 3DS goes I’m hoping it isn’t true, but given the dwindling sales for the Wii since it’s launch awhile back and lack of support from developers I wouldn’t find the Fusion Terminal rumors so far-fetched. Nintendo is probably fed up with the lack of recent success with the console, bar a few key titles. While I still think the 3DS has potential to last at least another 7 years, I’d imagine Nintendo would want a new handheld to be compatible with the new console. Specs for the currently code named Fusion DS & Fusion Terminal, respectively includes:

• CPU: ARMv8-A Cortex-A53 GPU: Custom Adreno 420-based AMD GPU
• COM MEMORY: 3 GB LPDDR3 (2 GB Games, 1 GB OS)
• 2 130 mm DVGA (960 x 640) Capacitive Touchscreen
• Slide Out Design with Custom Swivel Tilt Hinge
• Upper Screen made of Gorilla Glass, Comes with Magnetic Cover
• Low End Vibration for Gameplay and App Alerts
• 2 Motorized Circle Pads for Haptic Feedback
• Thumbprint Security Scanner with Pulse Sensing Feedback
• 2 1mp Stereoptic Cameras
• Multi-Array Microphone
• A, B, X, Y, D-Pad, L, R, 1, 2 Buttons
• 3 Axis Tuning Fork Gyroscope, 3 Axis Accelerometer, Magnetometer
• NFC Reader
• 3G Chip with GPS Location
• Bluetooth v4.0 BLE Command Node used to Interface with Bluetooth Devices such as Cell Phones, Tablets
• 16 Gigabytes of Internal Flash Storage (Possible Future Unit With 32 Gigabytes)
• Nintendo 3DS Cart Slot
• SDHC “Holographic Enhanced” Card Slot up to 128 Gigabyte Limit
• Mini USB I/O
• 3300 mAh Li-Ion battery

 

• GPGPU: Custom Radeon HD RX 200 GPU CODENAME LADY (2816 shaders @ 960 MHz, 4.60 TFLOP/s, Fillrates: 60.6 Gpixel/s, 170 Gtexel/s)
• CPU: IBM 64-Bit Custom POWER 8-Based IBM 8-Core Processor CODENAME JUMPMAN (2.2 GHz, Shared 6 MB L4 cache)
• Co-CPU: IBM PowerPC 750-based 1.24 GHz Tri-Core Co-Processor CODENAME HAMMER
• MEMORY: 4 Gigabytes of Unified DDR4 SDRAM CODENAMED KONG, 2 GB DDR3 RAM @ 1600 MHz (12.8 GB/s) On Die CODENAMED BARREL
• 802.11 b/g/n Wireless
• Bluetooth v4.0 BLE
• 2 USB 3.0
• 1 Coaxial Cable Input
• 1 CableCARD Slot
• 4 Custom Stream-Interface Nodes up to 4 Wii U GamePads
• Versions with Disk Drive play Wii U Optical Disk (4 Layers Maximum), FUSION Holographic Versatile Disc (HVD) and Nintendo 3DS Card Slot
• 1 HDMI 2.0 1080p/4K Port
• Dolby TrueHD 5.1 or 7.1 Surround Sound
• Inductive Charging Surface for up to 4 FUSION DS or IC-Wii Remote Plus Controllers
• Two versions: Disk Slot Version with 60 Gigs of Internal Flash Storage and Diskless Version with 300 Gigs of Internal Flash Storage

 

#5: Project Beast Will Be Confirmed; Playable In Some Form:

 

After work began on Dark Souls II, series Director Hidetaka Miyazaki left development on the Dark franchise to begin work on another IP. With the leak of Project Beast, it’s widely believed that this is what Miyazaki had been working on while Dark Souls II had been developed simultaneously. Considering the screen leak which apparently came from two month old footage according to NeoGafer DemonNite (who is a verified Sony employee), should the game get an official reveal in June, I fully expect a playable build to be at E3. DemonNite had been dropping hints about Project Beast throughout the last year, making frequent references to the title once the subject of Demon’s Souls II had been brought up, leading many to believe it to be a direct sequel to Demon’s Souls. After all this new game is a collaboration between Sony Japan and From Software, the last time this collaboration occurred was during development of the previous Demon’s Souls so expect this to be an Playstation4 and possibly Playstation 3 exclusive.

#6: Sony Is Going To Be Very AAA IP Heavy For Playstation 4, 3, and Vita:

 

While Sony has been showing huge support for indy titles on it’s latest console, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that they’ve been lacking in AAA IPs for the Playstation. With the recent trademarks Sony has been making related to games, E3 is going to be another Sony win with the announcement of big AAAs, including the possibility of revived IPs. Sony just recently trademarked their old Dark Chronicle IP, which is likely hinting at a reboot of the franchise.

#7: Final Fantasy XV Gets A Release Date; Fall 2014 Japan, Spring/Summer/Fall 2015 US/Europe:

 

 

While the game was in playable form at last year’s E3, there was fear that development on the final build of the game was still far and between. However, game director Tetsuya Nomura has since confirmed a few weeks ago that development has gone quite smoothly for the amazing looking Final Fantasy XV, which had been in development hell for the past few years due to gaming tech upgrades and Nomura’s desire for the best product possible (meaning the move to the new consoles).  But after last year’s E3 we’ll be finally able to have the game in our hands and the disc in our consoles. I predict it releasing as early as this year in Square’s home country of Japan before making it’s way west.

#8: Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and Possibly 2.5 Will Get Ported to Xbox 360:

 

After a near 10 year wait, Kingdom Hearts 3 had finally been announced for an eventually release, development was pretty far along with some gameplay being shown off, despite Nomura having all focus on Final Fantasy XV. Though one thing that caught gamers’ eyes was the fact that the new game was announced for Microsoft’s Xbox One as well. Kingdom Hearts had been one of the key exclusive franchises for Sony, and with an HD collection having been announced beforehand, the news of an Xbox One version of the dormant sequel was fairly odd. It’s been over a year since the release of Kingdom Hearts 1.5 in both the west and Japan, and Microsoft has stated that they’d like more Kingdom Hearts on Xbox, including the first two trilogies. Don’t be surprised if an Xbox 360 port of at least Kingdom Hearts 1.5 is announced.

#9: God of War 4 Will Be Announced:

 

There’s not much to go on here beyond Sony wanting to shake up E3 again, and with the recent surprise announcement of Uncharted 4 at last year’s Playstation 4 event, it wouldn’t be surprising if a God of War follow-up was announced.

#10: The Walking Dead/A Wolf Among Us Gets Ported to Playstation 4 and Xbox One:

 

Rumors have been circulating that Telltale’s acclaimed “The Walking Dead” is going to be ported to at least the Playstation 4 this Summer, however no official announcement has been made by Sony or TellTale, though an “official” listing on retailer GameStop has listed the game for the console with what appears to be a set release date of 6/24/14. Expect the announcement to be alongside a new trailer for season 2, or possibly even season 3 and an Xbox One port confirmed as well, with A Wolf Among Us coming with it.

#11: Dying Light Finally Gets a Release Date; Fall (October), 2014:

 

Ever since it’s amazing unveil trailer at E3, Techland has only shown us bits and pieces of their Mirror’s Edge inspired zombie-parkour game Dying Light. It’s been almost a year since it’s announcement and still no release date, expect one to be announced this June, with an end of Summer or a more likely October release date being revealed.

#12: Project Morpheus IPs Will Be Present, Price & Final Name Announced:

 

Sony shook the gaming world when it announced that it had been in development of it’s own version of the Oculus Rift; currently code named the Project Morpheus. This new device allows Playstation 4 owners to have renown virtual reality experiences with Sony’s Playstation catalog. A demo was shown off at a tech show earlier this year and demoed with a Playstation 4 build of an God of War title, again pointing to a possible new game being in the works. It further convinces that Sony is looking to have non-Morpheus titles with added Morpheus support. Project Morpheus is said to be a code name, so expect Sony to show off and announced some Morpheus only titles, the final name, and a price at E3. Project Morpheus is set for release next year.

#13: Microsoft Will Unveil VR Tech/ New Gaming Handheld Device:

 

A few days ago Microsoft confirmed that they were working on their own VR tech, this was practically a given. But, I’m going to raise the bar and predict that Microsoft has something else up their sleeves, the announcement of a new handheld gaming device. Microsoft has been teasing major announcements at E3, what’s a better way to surprise the gaming world than announcing an entry into the handheld console race? This is a bit far-fetched, but it’d be foolish to think that Microsoft hasn’t been considering this for the past few years after the success from Sony and Nintendo’s recent handheld efforts. The Likely hood of a handheld is pretty low, but let’s be open minded here, after all these are predictions.

#14: Nintendo Will Announce Some Big IPs To Win Back Gamers:

 

Consider this to be bundled in with the rumored Wii U and Nintendo 3DS successor announcement. Nintendo is going to announce some launch titles for it’s successor as well as some big games for the Wii U and 3DS. Remember that Pokemon console game that’s been talked about for the past six months? We may get an official announcement, but if Nintendo are indeed planning to reveal new hardware, chances are the title will be for their new tech rather than the possibly soon to be discontinued Wii U.

#15: More Concrete Info On Kingdom Hearts III, including Worlds And Gameplay Will Be Shown:

 

Kingdom Hearts 3 was announced at last year’s E3 event, and fans of the series were finally able to close that black hole in their lives. We were shown a big of gameplay and it seems the game will model itself after Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance’s style, however that and the fact that there’s going to be a big scaled boss or two is all we know about the game. We’ll most likely be shown more worlds in the game, rumors have suggested that A world based on the widely successful Frozen will be in the game, but what if we get Marvel and Star Wars worlds as well? Could you imagine a light saber-esque key blade?

#16:Mirror’s Edge 2 Gameplay Will Be Shown:

 

Ever since it’s reveal almost a year ago, EA hasn’t given us so much of a whisper for the upcoming Mirror’s Edge reboot, no gameplay, no serious information, nothing, which makes sense given the end of the initial reveal trailer stated “coming when ready”, EA’s way of telling us “calm down, it’s in development already”. With not much else to really show off at this time but their annual sports titles, Mirror’s Edge and other IPs both announced and unannounced will be shown off in full glory.

#17: Devil May Cry 5, Or A Direct Sequel To DmC Will Be Announced By Capcom:

 

Back in 2012 Capcom announced it’s intentions to reboot it’s cult franchise Devil May Cry. The new reboot was another attempt at Capcom trying to gain the attention of western audiences. The new Dante was given a teen punk sort of look, and was met with near universal disdain from fans. It also didn’t help that Ninja Theory was making the situation worse with some things they said about the matter. Despite this, DmC turned out to be a pretty damn good game. However, series director Hideaki Itsuno expressed interest in returning to the original story making a stating on his desire to work on Devil May Cry 5 while being asked about Dragon’s Dogma 2. Take notice that Itsuno called the game 5, and not DmC 2, in numeral order, DmC is considered Devil May Cry 5, so take that for what you will. On the subject of DmC getting a sequel the game was met with critical acclaim, and while sales didn’t met Capcom’s original prediction, it did meet their secondary prediction number, so rather it’s Devil May Cry 5 or DmC 2, something related to Devil May Cry is likely to get announced.

#18: The Last of Us 2 Will Be Announced For Playstation 4:

 

First outed in what was described as a credible news website from Spain, The Last of Us 2 has been talked about for some time. An Eurasian Playstation Manager ended up spilling the beans on the upcoming Playstation 4 port of the widely acclaimed The Last of Us, he also spoke a bit about the possibility of more DLC and a sequel. It seems odd to announce a sequel so soon given the upcoming port, but I wouldn’t be too surprised if it did get announced.

#19:  Nordic Games Will Announce Darksiders III:

 

When Nordic Games picked up the rights to Darksiders 3 during the THQ assets sale they didn’t give us any intentions of a third game being put into development beyond mentioning that we shouldn’t expect it before two years after the purchase. That was back in 2013, meaning they have plans in place to get the sequel out by 2015 at the earliest. Depending on how far along the game is in progress we could see a formal announcement at this year’s event.

#20: More Info On Sony’s Original Playstation TV Series:

 

We already knew that Microsoft would be showing off it’s original TV series at this year’s E3, but Sony recently began a focus on original TV programming of it’s own. The first original announced is Powers, a new Playstation Network series that is based on the comic of the same name. Expect Sony to announce a few more original series in June as well.

 

E3 is right around the corner and there’s no telling what the big three are planning, but with the way things are looking this year’s show may be as good as last years. Here’s hoping that it’s even better.