subject: The E3 2010 Primer: Sony [print this page] It's that time of year again: All the big names in gaming are preparing to descend upon Los Angeles for E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo. The Expo, while largely an industry show, holds plenty of excitement for gamers with the latest games being shown off and new titles being announced.
Set to take place June 15th through the 17th, we've still got a month before the companies take the stage, but there's no harm in looking ahead at what could be. This week, we're going to take a look at what we're likely to see from Sony.
Strong Momentum
Sony never has been a slouch at E3 presentations, although some would say that their offerings have dwindled in recent years. That being said, the Sony we'll see at this year's E3 is going to be nothing like the Sony we've seen since "600 U.S. Dollars" and "giant enemy crabs." Without a doubt, Sony has had its best year in the PlayStation 3's lifespan, largely in part to the redesigned Slim and the first affordable, and competitive, price in the console's history. This momentum in sales is also going to translate to more enthusiasm on Sony's part, and an energetic, and long, press conference.
Kevin Butler, Vice President of Press Conferences
I'll admit that it's wishful thinking on my part to want to see Kevin Butler, the face behind the "Dear PlayStation" ad campaign, present Sony's press conference. Still, we're bound to see something from Kevin, even if it's just a new commercial or short presentation.
Stat Break
Obviously, E3 is a time for companies to show off how well they've done. Get a coffee, though, because Sony is going to have a lot to share. As far as hardware goes, PS3 Slim sales are going to be talked up, especially from around the holiday season. The PSP Go and PSP sales in general might get talked up, but they won't be as big of a gloat as with the PS3. Software wise, we're going to hear how well Uncharted 2 did and how many "Game of the Year" awards it picked. We'll hear how Final Fantasy XIII sales were stronger on the PS3, how well Heavy Rain and God of War III have done, and maybe hear about more multi-platform sales. It might be too early for sales info on Heavy Rain's downloadable content or ModNation Racers, but if they do well enough, I'm sure they'll be mentioned. We'll also have various PSN stats letting us know how much content there is, what gets downloaded, how many PSN accounts there are, and maybe a few Home stats for good measure.
Get Your Move On
Sony's motion controller, Move, was initially revealed at the Game Developer's Conference a couple of months ago. With rumors of a September release, we're bound to see more about the device at E3. While there are going to plenty of titles made specifically with Move in mind, there's also likely to be a focus on existing titles and titles currently in development using the device. It's a big push on Sony's part to make the hardware a success, and the games we see using it are going to reflect that. We're also likely to find out pricing for Move and its various configurations.
New Hardware
Unlike previous years, there hasn't been a rash of hardware leaks to plague Sony. That doesn't mean that we can't see some new products at E3. We're most likely to see at least one new PS3 bundle with Move, probably due for deployment either with Move's launch or closer to the holiday. There have also been rumors from publishers about a potential new PSP. While the PSP Go was just announced and released last year, it hasn't exactly done well for itself, and Sony's portable line is going to need a boost to compete with Nintendo's new unit. There's a good chance that a true PSP successor might pop up this year.
Now in 3D!
While Sony's big push this year is going to be Move, they have also been working on bringing gaming into the third dimension, as evidenced by some of the promotions with their Bravia televisions. It might not get a big focus with everything else going on at the show, but expect there to be a couple of high-profile releases with 3D options.
PlayStation Network Plus
This one has been rumored for awhile now, but surveys do point toward Sony looking into a paid tier to the PSN service. While it's highly unlikely that it will take away any of the features people currently enjoy, a paid service with extra features would provide Sony with more revenue to further improve the service. Features such as cross-game chat, group chat, and content through movie, television, and music partners are all possible perks, but there's just as good of a chance that Sony is merely considering the option and not ready to implement a paid system this generation.
Social Leisure with Home and Free Realms
PlayStation Home has been available for a couple of years now, and it's clearly doing something right, as more people keep signing on and more engaging content keeps getting added. It's possible that we'll hear about new content partners for Home. The biggest social game we'll hear about, though, is Sony's massive multiplayer online game, Free Realms. While it's available on the PC for a long time, it seems that the game, with well over a million players, will finally be hitting the PS3.
Anyone remember this game? Yeah, it's that racing game that's been in development for, well, about forever. With any luck, Sony will finally be able to place a release date on the title that will stick. We've had plenty shown off about the title, and even a Prologue to play with, but it's time for the game to finally hit shelves.
Heavy Rain DLC Trickles Out
Love it or hate it, Heavy Rain did pretty well for itself. While there is currently one piece of episodic DLC for the game currently on the PSN, there are plans for more. While E3 isn't usually the place for DLC to get shown off, Heavy Rain was a big enough first party title that it's a possibility that the title will get a little limelight.
Prepare to be inFAMOUSAgain
No shocker here, but games that do well tend to become franchises, and inFAMOUS is already confirmed to be getting a second title, and we'll be seeing it first at E3.
Square Off in Final Fantasy XIII Versus
When Final Fantasy XIII was first announced at E3, another Final Fantasy XIII game was announced: Versus. While it isn't set in the world of XIII, Versus is meant to contain similar themes revolving around duty and vengeful gods. Unlike XIII, Versus is a PS3 exclusive title, so that will put it on Sony's stage come June.
More Vengeance, More Blood, More Kratos
Obviously, the God of War franchise is going to make an appearance this year. We're definitely going to see more from the PSP title, Ghost of Sparta, set after the events of the original game. There's also a possibility that we'll hear about God of War III downloadable content, as there have been rumors of an alternative ending for some time.
No one ever knows for sure what the Electronic Entertainment Expo will bring. There are always plenty of surprises that come out of nowhere to shock the industry and gamers alike. The above list might seem safe and predictable, but will help get your prepared for long talks, boring stats, and wacky new products. Next week, we'll take a look at what Microsoft's press conference will mean for the Xbox 360 in the coming year.
