Why E3 2013 will be the best ever
Here's all the reasons you should be fired up for the biggest E3 ever, with consoles, games and plenty of finger crossing guaranteed. Are you ready?
E3 has always been a pixel-perfect Mecca for gamers – an explosion of shooters, racers, scantily clad booth babes, and everything in between. But not since E3 2005 have we been as excited about the LA-based game-fest as we are now.
Eight years ago our gaming stomachs reached bursting point as we feasted on the showcase of three brand new consoles – the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii – paving the way for the most intense console war since gaming began.
Now E3 2013 promises the same spread of tasty gaming goodness thanks to Microsoft’s new Xbox and Sony’s PS4, which will arrive brimming with gaming muscle and media smarts, beating their chests in their respective corners. And then, of course, there are the games.
Here’s why you should be more excited for E3 2013 than a plumber called Mario at a mushroom convention.
E3 3013 – PS4
Sony’s PS4 event showed off little more than the new DualShock 4 controller, but despite a glimpse of the touchpad, share button and flashing light bar, did little to make up for the lack of the actual console itself. While the PS4’s specs, Vita remote play support and cloud service sound impressive on paper, it’s the box hidden beneath the (presumably) black cover that we’re really interested in.
E3 3013 – new Xbox
Microsoft is following in Sony’s footsteps by holding its very own Xbox event on May 21st, pre-E3. We can’t imagine Microsoft showing off just a controller, so expect to see the more-or-less finished new Xbox in all its glory. So what will be left to show off at E3? Well there’ll be plenty of launch games to show off for a start and we’re keeping our fingers crossed for some big announcements. Halo 5 launch title announcement? Yes please.
E3 3013 – Valve Steam Box
Valve has traditionally spurned E3, choosing to work its magic in the shadows before treating us to masterpieces such as Portal. But this year could be different. Rumours of a Valve console designed to bring PC gaming to your living room – the Steam Box – have firmly rooted themselves in gamerland and we’ve even seen a Linux-powered candidate at CES in January. Though we expect Valve to hold its own event when the time is right, it could surprise us all and throw a third console into the E3 foray – especially as Nintendo won’t be hosting an event this year. Speaking of which…
E3 3013 – Nintendo
For the first time since E3 first kicked off in 1995, Nintendo won’t be holding an E3 press conference. Having already released the Wii U, it’ll instead focus on smaller, more private game events. And with Super Smash Bros 4 and Mario Kart Wii U expected to make an appearance, we can’t say we’re too disappointed.
E3 3013 – 4K gaming
4K TVs are on the cusp on invading our living rooms over the next few years so we expect to be teased with 4K game demos at E3. Sony has already confirmed that the PS4 will support 4K video, with gaming potentially on the cards too. Time to warm up your retinas.
E3 3013 – the games
There will be more games shown off at E3 than our brains can process at the moment but we’re looking forward to seeing more from the likes of Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag and Watch Dogs from Ubisoft as well as Call of Duty: Ghosts and Battlefield 4.
Bethesda will also be showing off the time-sucking Elder Scrolls Online and we’re hoping to see Mass Effect 4 make an appearance too, if the gaming gods allow it.
Destiny and Batman: Arkham Origins should also turn up on our radar, but we wouldn’t hold your breath for GTA V – Rockstar is notorious for skipping E3, preferring to go it alone when the time is right.
Join us for E3 2013 from June 11-13 where we’ll be in the thick of the action in LA, swimming in a blissful sea of gaming’s latest and greatest titles. We can’t wait. Because this E3 could go down in history as the best ever.
