Reminder: E3 2015 is upon us. If the special homepage wasn't already a good enough giveaway – nifty, eh? – then this editor's apocalyptic stress levels are a sure sign. As gaming fans, the reason that we all love the Los Angeles convention is because it allows us to dream and despair. There are the highs, like Jack Tretton laying the figurative smackdown regarding the PlayStation 4's used games policy – and then there are the lows, such as Kaz Hirai's unforgettable five-hundred-and-ninety-nine-dollars comment. The real beauty is that you never quite know what you're going to get – and in celebration of that, we've grouped together a rabble of excitable Push Square staffers, and asked them to share their hopes and fears for this year's PlayStation press conference.
Sammy Barker, Editor
I peed off a fair few readers when I claimed that this year's PlayStation presser would be all about third-party games, but I still believe it to be true. As such, I'm currently praying to the gaming gods that I'm wrong. I think the Japanese giant has been smart associating itself with so many multiformat brands, but these aren't the kinds of titles that "win" E3 media briefings – it's the unexpected exciting exclusives that do that. And seeing as I'm anticipating Microsoft and Nintendo to respond to the PS4's dominance with an overwhelming display of first-party software, my personal hope is that Sony's able to keep up. In truth, Horizon and The Last Guardian should do the trick – but will they be on display?
It goes without saying, then, that my fear rests with an overabundance of third-party software; I'll be fine with some, but I pray that it isn't the focus of the show. I'm also anxious it's going to roll out some pot bellied game developer with a Project Morpheus strapped to his noggin; the platform holder's virtual reality push needs to be discussed, but if someone struts out looking all Lawnmower Man, then I'm afraid that Sony's already lost – the two abovementioned titles be damned.
Robert Ramsey, Associate Editor
Persona 5. That's it. Show me the most stylish role-playing game mankind has ever crafted and I'll go home happy – even if Sony's show is dominated by atrocious live Project Morpheus demonstrations. In truth, there's not much first-party stuff that I'm fussed about. Uncharted 4: A Thief's End will no doubt be brilliant, and I'm hoping that Guerrilla Games' new project takes the studio to new heights, but apart from that, I'm essentially just a cackling observer of the always ridiculous console exclusivity wars. All in all, though, I just want Sony to have a good show - to not get carried away prattling on about things that people don't really want to hear.
I think the real fear, as hinted, revolves around the company's nosedive into virtual reality. I know I'm not yet convinced, and I doubt anyone truly will be until Project Morpheus is on the market and it's got solid developer support. In fact, the more I think about it, the lower my expectations become. Think about all of this logically and we already know what most of Sony's presser will consist of – namely already-announced third-party titles and VR spiel. I'm not saying it can't possibly be good, but I am saying that E3's always a lot more enjoyable when you don't expect a megaton every ten minutes. Prove me wrong, Andy House.
Ben Potter, Video Editor
While this seems to have been a foregone conclusion in recent years, Sony is going to neglect the ever-loving crap out of the Vita. Deep down inside me, however, there is the tiniest flicker of hope. Could this be the year Sony pushes for a big budget first-party title on the lifeless handheld? The PSP had not one but two Grand Theft Auto games, yet boasted a fraction of the Vita's power. It's true that the Vita's few first-party titles don't have a glowing track record, but Sony has to realise that nobody is going to buy a Vita for indie titles. Those of us who already have one are, at best, tolerating the independent charm barrage, but the rest are getting fed up.
With Project Morpheus' suggested arrival set for the not-too-distant future, it's about time consumers finally got to see what all the fuss is about. That's why it wasn't shocking to hear that Sony plans to dedicate a large portion of its conference to the VR headset – but how much is too much? In previous years, we've seen cringe-worthy demos for both Move and Wonderbook, neither of which managed to outgrow the unpopular precedents set at their respective E3s. Sony needs to smash this out properly: keep it short but sweet, feature trailers for several big-budget, Morpheus-specific titles, and announce a grand tour of the device so everyone can have a try.
Kell Andersen, Senior Writer
In this writer's humble opinion, Sony easily had the best lineup of games at last year's E3. However, due to a series of pre-show leaks, as well as a poorly executed conference, the Japanese giant didn't come away with the top spot. With that in mind, I am utterly terrified that the platform holder won't be able to keep everything under wraps for this year's show. From Software's already allegedly had a high profile leak, which – after Bloodborne last year – is apparently becoming a yearly tradition, and with a couple of days to go, there's still plenty of time for more big surprise reveals to be ruined. I'm also slightly scared that Sony won't learn its lesson from last year, and will spend entirely too much time talking about sales figures. We know that the PS4 is selling well – you don't have to keep on telling us.
In terms of what I'm hoping for, it always comes down to exciting new IPs for me. Preferably ones that are preceded with a comment along the lines of, "And you can download it right now!" Also, even though it's very much a Tokyo Game Show-type game, I'm still holding out hope for a surprise PS4 re-reveal of Gravity Rush 2. Seeing Media Molecule's new game would be nice, too.
Chris Harding, News Reporter
Sony has the chance to right a few wrongs at this year's E3, and while many will be hoping for the mythical The Last Guardian to rear its elusive head, I'll be sat with all fingers crossed hoping that Andrew House's recent comments on the PlayStation Vita get shattered with a few surprise announcements – Gravity Rush 2, anyone? Granted, it's a long shot and Sony hasn't really been on the ball when it comes to all things Vita, but there's always the chance that the firm will turn things around. At this point, I'd be over the moon with just a price cut on the ridiculously expensive memory cards. It's a long shot, but a man can dream, can't he?
That said, if the Vita doesn't even get a courtesy mention, you'll find me down the pub, drowning my sorrows – and my Vita.
Alex Stinton, Reviewer
Well, I'm older and wiser than I was during the last E3, so you'd hope my growing pool of wisdom would result in some insightful hopes and fears for Sony's press conference. The thing is, my biggest hope is the same as during every E3 before, which is to see Sony announce games that push the boundaries. I don't care about the next entry in an annualised series, or the re-releases of games from the last generation no one bloody asked for – I'm on about that game that makes you sit up at take notice; the one that makes your E3.
On the other hand, my biggest fear is that Project Morpheus is going to look increasingly like a boondoggle that Sony feels it has to push no matter how good it actually is. Looking at the sort of PC you need for Oculus Rift, I'm just not convinced that the PS4 has the power to deliver a decent VR experience. I also worry that with developers still trying to puzzle out what works for VR, it'll turn out to be another Kinect where big promises made in press conferences turn into a divided player base, and a piece of hardware starved of third party support.
Greg Giddens, Reviewer
I hope to see more about Project Morpheus, including a release date, a list of currently compatible games. and what new games will support it. It'd be a terrific reveal if PlayStation announces the peripheral as releasing this year before Hallowe'en [Sorry, it's already confirmed for 2016, Greg – Ed]. Trading heavily on VR horror experiences, it'd be an ideal time to try the VR out and enjoy some scares [Maybe next year – Ed].
On the other hand, one of my fears is for this VR enthusiasm right to turn into a fad that passes quickly. As a consumer all geared up to purchase some VR hardware when it comes out, I'd be furious to spend what's almost certainly going to be a large sum of money on something never fully realised and with minimal software. AR gaming with PlayStation Eye and 3D gaming both failed to make an impact, and although I consider VR a more viable path for enjoying games, it still might ultimately fall flat.
Graham Banas, Reviewer
Sony past couple of E3's have been really good at showing off lots of promising indie titles. I'm hopeful that we get to see a smattering of new games, including a fresh look at Abzu, which I am particularly excited about. I'd also love to see Sony really give us hope for the holiday season, maybe by giving Persona 5 a release date. I'm really hoping for the firm to make this holiday season look a lot better than that time last year. I'd also love to finally see what some of its first-party developers have been up to. What's Quantic Dream been doing? Guerrilla Games? I want answers!
There's still room for Sony to fall on its face, though. I'm really worried that it's going to spend too much dwelling on the past. I admit, I want the remastered Uncharteds and Journey – but there needs to be a line. Does anyone really want Beyond: Two Souls remastered [Raises hand slowly – Ed]? The PS4 has been out for nearly 20 months now. The time for porting last-gen games has passed. And I'm really worried that while Sony absolutely has a lot of new stuff on the horizon, it will be far too fixated on re-releases. It also needs to watch its pacing, and not get bogged down with too many unnecessary things – like the Powers debacle last time.
Jamie O'Neill, Reviewer
Despite the lack of a campaign, I hope DICE can demonstrate a single player mission structure in Star Wars: Battlefront which captures key moments from the original trilogy in satisfying gameplay moments. I'd personally love it if Sony announced a release schedule of PSone and PlayStation 2 games on the PS4, something independent of PlayStation Now, to build a retro archive section that rivals Nintendo's Virtual Console. Recently I thought about follow-ups to my favourite games from the last generation, and the two announcements I dreamt of most were sequels to Red Dead Redemption and Vanquish. It's heartening that a mixture of game images tweeted by Platinum Games made a new Vanquish game seem plausible, especially alongside the legitimate possibility of The Last Guardian getting a re-reveal.
However, when combined with the Fallout 4 and Ratchet & Clank trailers, it also felt like the exuberant yaps and yelps of E3 were unable to hold their tongues for one more week. I'm fond of my PlayStation Move setup, but the last motion-controlled release I enjoyed was BioShock Infinite over two years ago, and I'm hesitant regarding Sony's long-term commitment to the more expensive Project Morpheus hardware. Apprehension about tarnished surprises and virtual reality fears seem fairly universal – Push Square discussed them both in greater detail recently – but in truth I'm more optimistic and excited that through a variety of announcements Sony will have a memorable E3.
Joey Thurmond, Reviewer
Star Wars: Battlefront! I'm ecstatic to see gameplay and hope DICE will surprise everyone with a game mode focused on spaceship battles where players raid something like Star Destroyers in orbit. Look, they said there would be no "space" battles, but that doesn't mean this type of battle needs to take place in space. Anyway, I also think it's time for Capcom to show a glimpse of the next Resident Evil, which should get back to the roots of the franchise. The Last Guardian (never lose hope), RIME, Kingdom Hearts III, more Ratchet & Clank, and Visceral Games' Star Wars project… These are several games I hope to see. Oh, and let's not forget Dark Souls III and Bloodborne DLC. I'm ready to die, From Software!
I've pretty much given up on Sony ever using the Vita as more than an indie and JRPG platform, so I think that this will persevere as this fantastic handheld is continually underrepresented. I'm also anxious Sony may spend too much time on indie titles; No Man's Sky and RIME will be fine to see for a bit, but I would like an equally strong presence of new IPs and sequels to existing franchises. Lastly, please don't cover Destiny DLC for more than five minutes, Sony. I'm interested, but not that interested.
Matt Adcock, Reviewer
Lots of gamers are complaining about remasters but in the light of Bloodborne being so great I would love Sony to bring the original Demon's Souls to the PS4 – and maybe announce Demon's Souls 2 for good measure. I'm hoping for a Mafia III PS4 announcement which seems realistic, but also a new Red Dead Redemption which may be less so – and a PS4 WipEout which is up there with a Disgaea first person battle-em-up in terms of 'wishful thinking'.
On the other side, a lack of jaw-dropping announcements for the PS4 (and no announcements for Vita) would suck. I'll also be letdown if The Last Guardian doesn't make the cut – not necessarily because I'm interested in the game myself, but because I want to see the web awash with happy tears regarding this release at last.
Sam Brooke, Reviewer
I'm hoping for some more Mad Max gameplay, mainly because the whole survival theme of the game excites me so much. I also want it because it has explosions, and we could always do with more of those. Also, another Crash Bandicoot.
On the other hand, I'm not really bothered about any Assassin's Creed Syndicate gameplay. I really couldn't care less about the franchise anymore, and it basically looks like the same thing now. It needs a refresh.
Stephen Tailby, Reviewer
As I'm sure many of us are, what I'm hoping for from Sony is a generous helping of first-party announcements. It's been extremely quiet about its exclusive offerings, and I think it's high time we saw the likes of Santa Monica, Media Molecule, and Guerrilla Games, among others, take to the stage. I would love it if we saw a new God of War, the next Play Create Share experience, and the rumoured Horizon, respectively. Unlikely wishes from me would be a new WipEout, some serious Vita love, and of course, The Last Guardian.
What I'd rather not see is a focus on multimedia. E3 is first and foremost a gaming PR nirvana, and that's how I want it to remain throughout. Don't get me wrong, I watch movies on the PS4 quite a bit, but if Sony spends too much time on TV, film, or music, I'm not going to be best pleased. I also don't want it to talk about sales figures and PlayStation Plus attachment rates for what seems like hours, because it's just plain boring. In fairness, Sony has been pretty good in recent years when it comes to this, but with exceedingly strong PS4 sales to gloat about, this kind of fluff could return to get in the way of glorious game announcements, titillating teasers, and Shuhei Yoshida's cheerful face.
Phew! If we've not exhausted you of all of your ideas, then feel free to drop some of your own hopes and fears in the comments section below. And remember to strap yourself in to Push Square for the next few days – it's going to be a very bumpy ride.
Comments 19
My hope is new and good exclusives for the PS4 and Persona 5 gets its deserved attention on the conference, my fear is that Sony will spend too much time on VR and useless games for it, I doubt that some great and big game will be shown exclusive for it.
My hopes are that they show off quality VR games that make me really want to buy the Morpheus and a reasonable price for it. Has anyone seen pictures of the dinosaur game for VR? It looks incredible. I also want a release date for Persona 5. My fears are that Morpheus will have a hefty price tag and Sony focuses on third party games that I don't care about.
I hope they don't spend too much time on Morpheus as it's a guaranteed fail, just waiting to take its rightful place alongside Kinnect, Move, 3D and all the previous incarnations of VR. I wouldn't mind seeing something on The Division.
Why do I have the feeling that people are going to be disappointed with VR. They are expecting way too much then they will be disappointed and VR will just end up like the Move.
WOW, JUST WOW! Most of Push Square and the user comments were a down right depressing read. I myself feel optimistic about Sony's press briefing and VR in general. I also don't believe for a second that Sony's VR headset will cost more than the PS4. Infact, I am certain it will be somewhere between £200-£300 but probably closer to the £200 mark. I also have faith that VR in general will do pretty well as Sony aren't the only company heavily investing in the technology. While the PS4 may not be powerful enough to push bleeding edge graphics in VR its easily capable in giving fun a new experiences and transporting us to new virtual worlds. I've been lucky enough to try this new tech and can say that I see alot of potential, just as long as it gets the support, which im confident it will, as like I said before, its not just Sony that are investing in VR.
In regards to my hopes and fears, I have no fears. The games im looking forward to the most have already been announced and most are third party. Games like Fallout 4, DOOM, No Man's Sky, Mad Max, etc I'll be getting on PS4. The fisrt partys games and/or timed exclusives im really looking forward to are on the XB1 and are Halo 5, Gears of War 4, Quantum Break, Crackdown 3 and Rise of the Tomb Raider.
The only PS4 exclusives im really looking forward to is Uhcharted 4 and that got delayed, but I can't wait to see more of it. Also Rime and SOMA. Im feeling confident that Sony will have a few surprise announcements to show, but im not going to be to upset if they don't as I know the PS4 has a bright future ahead.
Its great that the XB1 has been playing catch up as it means Microsoft have to work harder buy pumping out quality games to get people to purchase their console. Thats great for those of us who already own the XB1. I believe Microsoft will have the better show as they learned a hard lesson from previous events and this E3 is going to be all about games for them. Even if they "win" E3 it won't really hurt Sony.
This is going to be one hell of a show as far as im concerned, regardless of who wins.
I'm not really looking forward to VR to be honest, I kinda get worried that Sony will get a bit of an inflated ego (ala Microsoft late last gen) and forget what's really important.
What am I wishing for? Just a few solid exclusives, I have complained earlier, but think about it, Tearaway, The Last Guardian, The Uncharted Collection, and perhaps one more exclusive for this fall.......that's a pretty decent way to wrap up 2015 IMO.
I will be shocked if we hear about the Vita.
I could care less about VR honestly. I think it will fail. Hoping they finally get behind PS Vita with some blockbuster games that push the hardware. Maybe some good PS2 cross-buy classics for PS4 and Vita too. I have dreamed a dream...
The Vita has lacked a big Sony published AAA title since Tearaway in Nov? of 2013 (and before someone screams Freedom Wars, let's admit that such a title is very niche in the west, and not a holiday seller).
Why do people think all of a sudden Sony will care about the Vita now? Outside of Japan, they mostly don't......best start saving money now for the Nvidia Shield Portable 2.
my main fear is that the conference will be dominated by indies and multiplatforms with very little in terms of exclusive announcements
Do you guys have people people doing interviews and/or attending the conferences ?
How many people work for you guys? That was a pretty big read.
No mans sky and MGS are my big games this year and I've got to admit that.....
Persona 5 looks brilliant, the art direction so far is first class. That is the sleeper hit.
My hope is that Sony focus on what they can deliver themselves and from their various studio's. I want to see 'exclusives' that will be on PS only and I don't mean remasters either
My fear is that it will turn into a 3rd Party showcase of games Sony have paid to have a few 'exclusive' additions and a chance to have a dig at the 'competition'. I also fear a heavy focus on VR, media/TV etc too - a mention of these is to be expected but not dominate their conference.
I know development dates can slip but I hope that generally we get a good and accurate look at what Sony will be delivering themselves over the next 12 months
@WARDIE Gotta keep those expectations low, innit.
I've never understood this notion of "winning E3" last year most people were saying (though I strongly disagree) that "nintendo won" yet what is really the point of having a good show and getting PR & NeoGaf slaps on the back if it doesn't translate into sales? It clearly didn't last year for Nintendo. If Sony talk mostly 3rd party stuff then people will chastise them but chances are those games are the ones that will shift more PS4s then any Last Guardian and Persona 5 ever could. Keep your expectations in check and just enjoy the shows.
I actually hope they WONT focus on VR at all as much as I've heard they will. Nothing is gonna change my mind on it. I just want new games we've all been waiting for. ON CONSOLES. We're just not THERE yet. We really aren't.
At the moment it's just another way to cash in on "nerds" who wanna interact with their VR waifus and handicapped people stuck in bed. I don't see why anyone else would want this. At least until it's twice as advanced and it doesn't make you look like an unsocial dork playing it. I think AVGN explained it best when he reviewed the Virtual Boy. As primitive as it is compared to the new stuff it's still the same basic idea.
The advancement in technology makes you realize you don't actually need that gimmicky stuff we dreamed about in the 80's. Even 3D and motion controls are at some level completely unnecessary even if it's fun when done right. Yes I enjoyed Zelda Skyward Sword but that's about it. And even that game had its issues. I wouldn't even miss 3D if it went away from the movies.
Hopes ; we get lots of exclusives for next year like crash, new jak, TLG, not timed and APB reloaded,
Fears; I miss E3, suuuuure i can watch it later but its more fun to watch live.
I don't give a rip about VR, but the big win and huge surprise will turn out to be that Project Morpheus "Realeyes" will be compatible with ALL PS4 games, and Sony will announce an initiative whereby indie devs can apply for funding on VR-related game development implementing Move 2.0. The big "Realeyes" release with Move 2.0: Sorcery 2.
New games you'll hear a lot about: Tearaway on PS4, Uncharted 4 and Uncharted Collection, Street Fighter 5, Batleborn, Journey, Puppeteer, Hot Shots Golf, and Gravity Rush PS4. The Last Guadiian will open the show, and Syphon Filter will close the show. Dragon's Crown 2, Trine 3, and 4-D Dot Game Heroes are all Sony exclusives. Earth Defense Force 4.1 is also going to get some press.
News on Vita: Limited Edition "Play Everywhere" bundle with PS4 and Vita and 1 year of PS+ for $399. Soul Sacrifice 2 will be announced, but garnering most of the Vita attention will be the new, exclusive Monster Hunter 5.
And, yes, I'm dreaming, but I dream big.
There are two big problems with VR that I'm not sure Sony can overcome. If the framerate is low in VR then it causes sickness and headaches, it really needs to be at least 60fps, Oculus Rift games are aiming for 90fps. The PS4 very rarely manages 60fps, usually going for 30fps. The Witcher 3 often drops to 20fps. Also bear in mind that each of the displays needs to be at least 60fps, so the PS4 will actually need to be rendering 120fps. Again, just to restate it, this is a console with first-party games that can only do 30fps. The upshot of that is that the games will need to be pretty basic graphically, even PS3 remasters like TLOU only run at 60fps, half of what would be required according to people in the VR industry.
That might not seem like a huge problem at first until you realise that every game they release for Morpheus will basically look like unimpressive last gen games - or will all have to be very stylised to disguise the basic visuals - and that'll drag down the reputation of both Morpheus and the PS4 itself. Also, to bring in the second problem, because your eyes are so close to the display, the graphics will be under much greater scrutiny; it'll be last gen graphics with your eyes right up to the screen. Plus, with it being first-person, you'll be getting a very close look at the textures on things and NPC's faces etc.
Meanwhile look what Epic are doing with Oculus Rift at 90fps:
http://www.roadtovr.com/epic-games-share-insights-optimizing-showdown-90-fps-oculus-rift-crescent-bay-prototype/
I still want Beyond Two Souls to come out on PS4, just saying, there is people that want it.
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