The Top Announcements of E3 2011
What We Want And Don’t Want
by exterminat
©2011 Nicholas Laborde
The Electronic Entertainment Expo is just around the corner, and this is when anticipation starts to build.
- Will that hinted-at project be unveiled?
- Will that sequel get announced?
- Will that exclusive title go multiplatform?
- Will Valve finally speak of Half-Life 2: Episode Three?
- Will Peter Molyneux claim his next title will cure cancer?
- Will the next consoles be unveiled?
- Will I have to sell my firstborn child to buy said consoles?
It’s quite simply the most wonderful time of the year in the gaming scene, and everyone is ecstatic. But with every E3, there always comes the great anticipations and excitements AND of course – the disappointments and let-downs. It’s a ‘given’ with any E3.
Unfortunately OXCGN won’t be attending this year (I’ll be in the trenches with you guys in 2012), but here are the top announcements we do and don’t want at E3 2011, in no particular order.
What we WANT to see
New IPs
First and foremost, the thing we always want more than anything else is new intellectual property.
One thing you’ll notice about everything else below this notch in the list is that they are all sequels or successors to an existing entity.
Those are good in their own right, but we have such a rich, unique and creative industry that we shouldn’t be wasting our time drawing out the same ideas year after year.
Let’s push the technology. Let’s break the social barriers. Let’s tap the emotions.
I don’t want to play Call of Duty 9: Rehash Extraordinaire.
I want a new experience unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
Next Generation of Consoles
This is seriously the second biggest priority.
Current generation consoles are outdated pieces of crap. To continue this generation for a few more years would be absurd!
I’m not necessarily saying that we have to fall into the 5-year or so cycle that has been in effect for decades. I’m simply stating that technology is moving forward very rapidly, and that if we don’t have new consoles on store shelves by 2012 that the industry will face a major decline.
In the time this generation has been drawn out, mobile phones have caught up and even RIVAL the consoles!
Come on now. That’s just ridiculous.
The glorious PC community is still thriving thanks to services such as Steam. And no, PC gaming is not dying. Go back to your Call of Duty, kids.
It’s time for the next generation.
Next Bungie Title
Bungie are among the highest ranks of developers in the industry. Come on, they brought us Marathon and Halo.
They’re also the biggest groups of badasses on the planet. Seriously, how many people just walk out onto the stage at E3 without introducing themselves and say “We’re playing some ODST.”
They are also a dastardly secretive group. Last year, Bungie signed a multiplatform deal with Activision, and everyone called foul. According to recent reports, though, Activision is actually very hands-off in the new title, which is a very good sign.
Will it be an MMO? Will it be a modern day Marathon? Or will Bungie unveil something so amazing unlike anything we’ve ever seen before?
Whatever it is, they will dominate the tough crowds at E3 if they do unveil it this year.
GTA V
It feels like a decade between every Grand Theft Auto title. Although Rockstar only released GTA IV in April of 2008, the next title must certainly be on the horizon.
A recent job listings for voice actors could ad some hints: FBI agents, convicts, and other assorted peoples.
The two expansion packs released for GTA IV, The Lost And Damned and The Ballad Of Gay Tony (the best title for anything, ever) blew the doors off of what we could expect in post-release content.
If Rockstar keeps that routine up for GTA V, it will be a revolutionary experience. Our imaginations are running rampant with ideas for the next title. Rockstar never makes big appearances at E3, but nonetheless we can anticipate them.
Hideo Kojima’s Next Title
While the staple Metal Gear team is hard at work on Metal Gear Solid: Rising, Hideo Kojima is undoubtedly up to his antics. Will his next game be Zone of the Enders 3?
Or will it be something completely new and innovative? Kojima-san has stated that it will star a character that “gaming is not ready for.”
We’re on the edge of our seats, Kojima. Please Kojima-san, don’t let us down.
Star Wars: Battlefront III
For every single E3 since the release of Battlefront II, I have anticipated this announcement… and it has never come.
We still don’t know the status of the title, and from the way it was going it may never see the light of day.
We did an article about the status of the game a while back, and you can find that here. Why do we want to see this so bad?
Battlefront was a phenomenal experience that transcended what we thought was possible in a traditional multiplayer title. It provided a unique, dynamic atmosphere that multiplayer games before it had never really done.
If a modern iteration was done, it would be the absolute king of multiplayer for years to come. Battlefront III is a title I would play over any single game you could name at this moment. The outlook may be bleak on this one, but we can always hope.
Half-Life 2: Episode Three/Half-Life 3
This one is a no-brainer.
Valve promised that we’d get three ‘expansions’ to Half-Life 2 in order to give us more content in a smaller amount of time, versus developing a whole new title.
It’s taking too damn long, to put it simply. It’s also quite obvious that they are NOT working on it. Seriously. Games that have come out since Orange Box: Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, Alien Swarm, Portal 2.
Not to mention that they are also working on DOTA2, the biggest ‘WTF’ in the industry! Come on Valve. We just want Episode Three.
We are DYING to see what happens, and how the Borealis will come into play. Portal and Portal 2 were nothing more but teasers for this universe! Give it to us, and THEN you can go about making these unnecessary ‘other’ games.
My only rational explanation for the wait is that they are working on either a new Source engine, or are vastly upgrading it. With the current state of the engine, it couldn’t suffice for a modern day AAA title (although Portal 2 managed to do it). Regardless of when or where, we just want some concrete information.
Next Splinter Cell Title
Splinter Cell: Conviction was not a bad title. It was actually a very good game, and one of my favorite experiences of 2010.
But it was a bad Splinter Cell title. Stealth was sacrificed, gameplay was action-oriented, the story was abysmally short and there was no Spies Versus Mercenaries multiplayer.
The new Ubisoft Toronto confirmed in May of 2010 to be working on the next title in the series, and that’s all we know. [Ed;- I personally believe "Jade Raymond" has been given the Rainbow Six, Ghost Recon and I Am Alive franchises, which have hopefully been moved to the her new Toronto studios]
The only other supporting fact is how Ubisoft stated that while Sam Fisher’s story has concluded, the series will live on.
I’m hoping for a full-blown title that will take us back to the days of Chaos Theory: an epic campaign, a true comeback of the classic Spies Versus Mercenaries multiplayer and a full-length cooperative mode.
If it all came together like that, we would have game of the decade on our hands. An interesting idea that Ubisoft could cash in on would be a downloadable title based around Spies Versus Mercenaries.
For ten, fifteen, heck, even twenty dollars, offer the full SvM experience. It’s a perfect idea, and would please so many fans. It might even surpass the downloadable records set by Battlefield 1943.
But for now, all we can do is wait… and hope that the series can return to its former glory.
Assassin’s Creed 3
Fan made, or real?
We want Assassin’s Creed 3. We do not want Assassin’s Creed 2: Part Three.
We want the final, full-blown title in the trilogy. Sorry, Ezio, but your time has passed.
Rumors have been pointing to the American Revolution, but we also have reason to believe the French Revolution could be the timeframe.
Check out our good article on that here. As much as we don’t want the series to end, it’s time for the final iteration to show itself.
Next Rainbow Six Title
Rainbow Six is a staple tactical shooter series, and has a huge fanbase. I’ve played every single title, and some of my most vivid gaming memories lie in this franchise.
But Rainbow Six Vegas 2 was the last one, and we have heard absolutely NOTHING about the next title!
Possibly, it’s because they don’t want to think about having another Rainbow Six title when the next Ghost Recon is around the corner. I sincerely hope that’s the reason, and that the series isn’t kerput.
The time is right for the next leap forward in tactical First-Person Shooters, and I expect Ubisoft to announce something at this E3.
Borderlands Sequel
Undoubtedly, the cooperative sleeper hit of 2009 was Borderlands.
The possibilities are truly endless for the sequel to the title, and while it hasn’t necessarily been confirmed, the name Borderworlds was trademarked a while back.
Gearbox are up to something.
For a detailed look at what we want in Borderlands 2, check out my article on that here.
Respawn Title
The guys at Infinity Ward created some of the best shooter experiences out there and set standards no one else could have.
When the whole fiasco with Activision occurred last year, the former studio heads Jason West and Vince Zampella formed Respawn Entertainment (irony?).
Their next title has been touted as “huge” and a “big summer blockbuster title.” The whole industry is watching Respawn. We are waiting for their first move… and E3 2011 would be the perfect place.
Warhawk 2/Starhawk
When Warhawk released at the end of Summer 2008, I was completely blown away.
It still remains one of my favorite multiplayer experiences of all time. The developer’s infamous studio head, Dylan Jobe, is hard at work on the next project.
The name ‘Starhawk’ was trademarked a while ago, and we do know they wanted to do a sequel to Warhawk. Jobe is quiet about the project, stating that they will talk about it when the time is right… no earlier.
This announcement would be yet another ace in the hole for PlayStation 3.
Mirror’s Edge 2
A few months ago, the entire industry mourned as Mirror’s Edge 2 was ousted by EA.
DICE presented a prototype for the sequel, and EA turned it down, saying that the time was not right.
Recently, EA has ‘corrected’ that statement and let the world know that ME2 WILL come… it just may not be soon.
But for all we know, that could be just another infamous publicity stunt by EA. Only time [and E3] will tell if we get to don Faith once again.
Doom 4
Doom is a series synonymous with gaming. id Software is one of the giants in the technology field, and we’re all anticipating Rage.
But the real next game from id is Doom 4. All we know is that it’s in development.
A programmer recently stated that they are taking their time with the game, adhering to id’s “when it’s done” principle. It was also clearly stated that Doom 4 won’t be Rage reskinned.
They are taking their time to craft the momentous fourth iteration in one of the most classic franchises of gaming, and all power to them. When it is announced, pants will be soiled.
What we DON’T WANT to see
Rehashes
Simply put it, we don’t want rehashes or anymore unnecessary sequels.
We don’t want another Call of Duty.
We don’t want another Halo.
We don’t want more brown and bloom FPSs in general.
We want new games, new experiences. Developers, please stop flogging dead horses. Have your glory and move on.
More Dead ‘Innovation’
The Microsoft E3 2010 press conference was abysmal. Words cannot describe how bad it was.
The first 30 minutes were simply ecstatic, because that’s where the real games were. The next hour and a half was nothing but Kinect BS and shovelware games that no one cares about.
We also saw how a nerd assembled a posse and learned to dance, thanks to Kinect. Do you remember E3 2009, when Microsoft said it was about “showing, and not telling”?
They announced TEN new things back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back to back. It was one of the bext E3′s of all time, next to 2006 of course.
Dead on arrival!
We don’t want more Kinect shovelware forced down our throat for two hours. And don’t think this is limited to Microsoft, Sony Defense Force members.
Nobody cares about your motion controller that abysmally failed. No one cares about your 3D televisions that I will never be able to buy.
3D is a trend that will take many years to subside, in my opinion. That’s a few years too many, to begin with.. It needs to die as soon as possible. I blame James Cameron and Avatar.
Assassin’s Creed: Sisterhood
Good bye, and good riddance!
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood was a fantastic title. In fact, it’s one of the two titles from me that have attained a perfect score.
But it was enough.
We DO NOT WANT the third part of Assassin’s Creed 2.
We want Assassin’s Creed 3, Ubisoft. It’s not that hard to grasp.
Left 4 Dead 3, AKA Any Valve Title That’s Not Episode Three
I cannot stress this enough; Half-Life 2: Episode Three needs to come out, and as soon as possible.
The fanbase is screaming at Valve for what will come to be one of the biggest titles in gaming’s history, and Valve thinks it’s fun to work on games they have no right to even think about (cough cough DOTA 2).
I don’t want to play Left 4 Dead 3. I don’t give a rat’s ass about DOTA 2.
I WANT EPISODE THREE.
To end this rant, I will now iterate once more that we want Episode Three.
WE WANT EPISODE THREE!
The Force Unleashed 3
LucasArts, please.
We’re on our knees begging and pleading. Give us Battlefront III.
The Force Unleashed was a terrible title. The Force Unleashed 2 was even worse. So please do not announce The Force Unleashed 3: Epitome of Crap.
Go out on a whim and please the fans for once, okay?
More Mass Effect
Poor Commander Shepard looks sad when not in his trilogy!
I’m sure you will all unanimously agree with me on this one. Let Mass Effect 3 be the final title, for the love of all that is good.
Have your epic trilogy, and stop. It’s simple.
Preserve the cinematic glory and don’t tarnish the record with fluff and spinoffs.
You can keep releasing your books, comics and other mediums, but stop after the third game.
Commander Shepard’s story is being wrapped up, and that’s all we care about.
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Electronic Entertainment Expo 2011
June 7-9, 2011
E3 2011 is June 7, 8 and 9 inclusive. And, as we said at the beginning of this article, OXCGN has decided to not attend this year for various reasons.
However next year we will be there though, and you can most certainly expect our usual display of media about the event.
Until then, we’ll be streaming the show like everyone else and I know that I’ll be squealing like a little girl whenever these announcements are made. Whether or not we see any or these wants or peeves at this year’s show is in the hands of the companies.
Do not let us down, evil capitalist corporations!
OXCGN’s E3 2011 Articles:
Make sure you check out these great E3 2011 articles, not only showing you the news, but looking deeper into the games and hardware coming from this year’s E3.
In the mean time, please feel free to grab any of the videos (we supply easy share-code for that) and images to share with your friends using the helpful social media buttons on the site. But basically, enjoy the information, and share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
This list will be updated with every new article and new notice, so make sure you bookmark it so you’ll be notified when there’s a new item up – enjoy
- E3 2011: Brothers In Arms: Furious 4: Desecrating the BIA Name - click here
- OXCGN’s Nintendo E3 Conference Wrap Up- click here
- E3 2011: The Darkness 2 – To Sequel or Not to Sequel- click here
- Sony PS Vita (NGP) Australian Price Revealed? - click here
- Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – Limited Animus and Special Editions Unveiled (with trailers) - click here
- OXCGN’s Sony E3 Conference Wrap Up- click here
- The Kinect Strikes Back: Kinect Star Wars - click here
- E3 2011: Hitman – Are Stealth Games Becoming Action Games - click here
- Tomb Raider: A Darker More Visceral Lara Croft - click here
- OXCGN’s EA Conference Wrap Up - click here
- OXCGN’s Ubisoft Conference Wrap Up - click here
- E3 2011: Minecraft Coming to 360 - click here
- E3 2011: Microsoft Showcases Halo 4, Halo HD remake - click here
- OXCGN’s Microsoft Conference Wrap Up - click here
- Konami E3 2011 Conference Wrap Up - click here
- Top Announcement We Want and Don’t Want at E3 - click here
- The Best Places to Watch E3 2011 - click here
©2011 Nicholas Laborde
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Filed under: Console gaming, E3 2011, Editorial, Game Industry News, Hardware News, New Game Information, New Xbox 360 Games, PC News, PS3 News, Wii News, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 3rd Party Games, Xbox 360 News Tagged: | "Splinter Cell: Conviction", bungie, Call Of Duty 6, DOTA2, Eectronic Entertainment Expo 2011, electronic entertainment expo, Gameinformer, Grand Theft Auto 5, Half Life 3, Half-Life (series), Half-Life 2 Episode 3, Half-Life 2: Episode Three?, Hideo Kojima, History of E3, Jade Raymond, Los Angeles, Metal Gear Solid: Rising, nintendo, ODST, Personal computer game, Peter Molyneux, The Ballad of Gay Tony, Ubisoft, Video game, Video game console, Wii
this is [poop] (ED: watch your lingo in the comments please), who says we don’t want MW3?? I know that is the game I want the most, and I know I am not alone.
the current gen systems arenot crap well maby the wii but xbox360 and ps3 even with the problems are kick assMICROSOFT AND SONY BOTH HAVE SAID NO NEW SYSTEMS TILL 2015!!!!!!!! DO YOUR RESEARCH FOR (edited).THE OLNY ONE WHO WILL ANOUNCE A NEW SYSTEM IS NINTENDO MABY IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE CURRENT SYSTEMS THAN GO BACK TO PC (edited) [ED: Please watch your language in the comment section and instead of yelling and swearing, perhaps work on your typos in the post? I personally agree that we don't need new consoles, but that doesn't mean others have to think the same way]
yeah, i could say i agree with everything but the splintercell, not hyped about it, but HITMAN 5, i would want that one, and ME2, HELL YEAH!!!
The only game i would like to hear about that is a pretty much milked franchise is MGS, and i mean main story not a spinoff!!!
great article and good job.
P.S. i believe that even though both MOVE and KINECT failed in their own way (MOVE in sale and KINECT in working) but we do need them, they are gonna bring a brighter future.
I don’t think Kinect or Move ‘failed’ in their own right.
In fact, taking Kinect as the example, seeing it has outsold Move by 3×1 according to US retail studies, with over 10 mil units sold globally todate. Failed could not be the word used.
Especially given the short window that it has been available.
Sure, most gamer’s have NOT been the purchasers, and, as I watched and reported from the LA Kinect launch floor in 2010, Kinect (and Move for that matter in part) is NOT aimed at the ‘gamers’ of today, it was and is targeted at a new emerging customer base.
One that has obviously grab hold of it, and run. Don’t expect to find FPS or RPG’s or the-like being featured with Kinect. But you will find new IP’s and some existing IP’s taking advanatage of it, yet it, as well as Move, is aimed at a HUGE audience outside the ‘average hardcore – or say the seriously casual gamer’.
We (Gamers) often forget that the bulk of the purchases in gaming, across ALL forms are made by women, and by ‘real’ casual gamers, not gamers like ourselves (ie, anyone who reads, follows or keeps up with gaming sites, mags, and new titles.
That is, gaming fans.
SO to exploit that market, the ‘real’ casual gaming market (note I did not say casual gamer), Microsoft and Sony have targeted the most viable market there is, those who simply want some family fun, ease of playing, and also the ability to keep fit and healthy in the process.
Ubisoft have cornered the market on Kinect (as well as Move – but more-so Kinect at this stage) and they are with titles aimed at others, not ‘gamers’ per-se.
They have their finger on the pulse, and sell out their stocks of those styles of games, while many of their finicker purchasers, ie “gamers” are more apt to watch review scores to determine whether or not to buy a game, not by ones own experience.
Which for me, is what REALLY counts.
On the issue of New IPs . . . I agree, we’d love to see more, but the reason we don’t, and those that f=get started, often get canceled, are because of US, the gamers, and our unwillingness to take on new IPs, engage in the fact that there will be a learning curve, and our need to adapt to that in order to get the best from the new IP.
Many anew IP has been canned before release because of ‘estimated Metacritic scores falling below 8.5/10 averages – befor release. Who gives those scores. Website who critise games they have yet to play, see first hand or even really understand.
So the publisher gives the developer the bad word, and cuts their loses before launch, where a further $us10-20mil must be invested into the games promotion.
So who’s to blame that there’s less new IPs out there – we are actually.
Well I liked the Renaissance period and would love for AC to go back there at some point (somewhere other than Italy and without Ezio, who was a great character, but probably finished with now).
But then I’d like to go back to the medieval period too! Maybe we could follow Subject 16s memories after AC3.
I too would love to see less modern warfare shooters.
I don’t think we need new consoles yet though, despite the tech getting older. I mostly say this because of the cost to the consumer in today’s economic climate.
Perhaps all we need are new engines….as Battlefield 3 looks pretty good.
Any new console though had better be backward compatible 2 generations too!!!!
The next Wii at least is rumoured to be backward compatible with Gamecube and Wii games.
Finally, not all our staff saw the Kinect launch as huge negative and instead saw it as appealing to a completely different non-hardcore group. See HERE.