ell, I'm a little bit bummed — it looks as though financial concerns are going to prevent me from attending this year's E3 (stupid adulthood with all its responsibilities). Regardless, Game and Player will be represented at this years exposition. While I'm sure that each and every one of us on the staff has their own wish list of things they'd like to see, here are a few of the morsels that top mine.
The New PSP: Sony's first foray into the portable games market has been deemed a flop by many, but the manufacturer apparently isn't ready to give up. On Tuesday, a number of media outlets broke a story describing a rumored redesign for the beleaguered platform. Nixing the proprietary UMD format in favor of a robust online marketplace, the new PSP should sport plenty of new features that define it as a truly "mobile" platform. Will these changes be enough to turn Sony's portable business around? I'm guessing the whole strategy (as well as some exciting new titles) will be talked about at the company's press event.
Star Trek MMO: I've always been a bit of a "closet Trekker." For as much as I love the series, I've never shown up at a premiere wearing a Starfleet uniform and I've only been to one convention (which, I begrudgingly admit, was an absolute blast). For this reason, Cryptic's Star Trek online game has me chomping at the bit — I'll be able to live out all my geekiest sci-fi fantasies from the comfort (and privacy) of my own home. I'd love it if Cryptic announced any new details about the game's mechanics (or even a release date) at E3. For now, I'll just continue imagining the science vessel I plan on staffing — if after the game's release you run across the U.S.S. Beaufort in the Neutral Expanse, it's probably me you're dealing with.
Anything Nintendo: The "big N" is certainly due to unveil something new. Since anything on the hardware front seems unlikely (what with the DSi just being released and Wii Motion Plus just a short ways down the pipeline), one can only hope for an exciting software unveiling. Need I remind folks — we're just about due for a new Zelda adventure for the Wii. A new Mario (or even Luigi) game would be certain to attract a lot of attention as well. Perhaps something entirely unexpected will sweep us off our feet: this is, after all, the house which Miyamoto built.
Halo 3: ODST: Bungie may be free of direct oversight from Microsoft these days, but its pretty hard to see any difference. Like in years past, the developer is toiling away on yet another exclusive for the Xbox. Halo 3: ODST is something that's both unique and exciting for the franchise — a new story arc and what could be best described as an exploration of episodic content. Sure, the title's only slated to be released on disc at the moment, but the prospect of further expansion of the Halo universe (especially following Halo Wars) excites me to no end.
Everything Else: As an industry, video gaming is showing no signs of slowing down. Whether it's development for new platforms like the iPhone or entirely new methods of content distribution like OnLive, there's some really cool stuff on the horizon. There's going to be plenty of products for attendees to check out, and I have a sneaking suspicion that like in years past, the truly unexpected will be what we talk about most. Only the exhibitors know what awaits us.
