TAcTICS Video Game insights and analysis
THE DC UNIVERSE GOES TO WAR WARNER BROS. KICKS OFF THE SUMMER WITH ITS EPIC BRAWLER INJUSTICE 2
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It’s about more than just looking at what’s on the surface...
TACTICS EDITOR IN CHIEF Ryan Janes WRITER & ART EDITOR Katie Gibbs
CONTACT US tactics@fancensus.com +44 (0)1628 483 554 Fancensus 99 High Street Marlow Bucks SL7 1AB
The countdown is officially on; E3 is nearly upon us once more! Some call it the true Christmas for gamers, others an event that fails to live up to its own lofty expectations. Wherever you stand on this topic though it’s hard to argue the enormous amount of buzz that surrounds the event year on year and as you can imagine there are plenty of publishers and developers hungry to grab a slice. Before we pull into our final stop however there’s time to reflect. Reflect on the event that is E3 and the affect it might have on press and social media coverage. Every year brings something new to the mix, be it press conferences, live streams or tournaments and with 2017 being the first year the public can visit how will THIS affect things? While we can look to the past it’s often important to look forward too, which is why this month the entire TACTICS team give their forecast on what to expect at this year’s event from all the biggest publishers. There are still a few non-E3 related surprises left in store before we hit June however. By the time this issue goes to print Warner Bros. will have released Injustice 2, the first in what looks to be a number of strong comic book titles coming this year and next. With plenty to look forward to from a whole host of talented publishers are comic book adaptions on the rise once more? Superheroes are already dominating the silver screen, can they manage the same on our games devices? 2017 is already shaping up to be one of the best we’ve seen in gaming and with E3 just weeks away there’s no doubt more to come. Bring on E3! Ryan Janes
JUNE 2017 / #4
TACTICS
3
This Month In Tactics...
4
6
On the Horizon
7
Monthly Leaderboard
12
DC & Comic Book Adaptions
16
Review Rundown
PR Leaderboard Front Page Leaderboard YouTube Leaderboard Twitter Leaderboard Facebook Leaderboard
Our favourite heroes get serious.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Prey
18
It’s Nearly That Time of Year...
20
The Business of EXPOsure
22
TACTICS E3 Predictions
22
A look into the importance of gaming’s biggest expo event.
Early Access to the trends of E3.
The team give their predictions for E3 2017.
TACTICS
JUNE 2017 / #4
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12
18 JUNE 2017 / #4
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TACTICS
5
On The Horizon...
June ‘17
Dirt 4
09/06
Crash Bandicoot: Nsane Trilogy
Arms
16/06
30/06
Tekken 7
MotoGP 17
02/06
15/06
Other releases...
6
06/06
The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind
PC, PS4, XBO
30/06
Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle
PS4, VITA
07/06
WipEout Omega Collection
PS4
JUN
Harvest Moon: Skytree Village
3DS
09/06
Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku!
PS4
JUN
Farming Simulator 18
3DS, VITA
09/06
Dark Rose Valkyrie
PS4
16/06
God Wars Future Past
PS4, VITA
20/06
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood
PC, PS4
23/06
Danganronpa Another Ep: Ultra Desp. Girls PS4
23/06
Ever Oasis
3DS
23/06
Micro Machines: World Series
PC, PS4, XBO
23/06
RPG Maker Fes
3DS
30/06
Aerea
PC, PS4, XBO
30/06
Valkyria Revolution
PS4, XBO
TACTICS
JUNE 2017 / #4
Monthly Leaderboard PR Week 16 - Week 19
1
9 10 Tekken 7 900 Activities
Outlast 2 1,000 Activities
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 1,000 Activities
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2017) 1,200 Activities
Injustice 2 1,700 Activities 5
Recent releases Prey and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe have performed well this month as have soon to be releases Injustice 2 and Tekken 7. Continuous announcements for these 2 games have ensured they have featured highly in terms of PR as people prepare for their release; while continued support and updates for games like Overwatch and The Legend of Zelda have ensured that they too are keeping up with the newest releases - expect a lot more from Zelda as we learn
JUNE 2017 / #4
8
6
Overwatch 1,900 Activities
Nintendo Switch 2,500 Activities
3
7
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 2,000 Activities
2 Call of Duty WWII 3,000 Activities
Prey (2017) 3,300 Activities
4
more about its DLC in the coming weeks. The latest Call of Duty has flown up the chart thanks to it’s official announcement earlier this month, expect this one to feature frequently going forward, along with Battlefront 2, as we see more information and, we suspect, a strong E3 presence.
TACTICS
7
Monthly Leaderboard Website Front Page Presence
al
lo
f D uty W
400
W
II
400
C
Week 16 - Week 19
SPOTS
SPOTS
300
Pr
e y ( 2 0 1 7)
SPOTS
e
Ma
300
K a rt 8 D e l
ux
SPOTS
rio
200
200 Star W a r
Lit
W arh a m m
end
o Sw i
t
SPOTS
ch
nt
7 (2 0 1 )
r
es
100
Night m a
nt
W ar 3
r ksi d e rs 3
tle
tl e f r o
of
Da
40K; Da w er
n
tla s t 2 Ou
Bat
2
s:
Ni
SPOTS
SPOTS
in t
endo 2D
S
N
100 SPOTS
Unsurprisingly Call of Duty WWII has seen the most Front Page Spots this month, thanks to its official announcement. The latest releases Mario Kart and Prey finish off the top 3, with official play through videos and reviews gaining a lot of primary website placements.
and Darksiders 3 have ensured they have seen a lot website placement, while a recently announced new 2DS console from Nintendo has seen a lot of attention - but interestingly not from our social media sources suggesting that perhaps the audience demand isn’t quite there?
The rest of the chart falls fairly close together with nearly all products receiving between 100 and 200 spots. These products remain consistent with our other charts this month, featuring a mix of recent releases as well as recently announced/updated games. More information on Battlefront 2
Independent games Outlast 2 and Little Nightmares are seeing a lot of features from websites suggesting that independent games are finally being recognised alongside bigger titles by all media sources.
8
TACTICS
JUNE 2017 / #4
YouTube Week 16 - Week 19
Games popular with Key Influencers are dominating the YouTube chart this month, everything from early access titles like Hello Neighbor and Playersunknown’s to recent releases Outlast 2 and Mario Kart 8. Despite its trailer being revealed this month the new Call of Duty has only managed to reach 4th place, this just proves
JUNE 2017 / #4
9 10 Injustice 2 38 Million Views
Little Nightmares 47 Million Views
7
8
Bendy and the Ink Machine 43 Million Views
6
Ark: Survival Evolved 48 Million Views
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 67 Million Views
4 Call of Duty WWII 81 Million Views
Playerunknown’s Battlegrouds 98 Million Views
3 Hello Neighbor 100 Million Views
Outlast 2 264 Million Views
5
2
Prey (2017) 44 Million Views
*Excludes games released pre February 2017
1
how big YouTube Key Influencers are that a long standing AAA franchise like Call of Duty can’t compete with the number of Let’s Plays being published daily. The only other title not featuring any Let’s Plays this month is Injustice 2, it’s spot here due to the number of character trailers released prior to its launch in May.
TACTICS
9
Monthly Leaderboard Twitter Week 16 - Week 19 *Excludes games released pre February 2017
6
Our retweets this month show that users are most interested in sharing up to date information for games, whether it is the latest trailer for COD, information about the Zelda DLC or character info for Injustice 2. We can see that Twitter users are most interested in what’s coming next and less so in what is already out.
TACTICS
10
Persona 5 17,000 Retweets
NBA 2K18 26,000 Retweets
8
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe 24,000 Retweets
7 Nintendo Switch 28,000 Retweets
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 31,000 Retweets
5 Prey (2017) 31,000 Retweets
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2017) 34,000 Retweets
2
Injustice 2 43,000 Retweets
3
Outlast 2 63,000 Retweets
Call of Duty WWII 199,000 Retweets
1
10
9
4
COD, Battlefront 2 and NBA 2K18 are only at the start of their campaigns but are already seeing user interactivty, we can expect this to only increase as we draw closer to E3. Recent releases like Prey and Outlast 2 have seen some interactivity and interestingly so has Persona 5. Suggesting there is still a Twitter market if there is something new to be discussed.
JUNE 2017 / #4
Facebook Week 16 - Week 19 *Excludes games released pre February 2017
Call of Duty WWII has dominated Facebook this month with 4 times more shares than its closest competitor. It’s official reveal on the 26th April shows how Activision and Sledgehammer Games effectively used Facebook to promote their trailer and share it with as wide an audience as possible and it has certainly paid off.
Code Vein 14,000 Shares
Mini-Snes 18,000 Shares
Nintendo Switch 19,000 Shares
5
9
The Surge 6,500 Shares
7
4 Assassin’s Creed Origins (Empire) 21,000 Sahres
Friday the 13th Game 87,000 Shares
Call of Duty WWII 390,000 Shares
2
10
Perception 8,700 Shares
3
Prey (2017) 13,000 Sahres
1
Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2017) 9,000 Shares
8
6
lot of interactivity on Facebook from the next (not confirmed) Assassin’s Creed and Mini-Snes console to the latest project from Bandai Namco games. Recent release Prey and soon to be released The Surge and Perception have proved popular this month with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe notably absent from our top 10.
Other recently revealed and rumoured games are seeing a
JUNE 2017 / #4
TACTICS
11
OUR FAVOURITE HEROES GET SERIOUS
WE NEED A HERO You needn’t go too far to get your superhero fix these days whether it’s adverts on television for the latest cartoon adaption; trailers for Marvel’s continually expanding universe of movies, or simply the comic books themselves. The superhero market is a huge one, yet one medium that arguably hasn’t seen the same level of domination is that of video games. It’s an odd thought, especially considering the fact that video games offer gamers a level of escapism that’s so perfectly suited to the magical and surreal world of comic books. But there was once a time where superheroes did rule the gaming scene, whether we look back to the 80s, 90s or even the early 00s. Sure the quality of some (if not most) of these products could be called into question, but it’s hard to deny the strong presence our favourite heroes once had in the industry. While the output is still there nowadays, it certainly feels at a much lower rate than we’ve seen before.
PR Activity Breakdown for Comic Book Games Released Since 2008...
24%
76%
That’s not a bad thing though, in fact it seems when we do see a new superhero product on shelves the critical reception is very high. Just take a look at Rocksteady’s Arkham trilogy, Telltale’s episodic Batman adventure, both the DC and Marvel LEGO titles and of course Injustice: Gods Among Us. The overall quality of such titles reach as high as some of the biggest AAA releases and more importantly each new release is treated as such. No longer is a superhero related announcement met with the nervous groans of uncertainty; gamers, critics and YouTubers alike are all just as excited and enthusiastic. It’s interesting to note that while Marvel may be killing it when it comes to the cinematic side of things, from a video game perspective its titles seem to be generating less buzz than DC’s ventures. In fact of all PR activity received from any comic book related product since 2008, three quarters of those are DC related. It’s a similar story too when it comes to YouTube and other social sources, the data again leaning toward the house that the famous Dark Knight and Man of Steel built. Perhaps this is down to strength of products - DC in that time releasing the acclaimed Arkham series and Injustice while Marvel a line-up featuring a good number of family focused affairs. Both company’s futures appear brighter than ever though with games like Injustice 2, Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite, Spider-Man and Square Enix’s Avengers title on the way. Not to mention Warner Bros. Montreal’s rumoured Batman project and Marvel’s promise of more games from big studios on the way. It’s clear we’ll still have a lot more to see from our favourite heroes. 14
TACTICS
JUNE 2017 / #4
MEANWHILE WITH INJUSTICE 2... 4 years after Injustice: Gods Among Us –the bestselling game of June 2013 – comes its successor Injustice 2. Officially announced in June 2016 it has generated over 8,000 PR activities, over 140 million YouTube views and over 300K shares; but with 2 other fighting games on the horizon this summer (Tekken 7 and Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite) will it come out on top? What is it that draws people to this game; is it down to its genre or is it the use of DC characters or the combination of the two? Fighting games have always been successful, both the Tekken and Mortal Kombat series have been around for 20 plus years, so it stands to reason that Injustice could match their longevity and success particularly as the properties have existed since the 1930s. Injustice 2 is leading in terms of social media engagement with more views and likes than Tekken 7 and Marvel VS Capcom: Infinite combined. But Tekken is dominating PR coverage thanks to a campaign double the length of Injustice’s. But compared to other games utilising Superhero properties we can see that Marvel is making a comeback. Compared to Insomniac’s Spider-Man game and Square Enix’s recently announced Avengers Project we can see that while Injustice 2 is highest overall both the Avengers game and Spider-man are seeing higher individual shares, likes and views for individual posts. Take each game’s announcement trailer for example, Injustice 2 has 8.1 million views with the Avengers Project and Spider-Man on 8.3 and 12.6 million respectively. So will this game be a success? We all know that DC has been less successful in recent years, perhaps releasing Injustice 2 now will generate enough interest and hype for the DC brand that its summer movies will see greater success. The drip-feeding of character reveals have certainly helped to build momentum and keep the game in the spotlight. As Marvel begins to storm the gaming world DC needs to prove that they can still make great games too, and that they can keep up with their rival. Will Injustice 2 mark a resurgence that enables them to defeat their arch nemsis once and for all both in game and on the big screen?
Review Rundown Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Publisher Nintendo
Developer Nintendo
Genre Racer
Formats Switch
96% 93%
91%
93%
92%
91%
83%
Persona 5
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
The Sexy Brutale
92% 91%
Worldwide average review score and by territory
Top three reviewed April releases
67%
73%
72%
71%
72%
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017 Yearly April average review scores
What the press love...
What the press hate...
Best in the series gets even better. Newly added battle modes. Best looking Mario Kart. Technically (almost) perfect.
Online still needs improving. Joy-Cons uncomfortable to use. Frame rate halved when playing 3/4 player.
3 years after its initial release Mario Kart 8 has been remastered and repackaged exclusively for Nintendo Switch. But is it worth the repurchase? Reviewers were unanimous in their opinion that this is the definitive Mario Kart racer. The Wii U game was already the highlight of the series, and now with the addition of a long awaited proper Battle Mode and all DLCs included the game has peaked. All reviewers agreed that whether you already own this game or not it is a must for the Switch. The ability to take this game anywhere is one of the biggest selling points of a repurchase, along with the stunning visuals and great multiplayer (on and offline).
16
TACTICS
Not without its issues, Mario Kart 8 has had a few technical problems, mostly down to the online side – which you could argue are issues with the Switch itself. The online multiplayer still needs a lot of work, the frame rate was seen to drop if more than 3 players were in a game and there is still no option to communicate through the game/device but these are elements that may be improved over time so reviewers were altogether willing to overlook them in their scoring.
Overall reviewers had little, if anything, bad to say about this game; all agreeing that it is one of the best looking Nintendo games out at the moment designed perfectly for one of its best consoles.
JUNE 2017 / #4
Prey Publisher Bethesda
Developer Arkane Studios
Genre Action-Adventure
Formats PS4, XB1, PC
89% 89%
81%
85%
83%
81%
81%
Planet Coaster
Prey (2017)
Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance
84% 84%
Worldwide average review score and by territory
Top three reviewed May releases
65%
72%
69%
70%
75%
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017 Yearly May average review scores
What the press love...
What the press hate...
Strong narrative hooks. Phenomenal soundtrack and design. Cohesive gaming experience. Plenty of replayability.
Absence of cinematice scenes. Location design short on character. Technically rough performance. Enemy is too difficult.
Not quite the sequel everyone was hoping, but rather a reboot, the new Prey is finally out and with it so are the reviews. Prey has been receiving PR for over 50 weeks and has garnered over 10,000 activities and here we comb through each of those to bring you our review roundup. Generally Prey has been well received; it has been praised most for its sound design which heightens the experience delivered through the narrative. Reviewers commented on this strong narrative and the game’s ability to be suspenseful, scary and engaging. There is plenty of replayability, and a lot of freedom in terms of play style ensuring each player will have a different experience. The negativity towards Prey rests heavily on the technical side, many reviewers commented on the above average loading times, particularly between deaths; the lack of quality in the game’s textures and the general bugs they each encountered. But reviewers remain hopefully these issues will be fixed through future updates. The complaint that may not be fixed with an update is the difficulty level of the enemies but perhaps through practice things will become easier. All in all Prey has delivered a Sci-Fi game that aims to keep players entertained through multiple play-throughs, the game is designed to allow you to explore as much or as little as you want to, and while there may be some technical teething issues it seems as though the story has people hooked enough to overlook these.
JUNE 2017 / #4
TACTICS
17
It’s nearly that time of year again...
It’s tough to believe that we’re only a month away from one of the biggest weeks of the year in gaming. E3 has often been described as Christmas for gamers; it’s where we see what’s just around the corner, fresh new projects and surprises galore. It’s the highlight of any gamer’s calendar and as you can imagine the industry itself too. In fact the number of worldwide PR activities for E3 week 2016 saw an increase of over 61% on the week before giving an idea of just how influencial the event actually is on coverage. Sure this increased number is to be expected but its also worth noting that last year’s E3 event was also 21% higher than the previous year in terms of PR count. These increases don’t just stop with traditional PR, social is on the rise too; YouTube views were up 81% from E3 2015 to 2016, Twitter retweets went up 270% and Facebook shares were up by a massive 700%.
Where It All Happens Last Year’s Results The standout winner from last year’s E3 was Nintendo’s long awaited The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. By focusing their event on one single game (with other 3DS titles taking a backseat) Nintendo ensured it dominated E3 coverage, the title gained 53% more PR activities than its closest competitor and the highest media YouTube views too. Of course the risk with putting all your eggs in one basket is that as a company you can only reach so high when competing with rivals sporting multiple big releases. Microsoft dominated here and saw the highest share of PR coverage thanks to big releases like Forza Horizon 3 and Gears of War 4, as well as the debut of both the Xbox One S and Scorpio systems. If anything this proves there is an argument for both approaches with each delivering strong results. On the YouTube front EA surprisingly took the lead in views despite abandoning E3 in favour of its self branded EA Play event. Thanks to a line-up heavily focused on online play, whether you were a media channel debuting a trailer or key influencer showing off a celebrity deathmatch there was enough variety to appeal to all audience types. Nintendo appeared to make best use of their Twitter marketing with both Zelda and Pokemon’s interaction rate pushing the publisher to the top. On Facebook however it was SIE who came out triumphant thanks to a combination of big IPs like God of War and its new VR device. It will certainly be interesting to see how things unfold at this year’s event. With huge changes coming there’s no doubt in my mind this will affect the data in equally huge ways.
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TACTICS
E3 2016
PR Perfo r
mances
Strongest Publishers 1. Microsoft 2. SIE 3. EA 4. Ubisoft 5.Bethesda
Strongest Products 1. Breath o f the Wild 2. Battlefi eld 1 3. Titanfal l2 4. Residen t Evil 7 5. God of W ar
JUNE 2017 / #4
An Evolving Beast E3 is no stranger to change be it on the trade show’s part or by the publishers themselves. In recent years we’ve seen newcomers enter the press conference game; both Bethesda and Square Enix began hosting their own in 2015. On the flip side long time conference holder Nintendo shifted focus to a more social heavy means of presenting their products in their Nintendo Direct and Treehouse streams. We’ve seen big established names move away from hosting their own booths; Disney, SEGA and Activision to name a few. Last year EA even pulled away from the event altogether instead opting for a self branded event a few days before (something they look to continue in 2017). There was even a point where E3 downsized and restructured itself moving to Santa Monica for two years. In short E3 is continually evolving and 2017 will bring perhaps the biggest change yet - E3 is going public. Similar to its European sister event this looks to be a smart move in again evolving E3 into something that fits better with the times. The public matter more now than ever especially with social media continuing to play a much larger role.
Microsoft Conf. 2
013
Attention Seekers So what is the key to “winning” E3? What does it take to reach number one? Can it even be attributed down to a single thing? Clearly the top publishers know how to succeed when it comes to E3, whether good or bad they consistantly generate activity from both press and social. In fact looking at the top 10 publishers from 2012-2016 we see that the same eight are featuring consistently, most hosting their own conference event. So could it be that press conferences influence E3 performance? The definition of the word ‘conference’ here is a tricky one, especially now as companies like EA and Nintendo have changed the rules by opting for pre-recorded streams or separate fan events entirely. But the important thing is they still work. EA’s performance didn’t dip between their efforts of 2015 and 2016 and if anything Nintendo’s emphasis on Treehouse demos keep the company in the spotlight more now than ever. Then again Bethesda is a strong example of how a conference can turn a publisher’s presence around in a single year - 2015 being their first stab which managed to increase their overall PR rank to 2nd (from 14th reached in 2014). It even saw Fallout 4 become the most retweeted product of E3 for that year reaching numbers in the hundred of thousands. Piggybacking off another publisher’s press event can certainly see positive results too - last year CAPCOM’s Resident Evil 7 made its debut during SIE’s talk with the title then seeing the 4th highest PR coverage overall. Would it have performed this strongly without this spot? Likely not. After all the conference supplied a larger audience for a game that may have fallen to the wayside without it. And this is only scratching the surface. Data can show us how any decision may have affected a company’s performance. The story doesn’t just end with an announcement but is merely the beginning.
JUNE 2017 / #4
Nintendo Booth 2016 TACTICS
19
The Business of XPOsure
Over
Conference
19% of ALL
total
2/3
Conference of
and
occurred after conference closure
tweets were EA related
SIE games saw the lowest video and tweet count overall against other conferences
MEDIA
But EA had the quietest first hour for YouTube videos over all conferences
MEDIA
A Day in the life of an ‘E3’ conference 26%
38% 10 Hours Before
40%
35%
Conference
24%
13 Hours After
35%
Who would be the winner if all conferences took place at the same time? Tactics aligns each conference to a 24 hour period and investigates‌.
Conference
Conference
Over
1/2
Ubisoft dominated FIRST HOUR of any conference
of
and
total
With 50% more YouTube videos than EA and Wildlands as most tweeted product
posted before conference even opened
MEDIA
MEDIA
Twitter domination in hours Ubisoft Bethesda
SIE
3
3HRS
HRS
Microsoft
7HRS
6HRS 5HRS
Activision
Highest YouTube Video Count
EA
Capcom Highest Tweet Count
O th er Top Per for m e r s
without own conference
TACTICS E3 PREDICTIONS Many will tell you one of the more exciting aspects of any E3 event is the anticipation and speculation. What games will be playable? What surprises will catch us off guard? While predicting exactly how a publisher’s conference will go down is a close to impossible task, things like rumours, leaks and a general analysis of a company’s direction can help us pin down a good number of announcements. Here’s what the crew at TACTICS predict we’ll see coming from LA this June...
A
Mark says...
Andrew says...
I think Bethesda will kick off th eir show with Quake Ch ampions, show ing new gameplay foot age, discussing details and announcing a re lease date. To follow this perhaps we’ll see plans for V R, showing of Doom and Fallout 4. In te rms of the Elde r Scrolls brand, while it’ s probably too early to expect the sixth entry making an appearance, I believe they will show their future plans and cont inued support fo r Elder Scrolls Online at least. To close the sh ow I think Bethesda will sh ow off the teas ed product from the previo us year ’s event, New Colosssus. Rumou rs have hinted at this being the next in stalment in the Wolfenstein series and with Bethesda’s rele ase line-up looking a little slim an announ cement like this feels much needed.
Let’s be honest, the Xbox One ha s been a little quiet rece ntly in terms of big exclusives and on e would be safe to assume attention will no w shift over to what the company sees as its future. Projec t Scorpio will obviou sly be the focal point of the event; everyt hing from specs, release date and how ga mes will play on this new device being sh owcased. I predict Sea of Thieves will finally get a rele ase date. Expect Crackdown and State of Decay 2 to al so make a return appearan ce on the Scorpi o. I believe Halo w ill appear in som e shape or form along w ith the next Forz a entry. I expect at least on e new IP will be shown during all this to promote the Sc orpio and also a stron g focus on vario us indie games.
Microsoft TACTICS
A
22
A
Nintendo Katie says...
ectations to Nintendo have a lot of exp ecially with esp nt eve r’s yea meet at this months few a the Nintendo Switch just sole has con the ve pro to old. They need ctly are we exa t wha So re. futu ng a stro hoping to see? the Mario Odyssey seems like re we’ se, wca sho to most obvious game hoping for it expecting another trailer but it’s pretty said e hav to be playable – they related itch Sw re Mo t? righ d much finishe ng ecti exp re content is guaranteed; we’ oXen and rim Sky ils, deta Zelda DLC about the ates upd and , lers trai 2 e blad on the Virtual Switch itself including info ice. We’re serv n ptio scri sub and sole Con a Pokemon t, por s Bro hoping for a Smash rds of all: dca wil t ges big and eal rev Stars es. gam d troi Me new Wave Race and
Nintendo
Bethesda Emma says...
A
Microsoft
Expect the usual suspects to pop up here; FIFA, Madden and NBA. That’s a certainty. It’s what else EA will have up its sleeve that should be far more interesting. It might be a little too early for a fifth Sims title but Star Wars: Battlefront 2 will obviously be front and centre what with the sheer power that brand has at the moment. Hopefully we’ll also see Visceral Games’ Star Wars attempt in some form too. Chances are a new Need for Speed will make its first appearance. What direction the series will go should be interesting. The real question though. Will we finally see Skate 4? EA’s social media accounts are flooded with demands every day and an announcement would buy EA a good chunk of good will with its fans.
EA
A
EA
A
Bethesda
A
A
JUNE 2017 / #4
6
t party titles What do I expect to see? Firs return; a ing mak E3 r’s from last yea God of War Spider-Man, Days Gone and lly with being prime suspects hopefu s. date ase rele Uncharted: The Lost Legacy sent considering it’s due to pre be uld sho Gran Turisrelease in August. Assuming year this this for k trac on still is rt mo Spo ler. trai new a will also likely get Strong third party marketing more of deals means we’ll likely see tion 2 and emp Red d Dea Red Destiny 2, C too. DL ed Battlefront 2. Expect tim ker Suc io stud ed own y Son k in 2014. bac was rt effo last ch’s Pun hing from the Since then we’ve heard not ll see their next we’ bet safe a it’s so io stud project at E3.
Square Enix Franco says... In the past year we have seen the release of a number of great games from Square Enix, including, but not limited to, Deus Ex, Nier Automata, Final Fantasy XV and Hitman. Looking forward to E3 later this year I am excited to hear more about future Final Fantasy XV DLC as well as Hitman Season 2. In addition, I predict that we will also hear news on rumoured title Shadow of the Tomb Raider, long in development Kingdom Hearts 3 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Perhaps Square’s more interest ing projects though are its Marvel related ones and while the publisher has previously stated it will not be discussing these upcoming titles this year, E3 would be the ideal time to at least tease a trailer.
Square Enix
Dan says...
2
SIE
j
6
SIE
2
Wildcards Ryan says...
Arron says...
Ubisoft have lit tle confirmed fo r this year and next so thei r presentation sh ould be one of the more interesting. The previously rumoured Assassins Creed Empire (if it do es exist) should make its official debut. Th e long delayed South Pa rk sequel will al so hopefully return with a firm date. I feel as though we are due a fifth numbered entry in the Far Cry series as well as a new Splinter Cell. Ubisoft have al ways been known to end th eir conference on an unpredictable no te so this may be perhaps where we see a new Prince of Pe rsia title debut. It has be en a long time sin ce we’ve seen the series bu t is the popularit y and demand there an y more?
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Ubisoft JUNE 2017 / #4
Wildcards
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Outside the companies presenting we have SEGA who’ve confirmed we’ll see more of both Sonic Mania and Forces. Activision are holding two huge cards; Destiny 2 and Call of Duty WWII which will likely pop up at SIE or Microsoft’s presentation in some form (along with timed-exclusive DLC) 2K will bring yearly staples NBA and WWE to the party while Rockstar’s Red Dead sequel will likely be limited to a short trailer during SIE’s press conference. CAPCOM may show off their upcoming Resident Evil 7 DLC with their latest Marvel fighter also making the rounds. Warner Bros. will have just launched Injustice 2 so all attention will likely shift over to Shadow of War by this point.
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JUNE 2017 / #4