With this year’s Electronic Entertainment Expo fast approaching, the time has come for us to make a few predictions about what we expect to see and what we hope will be announced in Los Angeles during the most important time of the year for the video game industry.
Here are some of our predictions for what will be shown during the PC Gaming Show.
Tony Polanco – Executive Editor
PC gaming has grown larger with every year that passes so it was inevitable that it would get its own event during E3. PC gaming is both a part of gaming and separate from it, so this conference will be unique in that it will be focused on third party games (since PC has no first party ones, obviously) and on technology which can only be utilized on PC.
What I will be curious to see is if the conference will be about preaching to the choir (the Master Race) or if it will attempt to convince console gamers that PC gaming is a viable gaming option for them. The event can accomplish this last part by having a section dedicated to the Steam Machine. Valve’s “console” was always meant to be a backdoor entry for PC gaming, so it would be wise to talk up Steam Machines. The show can also display some inexpensive gaming PCs as well for those who want to dive a bit deeper into the PC gaming pool.
Since this will be a tech-heavy presentation, I expect to see VR on display. The Oculus Rift just got its final design and Valve is working on their own VR helmet. The PC gaming conference would be a great way to display the benefits of VR gaming to those (like me) who are still skeptical about it. Also, if VR is going to take off, it will be with PC gamers since they have a natural proclivity towards newer technology. I’ll be surprised if VR isn’t a prominent component of this show.
Lastly, there are the games. Like I said, we’ll see a lot of titles from third party developers on display. Mostly, this will be showing people what the PC versions of upcoming console games look like. We can expect to see a lot of tech-talk here for sure about the various special effects which can be turned on for certain ports of games. Engines like Unreal Engine 4 will get some stage time for sure. We may also get some announcements of previously console-only games which are coming to PC. With Square-Enix being at this event, I expect to hear something about a PC version of Final Fantasy XV.
Brian Munjoma – Content Writer
Expectations
After almost a year of rumors, AMD will finally showcase their 3xx series of graphics cards. Since Square Enix is also attending, I am assuming they will showcase their iteration of TressFX and a Luminous Engine demo. With the announcement of Phil Spencer bringing Microsoft to the table, you better believe there will be a lot of talk of Windows 10. This leads me to expect there to be plenty of cross platform games between PC and XBO, maybe even news of some XBO exclusives heading to PC?
Surprises
There are too many studios attending for there not be a surprise or two. The only surprises I can imagine are Final Fantasy XV, the Halo Master Chief Collection and Sunset Overdrive coming to PC.
Charles Singletary Jr. – Contributing Editor
Expectations:
PC gaming has deserved a full-on E3 stage show for a long time and this will be a big opportunity for it. They’ll present genres that consoles can’t come close to truly competing in (MOBA, RTS, MMORPGS), display strong, inexpensive entry level PCs to entice an unfamiliar audience, and probably waste too much time speaking on the power of PC gaming.
Honestly, the PC conference is a wild card and I hope it stuns everyone in attendance. My soul is ready.
Surprises:
Half Life 3 is announced with early 2016 release date.
Jakejames Lugo – Associate Editor
The first PC Gaming conference in E3 history is going to be a very special event at this year’s show. And while most of the games shown will also be available on consoles, there will still be great presentations of games that are synonymous with the PC community. We can definitely expect games like DOOM 4 to get stage time and live up to the legacy the series has with the PC gaming community. Other titles like Fallout 4 and Rainbow Six: Siege may also show new gameplay and trailers that will wow the audience at the conference.
Companies that have their own conferences during E3 2015 will also be present at the PC conference as well. Square Enix will be showing Deus Ex: Mankind Divided during the event outside of their conference earlier in the day. The game is being outsourced to another developer that is working specifically on the PC version. It has been four years since the previous game’s release so it will be interesting to see what new directions the series will go in. Hopefully, we can finally see actual gameplay at the conference and learn more about the narrative since the events of Human Revolution.
One PC exclusive game that has been teased by Epic Games for years at many events is Fortnight. There have been many different playable demos of the game since it was first teased back in December 2011, with no big new details since. The game is finally going to be at the PC press conference in some capacity. The core gameplay of Fortnight involves gathering resources to build up your base and defend it against waves of monsters. Many elements are reminiscent of Epic’s Horde Mode from the Gears of War series, which may or may not be a good thing. Epic needs to finally show Fortnight in a semi-completed form at the conference and finally give a release window for gamers to look forward to.
Dana Abercrombie – Content Writer
Expect to See:
Steam, Steam and more Steam. Alienware’s Steam Machine is already gearing up to rob your wallet with prices ranging from “I can’t afford it” to “I need to rob a bank.” I do expect a lot of questions to be answered, as well as the Steam controller being shown off along with some lovely demos.
VR technology is going to be on full display and it will be a beauty. I had the privilege of demoing ADR1FT and it was quiet memorable. The graphics are mind blowing and those who can stomach the 3D realness (I lasted 30 seconds before ending up on the floor), will be in for a treat when its greatness is revealed. However, I don’t expect a concrete price of the Oculus Rift nor a solid release date to be announced.
We already know Windows 10 compatibility is coming to Xbox One. Hopefully we’ll get more information about this and all of its features.
Surprised to See:
I would be surprised to see if they pull off a show that’s not boring. Sorry PC gamers… but yawn.
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These are some of our thoughts, but what do you guys think will be shown during the PC Gaming Show? Make sure to let us know in the comments below.
