Another year, another E3, but if the gaming grape vine is anything to go by, 2009 is going to be a bumper year. The rumor mill is working over time, with just a few days to go until the show kicks off. I've decided to fan the flames further. There are some predictions that are making waves too big to ignore, so I'm taking a cursory look at just what the latest E3 could bring.
Snakes on a Plane!
It wouldn't be E3 without a bit of Hideo Kojima fanaticism. Remember fans weeping at the MGS2 trailer? Well, cue more Kojima-based nonsense as everyone indulges themselves in a bucket full of speculation as to his next project. MGS5 and Lord of Shadows have both been bandied around, but dark and wild stab in the, spring to mind with those two.
Despite declaring his departure from the Metal Gear series, fans are still determined that his next project will be"er"Metal Gear. And wouldn't it be too annoying for words if it was?
It all started in earnest when Konami's website featured a teaser trailer thingy that gave us a flash of a series of letters and numbers with an image of a character that everyone has assumed to be Big Boss from MGS. Add to this, Kojima's cryptic interview with Famitsu magazine, where he says less than nothing, but still left fans foaming at the mouth.
Let's hope he's up to more than just MGS5 because I want to see what else this guy can do.
Slimmer's World
The internet has been awash with images of a new slim line PS3. If it is for real, expect Sony to do the big unveiling at E3. The images were supposedly leaked from a factory in China, but apart from dodgy quality the logo is all wrong, so this looks like it could be a load of old horse doo-doo.
Just as we were all taking that rumor with a pinch of salt, Sony issued a "cease and desist" letter – allegedly. The theory was that Sony wouldn't bother quashing images that blatantly weren't true. However, I'm still not convinced. The middle of a recession seems a mighty odd time to spend more cash on a system revamp. Unless it's going to come with a credit crunch busting price tag, Sony would be barking up the wrong tree with that one.
Ready Steady Go!
The hotly rumored revamp of the PSP is set to be unveiled at this year's E3. This one's as certain as these things ever get. Gone is the UMD disc drive and in comes the new name – PSP Go!
The new system will boast a 16GB built-in flash memory and users may be in for a treat with hints at classic content available for download, as well as a line-up of new PSP titles.
Playing with the Grown-ups
News of The Grudge, game of the Japanese horror movie, coming to Wii has sparked claims of Nintendo dragging hardcore gamers back to its console with more mature content. Rumor has it that Nintendo is planning to offer up more than lame rhythm and music games.
However, all will be forgiven if Nintendo just says two simple words – Mario and Zelda.
E3 may be a shadow of its former self, but that certainly doesn't stop us making up stuff to pass the time until the boredom that is the reality of publisher press conferences bites us on the arse. Let's face it, they're going to offer a bunch of sales figures, hyperbole and some empty promises.
Hopefully, amongst all the PR hype we'll get first looks at Assassin's Creed 2, Bioshock 2, Heavy Rain and Mass Effect 2. Let's just hope Heavy Rain isn't the only original title out there and we get a little bit of something we weren't expecting.
Most played: Bioshock
Most wanted: Assassin's Creed 2