What to expect from E3 2015

Calling the annual E3 conference a trade show is like calling "Top Chef" a bake sale. The most important video game event of the year is a convention in name alone, because in terms of sheer entertainment value, it’s pretty much unrivaled.

The 2015 version of E3 — short for the Electronic Entertainment Expo — descends upon downtown Los Angeles next week, bringing with it a good 50,000 journalists, analysts, game makers, and retailers. For the first time in years, the industry event will invite 5,000 lucky fans to attend the three-day conference, a golden ticket to a Los Angeles Convention Center crammed to the gills with the latest and greatest in interactive entertainment. From blockbuster console games to low-key PC indies to barfy VR experiments, E3’s got it all.

So what should gamers expect from this year’s show?

Big news from the Big Three.

That would be Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, who have annually treated the show as a console war battleground. The cheap shots have softened a bit over the years, but in general, this is where you’ll hear some of the biggest announcements from the console manufacturers.

Microsoft already unveiled their updated 1 TB Xbox One console, so the Redmond giant will focus on showing off blockbuster software like Halo 5, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Forza 6, and a new game in the Gears of War franchise. I wouldn’t doubt Hololens making an appearance, either. Microsoft doesn’t want to let a big press event go by without getting their fascinating AR/VR gadget some coverage.

Sony, meanwhile, has gone on record calling 2015 “a little sparse” for big exclusive PS4 games. We’ll undoubtedly see plenty of Uncharted 4, due for a 2016 release. Also expect a big showing from ambitious interstellar adventure game No Man’s Sky, currently the biggest exclusive PS4 game slated for 2015. The company’s Project Morpheus headset will be out and about in a big way, and there's a decent chance the company will try to even the playing field with Microsoft by announcing a 1 TB PS4. My Hail Mary wish? A showing by long lost action/adventure game The Last Guardian, though I’ve said that every year since 2009. A man can dream.

While Sony and Microsoft swat at each other, Nintendo does its own thing these days at E3. The company has opted out of the big press conference war and instead will broadcast an informative video on Tuesday morning. They know their fans and prefer to speak to them directly.

So what will they say? They’ll say a lot about Mario Maker and Star Fox for the Wii U, a portable Animal Crossing game, the adorable Yoshi’s Wolly World, and likely some frustrating but awesome news about new Amiibo figures. Because they always do that. What they won’t do is just as notable, however. We apparently won’t see The Legend of Zelda at this show. But we can always hope for the appearance of another big franchise. Metroid, maybe?

Big games from everyone else.

E3’s not just about console wars. It’s about games, and this year’s crop looks stellar. Expect showings of post-apocalyptic internet breaker Fallout 4, high-profile shooters Star Wars Battlefront and Call of Duty: Black Ops III, dueling music games (again) Rock Band 4 and Guitar Hero Live, Ubisoft's heavy-hitting trio of Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate, Tom Clancy's The Division, and Rainbow Six: Siege, over-the-top action game Just Cause 3, as well as hundreds more.

Small games, too.

You go to the Louvre to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa, but it turns out, there’s a lot of other art there. Really good art. Great art, even. And E3’s sort of the same thing.

While Halo and Uncharted will steal the big headlines, a billion independent developers will be on hand showing off games with smaller budgets but just as much heart. I’m excited to check out games like  Wattam, The Flame in the Flood, Night in the Woods, Abzu, Salt and Sanctuary, and more.

Virtual insanity.

On the fence about virtual reality? Get ready to choose a side, because it’s coming fast. VR gaming is expected to explode at E3 this year.

The Morpheus will be at the Sony booth, for sure, though it’s time for Sony to show off more than just a handful of tech demos. We need to see what legit, fully-formed PS4 video games feel like in VR, and E3 is the place to show us.

After that impressive showing back in January, Microsoft’s Hololens has gamers curious. That Minecraft demo looked amazing — Creepers on my coffee table! — and you just know they’re working on other cool gaming-related stuff for the device. E3 would be the perfect place to show it, though they’ll likely keep it low-key so as not to take away from Halo. Unless they incorporate Halo into a demo? Hrm. Halolens?

Oculus, meanwhile, will be everywhere. The company has announced plans to show off its newly revealed, final retail version of the Rift headset, along with its quirky Oculus Touch controllers and a ton of games. They’re the leading VR company for a reason — the tech just feels more advanced and sturdier than what most competitors are up to — but with competition on all sides, Oculus needs to plant its flag at this show as the VR tech to beat.

At least they'll have one less VR tech to contend with. Valve’s Vive VR, which I’ve yet to try but sounds amazing, isn’t going to be there.

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