E3 is almost upon us, and we're all starting to get pretty excited here at Gaming Deals. As we've already done a boring 'sensible' preview of the event and what we can expect, we've decided to put our heads together and come up with some more exciting predictions. These predictions ended up ranging from the potentially likely to the flat out impossible.
Here we go, starting at the most likely and going to the most improbable.
Microsoft's lack of big exclusives has really come to back to haunt the Xbox One this generation, particularly as the PS4 has enjoyed hit after hit. While new IPs are arguably what Microsoft should be focusing on for the future, there'd be no better way to get some hype going than by announcing a new Halo or Gears of War. Our money is on both franchises getting new instalments.
It's been surprisingly quiet from Nintendo since the fanfare that accompanied the announcement of LABO. We've heard no word about future sets. However, it's a safe bet we'll get some eventually, given the two sets we've had so far are designated '001' and '002'. It's definitely possible we'll see some more at E3.
Nintendo have poured cold water on the idea of a dedicated Virtual Console-style service for the Switch, so it stands to reason that they'll begin to start to individually remaster certain games. From the Gamecube, Super Mario Sunshine remains arguably the most popular title that has yet to see a re-release, and Mario is a guaranteed money-maker. There are some potential controller issues, but with leaks suggesting that we'll soon see some Gamecube-style pads for the launch of the new Super Smash Bros, those may be resolved.
Nintendo have already released two pieces of DLC to the masterful Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Both were announced before the game, and there's been no word on any more, but it wouldn't be a shock if Nintendo returned to Hyrule to capitalise on the game's enormous popularity.
We're lumping these two together, as our prediction refers not just to a remaster of classic Zelda title Majora's Mask (we've already had that on 3DS): What if Nintendo were to repurpose the Breath of the Wild for a Majora's Mask remake? It would be a significant piece of work, and many Zelda fans would likely rather a completely no adventure, but Nintendo is never one to turn down the chance to capitalise on nostalgia.
We've been hearing for years that VR is the future. The jury's still out on whether that's the case - VR remains expensive and quite poorly supported generally. That said, could Microsoft finally take the leap and join Sony in launching a dedicated headset?
Despite positioning the One X has the most powerful console in the world, we're unlikely to see a VR headset for this generation of Xbox One. With exclusives for the system looking sparse, it's tough to see Microsoft focusing on more hardware rather than making the most of what they've already got, and giving Xbox owners some games to get excited about.
Nintendo have long been fans of revamping and reimagining their hardware. We can expect them to do this with the Switch soon (we've speculated what these new versions may look like here), but just over a year after the console launched is probably too soon.
However, a more likely scenario is the announcement of new colour options for the Switch. With Joy-Con controllers now available in a range of colours, it's surprising we haven't seen more options to buy the console with.
With the PS Vita headed to the big game shop in the sky, Sony are currently focusing their efforts on the perennially popular PS4 and PS VR. Despite the rumours flying around that they could be about to unveil the PS5, could they actually throw a curveball and announce another portable device?
Probably not. The Vita was a critical success but commercial failure, selling around 15 million units (the Nintendo 3DS, which launched the same year, has shifted more than 80 million), and Sony have pinpointed VR as the next non-console area of gaming they want to really tap into.
However, as Nintendo and the Switch have shown, there is a big market for handheld gaming with a console-level price point. Could Sony be tempted back into the market?
This is an interesting one, as we know it will inevitably happen at some point (unlike some of our other predictions). However, what makes this so unlikely is that Rockstar will be heavily pushing the upcoming Red Dead Redemption 2. To take everyone by surprise and announce GTA VI would risk overshadowing a game they've laboured over for years before it's even come out.
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