E3 Expectations

E3 is nearly upon us. For those who don't know what E3 is: it's the biggest expo in gaming where all the top developers and publishers come together to reveal their new material (games and hardware) to the media and those select fans lucky enough to be in attendance. The biggest publishers, EA, Activision, and Ubisoft, alongside the biggest developers such as Bungie, Naughty Dog, and Konami. The event lasts three days while company-specific press conferences are held a few days before. The press conferences kick off early next week and the doors to the showrooms open a few days later. But what do we have to look forward to? What's the hype this year? Run through my countdown and you'll find out what I think will be big this year...

Number 10:

PSP 2

Not much is known about the specifications of the new hardware but expect Sony to unveil their new flagship for Sony handheld gaming. With the PSP Go flopping and the latest PSP edition aging, Sony needs to come out strong with a new design, a new GPU and some intriguing games in order to contend with the new iPhone and Nintendo's next portable gaming device (below).

Number 9:

Nintendo 3DS

Another portable system with little public knowledge. What's known is that the device will

use 3D technology to make itself stand out from the competition. The device is also rumored to

have high quality graphics close to what the Xbox 360 and PS3 are capable of rendering. This

will be Nintendo's primary response to the growing backing behind the iPhone and it's increasing

importance as a gaming device. Look for this device to be a headliner for Nintendo.

Number 8:

PlayStation Move

Another piece of hardware makes the list and it's from Sony once again. This is Sony's answer to the success of the Nintendo Wii. Move is a new device that reads motions rather than button combinations for control over a game. Think of this device as a more modern version of the Nintendo Wii and you'll have a good idea of what to expect. Cutting edge graphics and motion control technology makes this an exciting device for any PS3 owner. Since Move already had its real coming out party a few months ago, expect Sony to show off what the new controllers can really do outside of gaming as well as new games that will support motion control.

Number 7:

Crysis 2

The first Crysis game became an international hit, mostly due to the game's reputation as a PC abuser. When released, the game required what many considered to be a supercomputer in order to play. The game was extremely demanding on PCs and only the best and most powerful computers could handle the game, and an even smaller number of computers could handle the game with the graphics quality turned all the way up. Now the game is dated but still gorgeous none the less. Many people said the game could never be ported to a game console due to the limitations of a console. But the developers are doing the impossible: Crysis 2, the sequel to the game that coined the phrase "Yeah, but can your PC run Crysis?" is coming to consoles and it looks incredible. The impossible is being imagined and it's coming to the PC, Xbox 360, and the PS3. Expect this game to be the next big shooter on your console.

Number 6:

Metal Gear Solid: Rising

Hideo Kojima, the man behind the wildly successful Metal Gear Solid series is finally creating a Metal Gear game for the Xbox 360. At last years E3, Hideo Kojima, a legendary game developer and master story teller, shocked journalists and other attendees when he took the stage at Microsoft's press conference and dropped the announcement that he would be bringing MGS: Rising, his next big MGS game, to the Xbox 360. The Metal Gear Solid series has been notorious for appearing almost solely on one type of console, Sony's, but now a MGS game is coming to the Xbox 360 and anticipation could not be higher. Expect a brief trailer with limited to no gameplay (mostly CG) that will help explain Hideo Kojima's direction for the game.

Number 5:

Bioware Booth

I've mentioned the booth as opposed to one or two specific games because this specific developer, Bioware, is one of the best in the industry and has many rumors floating around as to what they will be announcing and showing. Part of those rumors involve sequels to two of last year's biggest RPGs, both critically acclaimed and highly successful: Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2. Rumors has it that Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age 2 will be shown. The developer also has plans to unveil more footage of their highly anticipated upcoming MMORPG: Star Wars: The Old Republic. This game has already been regarded as the WoW (World of Warcraft) killer so expectations are high. Expect new gameplay for the Old Republic, as well as a new CG trailer showing a more in depth look at Bioware's direction for the game. As for Mass Effect 3 and Dragon Age 2, expect CG trailers or teasers.

Number 4:

Blizzard Booth

Another booth here from the makers of Diablo and Warcraft. Expect more information on the WoW expansion Cataclysm as well as more gameplay of Diablo 3. Also expected to make an appearance is their sequel to one of the greatest RTS (real time strategy) games of all time: StarCraft 2. With a line up consisting of Warcraft, Diablo, and StarCraft, Blizzard will likely be close to having the best games from any developer at this year's E3. All three series are loved worldwide and Blizzard hopes to continue its global domination with Diablo 3 and StarCraft 2. Blizzard is known for high end CG scenes so expect some of these for Diablo and StarCraft as well as release dates.

Number 3:

The Last Guardian

The developers of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, two of last generations best games, are back with another sure hit. The game dropped jaws last year when Sony released an in-game trailer during E3 2009. The game has been slightly forgotten but I'm sure Sony won't hesitate to bring a new trailer to their arsenal. Expect another trailer, a live gameplay demonstration, as well as a time frame for the games release. This game is certainly a contender for Game of the Show.

Number 2:

Project Natal

The motion control revolution is well underway and this year, Microsoft will be releasing their version of motion control technology for the Xbox 360. The codename for this technology has been called "Natal" and consists of just one device: a high powered camera with multiple lenses, including infrared reading. This camera allows for controller free motion reading unlike the Wii and PlayStation Move versions of motion control. The device also comes with voice recognition software allowing the user to speak to an Xbox 360 as a means of control. The camera system is said to allow up to 4 people to play a game at once and is supposed to be error free even if an object gets in the way of the person(s) playing. This is Microsoft's plan to save their console as they continue to lose ground to the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii. The device already had an unveiling last year and blew the minds of just about everyone in attendance. Expect more concrete information on pricing, a release date and specifications such as latency and lag. And of course, loads of demonstrations and hype building exercises are in store.

Number 1:

New Legend of Zelda

One of the most beloved franchises of all time is finally returning and gamers everywhere couldn't be more upset. Why? Because not one bit of information has been leaked as to what the game will focus on. Expectations are that it will follow the path of The Twilight Princess and will go for a more mature audience. But legendary game developer Miyamoto could be taking this game anywhere. The new Zelda title will certainly steal the show even if one 15 second teaser is shown. Link and the Zelda series are legends and when these legends return to the spotlight, the gaming industry is going to eat up every bit of information available multiple times.

So that's it! The pre-E3 events and press conferences start tonight (June 13th) with Microsoft's Project Natal conference at 10pm EST. Catch a live stream over at Gametrailers.com if you're really interested. On Monday, Microsoft takes the stage again for the Microsoft Conference followed by the Nintendo Conference on Tuesday morning and the Sony conference later in the afternoon. Then E3 officially begins!