Ask a Dork – Sony at E3 2012

“What does Sony need to win e3. What do you expect?”

Attending e3 is kind of like playing a game of cards; most companies go in assuming that their going to trump the competition with their offerings, only to find that the competition has brought the winning hand. So, what exactly constitutes winning at e3? Two things: blockbuster game announcements and upcoming hardware details.

In the months before e3 2012, the press was all abuzz with talk of the ‘PSP2’. Sony blew the competition away last year in-part due to their announcement of the Sony PS Vita (formerly the ‘NGP’ – Next Generation Portable). The system would have two control sticks (as opposed to the PSP’s single ‘puck’), near-PS3 graphical capabilities, dual cameras, a front-facing touchscreen and rear touch screen, and gyroscopic sensors. While it’s doubtful that anyone expected this system to be so much of a work-horse, the real story was that of the games to be released for the titular console. Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Ruin, ModNation Racers and Capcom’s Street Fighter x Tekken were on display during the event to demonstrate the system’s capabilities. This announcement alone had e3 2011 pretty much in the bag for Sony, but the hardware giant didn’t stop there.

New and exciting exclusives Sly Cooper, Dust 514, and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception captivated gamers and the press alike, the PlayStation Move was getting some much needed attention at the time due to the ‘Star Trek Phaser Gun for PS Move’ announcement, and there was a highly anticipated PlayStation-branded 3D HD Monitor on the horizon. Overall, Sony went above the call of duty with e3 2011 and if they want to keep the momentum moving forward, they’ll have to do the same at e3 2012.

We know that Sony is currently gearing up for an interesting e3 conference this year, with the publisher promising to “lift the lid on 20 new experiences” on Monday 4th June. I can’t say that I know exactly what Sony is getting at when they say ‘experiences’, but we are aware of some of their games line up. God of War: Ascension, The Last of Us, PlayStation All-Stars: Battle Royal, Kara, Killzone Vita, and Call of Duty Vita are all in the works and e3 will be a rewarding event providing we get more details on these hot titles. Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s enough.

The one PS3 game on everyone’s mind this year is Team Ico’s The Lost Guardian. Producers have left, cancellation rumors have flown, and no one knows what the current status of this beautiful vapourware is. I would argue that since Sony isn’t planning any upcoming hardware releases, they’ll have to pull a release date out of their butts for their most anticipated game.