E3 2010 Rumors and news


JackFetch

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Rumors:

Microsoft will announce a slim X-Box 360 to launch with the Natal. The 360 and Natal will be black instead of white. Source THIS HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE FALSE

Sony will announce Infamous 2, Killzone 3, and Resistance 3. Source although these are obvious

Sony will announce the PSP2. Source

Well fuck me, I already had an E3 thread. Please merge.

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Here we go with those trusted sources again. Edge has it on good authority that Microsoft's midlife rejuvenator for the Xbox 360, Project Natal, will cost a cool 149 bucks when purchased as a standalone accessory, or $100 when bundled together with the $199 Xbox 360 Arcade console. That's a mighty steep hill for early adopters to climb, but Microsoft did warn us that Natal will not be an impulse buy. An October 26 date is also proffered for the official launch, but that might shift, leaving us with the same window of expectation as before. Interestingly, the Natal name is expected to definitely change for the final retail product, which we should be learning a lot more about at E3 in a couple of weeks.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/05/26/project-natal-to-cost-149-by-itself-299-with-360-arcade-acco/

I think they should keep the name since everyone has accepted it. It reminds me of when the Gamecube was called the Dolphin for so long and changed at the last minute.

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On the heels of a possible price outing by Edge's infamous source, Now Gamer believes it knows the official name of Project Natal. According to its own source "close to Microsoft," the motion-tracking device will be dubbed "Wave" at an unspecified "event in Los Angeles." This could mean we'll hear the name at Cirque de Soleil-accompanied and televised E3 event on June 15 at 3:30 PM EDT, or the sure-to-be equally rousing and also televised Microsoft press event on the 14 at 1:30 PM EDT.

If the rumor proves true, Microsoft will have a product whose name will directly clash with another Microsoft creation, its Microsoft Wave website--a page that is dedicated announcing new developments and products from the company, according to a blurb on the Wave webpage.

http://www.giantbomb.com/news/project-natal-to-be-named-wave-at-e3/2033/

That would be a terrible name. When I hear "Wave", I automatically think of Google.

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Live streams will be available at all the usual sites. I recommend 1Up and Gamespot. All the press conferences will also be shown on G4, assuming they don't fuck up like two years ago.

Monday, June 14

10:00 a.m. - Microsoft E3 Press Conference

12:00 p.m. - Ubisoft E3 Press Conference

2:00 p.m. - Electronic Arts E3 Press Conference

Tuesday, June 15

9:00 a.m. - Nintendo E3 Press Conference

12:00 p.m. - Sony E3 Press Conference

Wednesday, June 16

1:00 p.m. - Konami E3 Press Conference

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1Up looks at the most popular E3 rumors:

Rumor: Microsoft Will Announce a Slim Xbox 360

Last year's rumor du jour was the impending release of a Slim PlayStation 3, which was fueled by photographs out of China. With the Slim PS3 now on the market, rumors of a Slim Xbox 360 have started to fly.

Wedbush-Morgan analyst Michael Pachter recently predicted that a Slim 360 will be packaged with Natal, and alleged images of the console's motherboard have appeared out of China. More dubious were shots of the actual device (above), which turned out to be an HD-DVD player held sideways. Regardless, rumors continue to run rampant that a Slim is on the way.

With Natal on the way, this fall seems like the perfect opportunity for a hardware refresh. And given that the Slim PS3 rumors turned out to be accurate, anything is possible.

Rumor: Nintendo Will Unveil the "Wii HD"

It seems like we've been hearing about a supposed HD-enabled Wii console since the original launched in 2006, but the rumors really got hot when a 2008 report citing several anonymous insiders allegedly revealed that Nintendo was already showing off its next home console to game developers.

The rumor was so widespread that it even had professional industry analysts buzzing, with Wedbush Morgan's Michael Pachter predicting that the unit would be out in 2010, with a retail price of under $200.

Obviously, that rumor wasn't true, and we don't think this one is either. It is no great secret that Nintendo is constantly iterating on new hardware, and we have very good reason to believe that the successor to the Wii is well into its development cycle, but there is no reason to believe we'll see it this E3. The Wii remains the best-selling home console on a consistent basis, the follow-up consoles from Microsoft and Sony are still (we're guessing) a ways off, and besides, the 3DS will be Nintendo's spotlight this year. Premiering two new consoles would be unheard-of, not to mention idiotic.

Rumor: Sony Will Unveil the Successor to the PSP

With the 3DS having been outed a little earlier than Nintendo originally intended, attention has naturally turned to Sony's plans for the PSP.

So far, there has been little more than speculation over the possibility of the "PSP 2." Comments by Sony Computer Entertainment America director of hardware and marketing John Koller seem to preclude the inclusion of 3D, but there have been rumors that it will include a 3G wireless connection. And, of course, there are the old standbys like the dual analog sticks and the inclusion of a touchscreen.

Former 1UP editor Shane Bettenhausen opined back in February that he thinks a potential PSP successor will be the "big story of E3" alongside the 3DS, but so far there has been little in the way of solid evidence to support that claim. If there is an announcement this year, don't expect it to be at E3.

Rumor: Project Natal Will Cost $149

Late last month, Edge Online reported that, according to a "trusted source," Project Natal will be priced at $149 when it launches later this year. On top of that, Microsoft will also offer the device bundled with an Xbox 360 Arcade for $299 ($100 more than an Arcade on its own).

All of which sounds believable enough... but is it true? Well, there is the fact this comes from a "trusted source" who has given Edge reliable information in the past. But then, $149 is a surprisingly large number, isn't it? Microsoft has frequently described Natal as offering a whole new experience without having to release a whole new console -- the "Holy Grail in many ways," according to outgoing Xbox 360 boss Robbie Bach. But at $149... man, that's quickly approaching the price point of a new console launch, isn't it? In fact, the $300 Arcade bundle would still be $50 more than the Wii cost at launch four years ago.

Of course, there's always the "wishful thinking" scenario: That maybe Microsoft deliberately leaked the $149 price point to gauge the reaction, and may well change the final price as a result. After all, even if this source is totally accurate, there's nothing stopping Microsoft from calling an audible right before their big reveal. But considering how much planning goes into a product launch, that seems unlikely. If this source really did have the scoop, then expect that number to stay. $149 it'll be.

Rumor: Paid PlayStation Network Service to Debut at E3

This one's a pretty safe bet; even Sony executives have publicly acknowledged that some form of premium PlayStation Network service is on the way. The real question here isn't whether or not PSN subscriptions are coming -- it's what exactly these paid memberships will entail.

Sony has previously polled consumers about what they'd like to see from a premium PSN membership, hinting at features like cross-game voice chat, discounts on the PlayStation Store, and free access to select downloadables like PSN games, PSP Minis, and PSOne Classics. Other rumors point to things like Hulu integration and disc-free access to Netflix.

Multiple alleged insiders offer conflicting reports on the final name, feature set, and price for the paid version of PSN, but they all seem to agree on one thing: Sony has no plans to remove anything from the existing service. That means whatever Sony announces at E3, free PSN accounts should still be a completely viable way to play online, browse the PlayStation Store, and chat with friends.

Rumor: PS2 Games Coming to PSN, Dreamcast Games to PSN and XBLA

There are really multiple, individual rumors here, but they add up to what looks like a consistent trail. First -- way back in September -- came leaked notes from a meeting between Sega and Sony executives revealing (apparently) that "SCEA wants to sell all PS2 titles on PSN." What's more, the notes also mentioned that "if we [sega] provide a list of [Dreamcast] titles SCEA will let us know which ones they're interested in having exclusively."

We haven't heard a word about this specific leak since September, but what we have heard recently are a few rumors of Dreamcast games coming to Xbox Live Arcade -- and at least one coming to PSN. Specifically, Jet Grind Radio, and Crazy Taxi and Sonic Adventure (and also Shenmue II, although that technically may not count since it was later ported to the original Xbox as well) have been rumored for XBLA, and Sonic Adventure has also been rated by the ESRB for the 360, PS3, and PC.

So considering even the ESRB says a Dreamcast game is coming to the 360 and PS3, then yes, it's very likely we'll see it announced at E3. Whether it'll be part of a broader announcement of a wave of Dreamcast games coming to both consoles is unclear, but the Crazy Taxi and Jet Grind Radio rumors point to yes on that as well. As for PS2 games on PSN, that's a bit more of a long shot (considering this is Sony, wouldn't we have seen, like, 15 different leaks about this by now?). But we don't want to call Sega note-takers liars, so screw it -- we'll predict yes on that as well.

Rumor: Resistance 3 to debut at E3

We first heard about Resistance 3 almost a year ago, when a billboard appeared as part of the set for the upcoming movie Battle: Los Angeles. More recently, the game showed up in a Sony survey, which bizarrely asked if gamers think the game is being developed. Maybe they were trying to gauge surprise for an upcoming announcement.

Insomniac has hit a stride of releasing a game every year, trading off between its two franchises -- Ratchet and Resistance. Last year saw Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time, so we're due for another Resistance title. The one kink in the works is the company's recent EA partnership, which will have the developer making a new multiplatform franchise on top of their existing Sony-exclusive ones. We're not sure yet how that will impact the developer's clockwork-like annual release schedule.

Recent rumors have circulated that Killzone 3, Infamous 2, and Resistance 3 would all be making their debuts at E3. While not quite true since the former two have already been revealed, Resistance 3 would complete the trifecta. Given that Insomniac was probably well into Resistance 3 development when the EA Partners deal was reached, we're likely to see the game in some form this year.

Rumor: LucasArts Will Finally Announce Star Wars: Battlefront 3

Prior to being acquired by Crytek and subsequently being renamed Crytek UK, Free Radical Design was reportedly at work on a new entry in the Star Wars: Battlefront franchise. When Free Radical laid off much of its staff towards the end of 2008, character renders from what was believed to be Battlefront 3 were posted on the internet before getting pulled back down. Following that, there was an off-screen video that surfaced showing gameplay footage of the game in action.

In early 2009, we heard conflicting reports; first, that Rebellion Entertainment had taken over development, and then that Battlefront 1 and 2 developer Pandemic Studios would actually be developing the sequel. Late last year, Pandemic was shut down, leaving the still-unannounced Battlefront 3 in limbo. The game's casting director chimed in to confirm that the game was still in development as recently as this past December.

And just last month, word of Battlefront 3 GameSpy servers popped up (via G4tv) by way of a hack that displays all of the GameSpy servers running at any time. A Battlefront fan site forum member claims that he hadn't seen them as recently as a month prior, so it appears the game is still being worked on by someone; we just don't know exactly who. LucasArts is invariably involved and may opt to finally reveal the game at E3 next week... or they might not, and we'll be left continuing to wonder if Battlefront 3 isn't just bad luck for whichever developer gets its hands on it.

Rumor: Nintendo to Unveil New Legend of Zelda

Way back at E3 2009, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto spoke briefly about the next Legend of Zelda for the Wii. Aside from a few vague details on MotionPlus integration, however, we're left with very little concrete information about Link's next big adventure. It's been a year and we don't have so much as a screenshot of the thing.

That's all likely to change next week. Nintendo president and CEO Satoru Iwata previously stated that the as-of-yet unnamed Zelda would hit the Wii sometime in 2010. If the company plans on sticking to that schedule, then expect to see something from the new Legend of Zelda before the big expo wraps up next Thursday, June 17.

Rumor: Valve to Show Off Half-Life 2: Episode 3

Sometimes wishing for something very, very hard doesn't mean it will come true. When Valve canceled its Portal 2 press event in service of a "surprise," fans couldn't help but hope it meant we'd be seeing the third and final installment in the Half-Life episodic franchise. It's been almost three years since Episode 2, and that's a long time even by Valve standards.

The flames were fanned by a mysterious image that started circulating, promising "Freeman" on June 14. The image has been dubbed "fake" by Valve boss Gabe Newell, and he has even explicitly stated that the planned surprise is not Episode 3. That leaves this rumor all but dead and buried in the ground.

More than likely, Portal 2 is getting the bulk of Valve's development efforts this year. Given that Episode 2 hinted strongly at a tie-in involving Aperture Science, we're likely to see the connection made more explicit when Portal 2 hits shelves, but we don't expect to see that connection explored or referred to at E3.

Rumor: Epic Mickey is Getting a Makeover

When concept art of Epic Mickey was first leaked, the game looked like it was going to be pretty great -- at least in the visuals department. But when actual in-game screenshots were shown for the first time, suffice it to say that the reaction was mixed, at best.

The disappointment in the game's look was so great that 1UP even asked Warren Spector about the disparity, to which he had a long-winded answer that included finding out where the line was for Disney. He reassured fans that some of what was seen in the concept art remained in the game, even if we weren't actively seeing it promoted in screenshots.

Spector and Epic Mickey have been quiet as of late, and there might be a very good reason for that -- the game's graphics are reportedly undergoing a major overhaul that is to be unveiled at E3. The idea behind the overhaul is to get the visuals more in line with the concept art that we originally saw. If Disney really is serious about getting to a "Nintendo level" of quality, graphics that resemble the original concept art would be a solid first step.

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And the real name is......

USA Today just leaked the name of Microsoft's Project Natal motion control setup: Kinect. Microsoft was apparently planning on revealing these details tonight at a pre-E3 shindig, but the leaks got the better of them (including an Italian ad that also mentions the Kinect brand). There's still no word on price or release date, but hopefully we'll be hearing about that later this week. The USA Today writeup also mentions a few titles, including Kinectimals, Joyride, Kinect Sports, Kinect Adventures, Dance Central, and properties based on Star Wars and Disney characters.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/06/13/microsoft-kinect-revealed-project-natal-finally-gets-a-name/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+weblogsinc%2Fengadget+%28Engadget%29

Also, this ad was running on an Italian site linked to Xbox.com:

500xslim360.jpg

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That ad for the smaller Xbox360 also said it had a 250gb hard drive and built in wifi. That would be amazing, but probably more expensive.

From the Kinect event:

Video chat

Lots of Wii like mini games.

Some exercise and dance games including Tai Chi and Yoga.

A Star Wars game where you wield lightsabers.

A Nintendogs like game, but with tigers.

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I don't think it's humanly possible to me to care any less about that thing.

I totally agree. Here's a newsflash for Microsoft: If I had wanted a motion sensitive video gaming system, I'd have bought a Wii. I didn't, so don't throw gimmicks at me.

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