Part 2 | Part 3

One year flew in as a moment, and we are again preparing for the largest game exhibition of the world. We think, we reaches the fresh news, and also guess on the coffee grounds and New Vegas Casino try to predict what announcements, games and news are waiting for us in the coming weeks.

E3 2014 has every chance to overshadow the predecessor. Let it be not on the degree of madness that was going on there, but for sure. On E3-2013, everyone was too carried away by the new consoles and a scandal with Microsoft , and there were few ready -to -show games. It seemed that the last time the developers dumped everything that was-and if there was nothing, they bypassed a formal announcement and a demonstration of the CG-trailer. But a closer acquaintance with the subject showed – the game industry in the sleeve still had many unsolved trump cards.

► The previous E3 was a manifesto, a look into the future. E3 2014 will be more pragmatic: you won’t be fed alone, you need real games! Photo: Sergey Galenkin

Xbox One against PlayStation 4

The main theme of E3 2014 will be the continuation of the confrontation of the new generation consoles. This will be the fourth round, and we have to admit that the previous three Microsoft lost with a bang. At first there was a defeat on E3, then Microsoft failed the launch of the Xbox One, just not having time to prepare for it due to a radical change of plans (just remember that at the start of sales only in thirteen countries instead of twenty-one). Well, by the spring, Microsoft completely lost control of the situation.

► Experts believe that Kinect was one of the main reasons for the loss of Xbox One. He made the prefix more, ruined the reputation with a scandal with “peeping”, and many users consider it useless.

As we predicted, in addition to the real competitive advantages, PS4 began to affect information pressure – public opinion was completely unreasonably recorded by Xbox One to outsiders of the console race, and the prefix, obeying the power of the word, really began to lose it. By mid -spring, the gap between the PS4 and Xbox One acquired a very serious scope, 7 million versus approximately 4-4.5 million. The last figure is approximate because Microsoft was shy to report the number of consoles sold and indicated only the number of boxes shipped to stores (5 million).

But Sony honestly reported precisely about sales, although in her case both numbers would be almost the same: back in March, the company admitted that she could not cope with production, and promised to eliminate the PS4 deficit only by the summer. What is more important, Sony also overtakes games of games – 21 million versus 15 million, although Microsoft did everything possible to persuade the scales to their side. In particular, I distributed games for free, in the load on the prefix, to reduce the difference in price. During the release, the Europeans received a new FIFA, later gangs with a free Titanfall, and the cost was the same as the usual prefixes.

► So far, Sony is preparing to arrange a show of its VR figs, Microsoft was enough only to recognize the virtual reality with an “interesting topic”, which “has potential”.

The upcoming e3 will be a chance for Microsoft. Information pressure is expected to be such that the influence will affect the whole year: after the failure on the previous E3, there are still people who are sure that Xbox One requires regular Internet connections and spies on the user using Kinect. Many simply do not follow the latest news, but they remember any negativity for a very long time.

In relative numbers, Microsoft losing looks terrible (if this goes, by the fall the difference can become twice), but no disaster has yet happened. At E3-2013, the battle was conducted for reputation and prospects, but E3 2014 will become a struggle for money, or rather, for the attention of players in the upcoming autumn-winter season, when there is a surge in customer activity.

If you manage to attract the sympathy of the players to their side, the current difference in two or three million prefixes will be a mere nonsense. In the end, at the start of the prefixes only ardent amateurs buy, the rest are waiting for the appearance of normal games – which will come out just this fall. Not to mention the fact that in September Xbox One will be launched in twenty -five countries of the world, including in Russia, which should reduce the lag in the sales pace.

► Cases with exclusives in Sony go better than now. For example, Infamous: Second Son, in nine days, was dispersed by a million circulation – a great result for such a young platform. The first successful exclusive of a new generation!

However, you can’t be frivolous about the loss either. Microsoft has large troubles. There is such a thing as “inertia of the audience”: say, if a person bought Xbox 360 and everything suits him, then he will most likely buy Xbox One. And even if he is a passionate fan of PlayStation, but all friends managed to buy Xbox One, a person will probably sacrifice his preferences for the sake of the opportunity to play with friends.

Given the popularity of Xbox 360, at first the market inertia worked on Microsoft. But the larger the gap between Xbox One and PS4, the longer Microsoft delayed with the production of its prefix in secondary markets, the more benefits a competitor receives. For example, in Russia, Xbox 360 was at one time by PS3 in popularity, but now it seems that Microsoft has already managed to lose all the advantages.

Here, the prefix manufacturers obviously did not look at, without taking care of the user's binding to their platform – for example, the library of old games. Now they are trying to fix something with online services; Perhaps Sony on E3 will tell you more about the PS now service, but all this is not quite right. Here Steam users do not go anywhere from there, because computers are changing, and Steam is eternal, like Egyptian pyramids. But to jump from the “blue” camp to the “green” camp and back is quite easy, and therefore both sides have very serious chances to win.

Sony

The old forecasts for PS4 were very disappointing. Many waited for the first couple of years Sony would only swing. However, the leadership so actively took the bull by the horns that now analysts in confusion: the next year has ended with losses of $ 1.3 billion, the company in a deep crisis, sells assets and dismisses employees, but they are just brilliant in the game direction, and PS4 tears it competitor for pieces.

► According to rumors, Gran Turismo 7 can announce on E3, and Gran Turismo 7: Prologue will come out this year. The sixth of it made it clear that the series urgently required a technology tightening, so the first GT for the consoles of a new generation is waiting for mannees of heaven.

Microsoft is preparing to fight at E3 2014 until the last dollar, but Sony is not inferior to it in determination. The most severe crisis spurifies the company to active actions in a promising game direction. “Uh … the Sony game line for E3 2014 is something crazy …”-the famous insider Auchan Rashid writes on his twitter, which at one time drained information about the interface and the PS4 operating system. Suhai Yoshida spoke more restrained on this score: “Yes, some of what we have prepared for E3 will make a very, very big impression”. What such a kind can show us?

To begin with, few rumors: they say that for the E3 internal studios Sony have prepared a slaughter collection of exclusives. Announcements are expected from the studio Sony Santa Monica (Creators God of War ), Media Molecule ( Littlebigplanet ) and even, what is completely unexpected, Guerrilla Games , which only recently released Killzone: Shadow Fall. The very fact of the development of new games by these studios is confirmed, so rumors about their debut on E3 sound very true.

In any case, Sony this year can rightfully reap the fruits of its far -sighted policy. So far, Microsoft has created large exclusives like Halo And GEARS of WAR , Sony relied on many not so large, but original exclusives. And now, when the industry began to turn away from endless shooters and mainstream chewing gum, the approach of the Japanese giant was as relevant as possible. Microsoft also realized and began to gain her own collection of exclusives, but in order to catch up with Sony, she will take time and a lot of money will be.

► To work on the new game, Guerrilla Games is looking for a specialist in micallors and the introduction of social elements. We are already scared!

In addition to unknown exclusives, a pack of already announced, the most interesting of which is the new Uncharted (the exact name is unknown). Frankly, we are very worried about this project. In the third part, there was a lack of new ideas, and the studio itself was tired of the series, in connection with which a bunch of people stood out in the second team and began to do The Last of Us.

In addition Naughty Dog Recently lost a heap of key employees. The head of the development team left Uncharted 3 Justin Richmond, the art director of Nate Wells and leading character designer Michael Nouland departed after him. But, the most alarming, the creative director and screenwriter Amy Hing left, and the “creative disagreement” was indicated as the reason for the creation Uncharted 4. This news confirmed the long-standing fears that something was wrong with the Naughty Dog closed doors. Nevertheless, the studio has never failed us, so we will reject bad forebodings and cross your fingers for giving a new masterpiece to the mountain.

► uncharted 4 has been under development for more than three years. We hope that Naughty Dog will have enough gunpowder to surprise everyone again.

On E3 is expected to return The Last Guardian – long -suffering, for many forgotten, once almost buried (when they forgot to extend the rights to a brand), but still living. Sony officially confirmed that she would bring fresh news about the project to the exhibition. Everyone is waiting for the game to be released on PS4, because otherwise why was there so much to pull? Not for that, to set the record for the longest development. Moreover, while the game has been making only seven years and she can’t see the record as her ears: Duke Nukem Forever, which was created fourteen years old, will not work out anyway.

In addition to showing games, Sony will surely deal with the development of online services and will begin the western promotion of the Vita TV microconsoli. And the company is simply obliged to arrange a grand presentation of the virtual reality points of the Project Morpheus virtual reality points. Previously, Sony was intensively promoting the idea of ​​3D, but because of the shortcomings of the technology, it never took off. We hope that this time it will be possible to take revenge and we will see the first full-scale PR campaign on the topic of virtual reality.

► The creators of The Order 1886 told a lot about the game, only the gameplay almost did not show. We hope this is not because they are shy about showing it, but because they prepare a grandiose presentation for E3.

Microsoft

It is not entirely clear how Microsoft is going to fight against PS4. Clear-something needs to be done, and urgently. But there is no specific data about what can be expected so far, and this is a bad sign-the company has never been distinguished by a special secrecy regime, so the lack of information leaks may indicate that last year the “microsoft” went on Va-Bank and pulled out of the sleeve all available trump cards.

Nevertheless, the leadership of the Richmond giant is full of optimism. The new head of Microsoft, Satia Valel, appointed the Commander-in-Chief of the Xbox Army Vice President Phil Spencer, who previously headed by internal studios. Now he will manage everything and will correct everything that Don Mattrick, who deserted from the company last summer, has done his predecessor in the midst of the crisis.

► Many are sure that the new exclusive Microsoft from the RARE studio will be a remake or “spiritual heir” of the cult platformer Banjo-Kazooie.

Spencer began his career by promising to bring the largest line of games to E3 recently, saying that this would help Xbox One to reduce the lag behind PS4: “The new generation of consoles has only started, and it is obvious that Sony launched the PS4 more than successfully. In general, things in the console industry are going well. Six months ago, many were sure that the prefixes were coming to an end. But no, the life of the current generation will be long, and I believe with all my heart that the best platform will be the one that will offer the players the best games ”.

Very encouraging statement, and we will check his truth in the coming weeks. But I would like at least some specifics! Fortunately, our Western colleagues in one of the subsequent interviews managed to draw a couple of crumbs from Spencer.

“Exclusions will continue to play a significant role for the new generation of Xbox, as it was always. This e3 is very important for us. We are going to tell players about our plans to release exclusives and devote to details of cooperation with third -party studios. Now we have a strong line of exclusives of our own production, including Sunset Overdrive, Project Spark, Quantum Break and Halo, as well as other interesting games that you will hear about E3, ”he said.

► Microsoft received the rights to Gears of War and will continue to develop it without the participation of Epic Games. The same situation with Halo. In other words, from the two main “selling prefix” games of the past generation there were only names, the strength of which has yet to be confirmed.

Here at this place you can slow down. The list is solid, but what would you personally play? Sunset Overdrive is crossed out due to the fact that it is some kind of frivolous heresy. Halo is also crossed out, because the chances of the fifth part of this year are zero, instead will release the remake of the second part. The Project Spark remains, which is more than the game designer than the game, as well as the very promising Quantum Break (but it, according to the latest news, will be shown only in August, on Gamescom). While Sony is aiming at the hardcore audience, Microsoft sprays its strength through various game niches, which reduces the attractiveness of Xbox One in the eyes of a single player.

We hope that new information on the main exclusives of the platform will appear on E3 – Halo 5 And the new GEARS of WAR. Both brands are transferred to new studios and are going through the best of times. It is quite difficult to predict their future fate. 343 Industries I coped well with the development Halo 4 – at least did not dilute the series and laid the foundations for its further development.

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But at Black Tusk Studios , on which GEARS of WAR was hanged, still ahead. They have an exception of a mediocre air system Microsoft Flight And a stillborn toy for kinect. It is clear that Kinect is now not in honor, they have not yet learned to use it, and some even accused the poor device of that thanks to him the Xbox One loses the race. Say, few people want a hundred bucks for such a miracle of equipment to pay. Microsoft, it seems, was recognized and already announced that Xbox One will go on sale soon without a ill -fated sensor.

But the main problem is that no one expects Halo 5 and GEARS of WAR this year, and Microsoft has not yet been too well done with new exclusives. RYSE And Crimson Dragon Immediately recorded in passing. Very promising Dead Rising 3 did not perform too well, yielding infamous: second Son. Will Microsoft be able to hold positions until large artillery approach?

About Nintendo, multi -platform projects and other trends – read in the second part of the material.