E3 2014 is just around the corner, and with the XBox One matching the PS4 in prices, the summer and remained of this year will become a hotly-contested arms race, as it is no longer the PS4 with the overwhelming best deal. E3 will definitely become the forecast as to how the rest of the year is going to play out. Will the PS4 continue dominating? Will the WiiU finally start its chase for first place? Can the XBox One get out of the cellar? This E3 might be able to provide the hints. Each of the major players has yet to unveil much as to what is coming, but they each do have some requirements.
We shall start with Sony and the PS4/Vita. The Playstation Vita is getting absolutely destroyed (16% market share is a joke) and perhaps the only way to truly save it is become more of a system for the Japanese and Far East gamers. So for the Vita we should be talking more JRPGs, more fighters, more content from the likes of Capcom and Square Enix. The original PSP stayed relevant because of its impact in the Japanese gaming community. 20 million PSPs were sold in Japan, which was more than what they sold in America, and that’s in a country with 200 million less people.
The Vita needs to Final Fantasy it up; seek out old-school RPGs and new-school RPGs to remain relevant in the Asian market. To compete directly against the 3DS is no longer a feasible option, as it will continue to struggle to go up against the androids, Apple products, and smart phones. More games, and more appealing games is the solution. Don’t look like a PS3/PS4-lite, provide your own arsenal of software that is unique from everyone else.
The PS4 is doing fantastic, and that’s without much of a first-party showing (so far). However, this E3 is their chance to really make waves by throwing out some of their flagship franchises like Gran Turismo, Uncharted, Last of Us, God of War, among others. Can we potentially see a Crash Bandicoot reboot? A new Little Big Planet? Perhaps something brand new? Either way, Sony can win simply by maintaining its awesome online software lineup, maintaining its third-party connections, and not flubbing up and ruining a good thing. Gamers are now more than ever willing to fork out the big bucks as long as the games keep coming; and the record-setting sales pace of the PS4 is proving this.
Microsoft crafted a PR nightmare last year with the DRM disaster that was never fully explained, never fully thought-out, and was just met with Twitter/Gamer outrage. So this year, stop the non-gaming nonsense and focus on becoming the ultimate system for online play, for action-packed shooters, and the top billing for blockbuster games. While Sony owns the indie market and currently owns the genres of adventures and RPGs; the big-budget gems belong to Microsoft. Forza, Halo, Gears of War, and Fable are amongst the biggest games out there. We need more of these gorgeous immersive games to be promised to the fans if Microsoft ever plans on escaping the cellar. And unlike Nintendo and Sony, Microsoft has more money to throw, more money to spend, and more resources to make this a reality. Rev up the XBox Live, and pump up the big games. Sometimes all it takes is that one huge game to truly push the sales forward---look at all that Grand Theft Auto 5 last year accomplished.
But seriously though Microsoft, gamers don’t care about the TV shows, about the NFL connection, or any of the multi-media nonsense. Stay away from all of that by any means necessary.
Lastly, we have Nintendo. The WiiU is currently the cheapest system, currently also the system in most need of good news. They need software, and lots of it. And unlike the PS4 and the XBox One, Nintendo has the best opportunity to rev back into the past and deliver more games than anyone else out there. The Virtual Console for the WiiU is missing DS, N64, and Gamecube games---amongst those three systems that’s easily over 200 potential games to re-release for a new audience. HD remakes of past Nintendo classics could also help---like Smash Brothers Melee, Metroid Prime, Majora’s Mask, Super Mario 64, Mario Sunshine, Eternal Darkness, Mario Party (2, preferably), among many, many, many others.
But don’t just stop there Nintendo, we need more of your heavy-hitters. We need to see a new Metroid, a new Zelda, a new true-blue 3-D Mario adventure, and perhaps even some transitions from handheld to console from the likes of Pokemon (most obvious answer), Golden Sun, Professor Layton, Phoenix Wright, and even Wario Land. We need to see updated and modernized versions of classic franchises like Mario Golf/Tennis, Kid Icarus, Fire Emblem, and to an extent even Zelda (Which needs to achieve Elder Scrolls-like scope without question). Nintendo’s reputation for excellent game has always trumped its questionable business decisions, and all it takes is a game to the quality of a Super Mario Galaxy to bring the company back on its feet. But software is its biggest issue, and the biggest point that needs to be driven home this E3. And just focus on the WiiU, and save the 3DS news for a later date in a Nintendo Direct of some sort. But the WiiU needs all the love, all the focus, and all the saving.
This E3 should be another fun one, as the companies are now closer than ever in terms of competition and claiming the crown. All it takes is one wildly good bit of news to swing the momentum. Its just a matter of seeing who will deliver the biggest blow.
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