Put a red cap on him and he would be Shigy Claus
E3 is like Christmas for me. Each year is like a shiny present, perfectly wrapped up and just waiting for me to tear into it and find out what’s inside. I love the anticipation of all the news from the conferences, along with the hours and hours of coverage of all the new games. Yes sir, the only thing missing in the comparison of E3 to Christmas is an iconic figure to rival the jolly bringer of goodness, Santa Claus. I guess the closest we have is the jolly bringer of goodness that is Shigeru Miyamoto.
This year, I thought that since E3 is pretty much gamer Christmas, it would be a good idea to write a wishlist of what I want for E3 2015.
So with E3 2015 just over a month away, I thought I’d offer my list of ten things that I would like to see at E3 2015. This isn’t meant to be a list of things that necessarily expect to occur. Instead think of it like a Christmas list. Ten lovely E3 presents that would make me the happiest (35 year old) kid in the world.
10. More Mario Kart 8 DLC please!
Mario Kart 8 has maybe the finest downloadable content of any game that I have seen. Each new course is so polished, that it’s hard to imagine the game without the additions. Mario Kart 8 without The Legend of Zelda inspired Hyrule Course? That’s not the world in which I want to live.
Mario Kart 8 DLC has been awesome! We need more of it.
So lets see more of it! There is still plenty of material to mine that would fit in with the Mario Kart universe. How about a level that mimics the Koopa Kids airships from Super Mario 3? What about working with Square Enix on something inspired from Chrono Trigger as a way to mark that games 20th anniversary? (I might harp on that milestone a bit.) The point is that there is plenty left that could be added to Mario Kart 8 and my wallet is ready to embrace it with open…er arms.
9. Would the person who runs the camera during Sony’s press conference please stop going to a wide shot during important game trailers?
This should seem like a no-brainer, yet every year I watch Sony’s E3 press conference the director in charge of camera work consistently cuts away from an important game reveal to show us a wide shot of the audience watching the trailer. We get it Sony; there are a lot of people at your E3 press conference. Those of us watching off-site don’t need to see them. We are far, far more interested in the game for which you’re actually trying to get us excited. So please, this year lets just keep the action on the games and leave the wide angle shots for the awkward execs. Thanks!
8. Don’t waste my time with VR unless I’ll be playing it this year.
Project Morpheus, Oculus Rift, HoloLense, everyone and their mother is working on some sort of virtual reality device. It sounds so futuristic, and I’m sure it is, however it’s tough to get excited about VR unless you are actually able to experience it for yourself. Being that this is a personal list, and I am not personally going to be at E3 in order to experience VR demos, I’m not all that interested in hearing about how awesome VR headsets will be unless I know for sure I will be able to strap one on my face by the end of the year.
7. More new IP from Nintendo please!
Please.. less sequels – More original games like Splatoon.
Last year, Nintendo showed off the game that finally made me say “I have to get a Wii U!” That game being the upcoming Splatoon. No one makes games quite like Nintendo can, and Splatoon is proof that they still have the ability to create charming, new experiences. So lets see more of it! (Although we know we are getting a new Star Fox this year, so I know I shouldn’t get my hopes up for something brand-new.)
6. Just tell us what is up with the Last Guardian already!!
Is it really still in development, or is it deader than Caesar’s ghost? Just tell us because I’m tired of the speculation. If the game is canceled that that is fine. It’s unfortunate for sure, but I’d much rather know for sure that it’s gone than keep hope alive for a game that will never see the light of day. So Sony please man-up and tell us one way or the other if the Last Guardian is coming or not.
Just tell us what happened to Last Guardian already so I can stop hearing people whine about it on NeoGaf
5. Street Fighter V Info – All of it Please!!!
No other franchise has meant more to me personally than Street Fighter. The knowledge that Street Fighter V even exists makes my world a better place. So naturally, I need more Street Fighter V info like I need oxygen! I realize that we probably won’t see a whole lot of information until the 2015 Evolution Championship in July, but hey, this is my list and I want Street Fighter V info!!
4. Uh, Sony. Are there any first-party exclusives coming out for PlayStation 4 this Christmas?
No Uncharted 4 for us this year. So what does Sony have planned for this holiday?
Uncharted 4 was supposed to be the flagship title for Sony this year, however Naughty Dog confirmed a couple of months ago that the next chapter in their exploration epic would miss the 2015 holiday season. So what does Sony have for Christmas that will set the PlayStation 4 apart from their rival Microsoft? As of yet, we don’t have any idea. But that’s what E3 is for! And hopefully Sony will have a nice first-party surprise or two that will beg for our time and money by the end of the year.
3. An Xbox One price cut please.
In reality, it’s probably time for Sony to cut the price of the PlayStation 4, but hey, I already have a PS4. Microsoft was pretty aggressive with their pricing and incentives during the 2014 holiday shopping season, and they are already running TV ads for Halo 5 (6 months from its release date, which is insane if you ask me). So it stands to reason that maybe, just maybe, we will see them lead the charge at E3 2015 with another Xbox One price cut.
2. Cut It Out with the Remasters Already!
The amount of announced and rumored remakes and remasters of existing games is approaching ridiculousness. God of War III has already been announced. Gears of War 1 and and a Mass Effect trilogy have been rumored to be on the docket for this year. My main problem is that we are seeing these remasters for games that aren’t even a decade old yet! I understand that developers are doing this in order to make a quick profit without having to put a ton of money into creating something new, since development of new IP is so dang expensive these days. It’s still disheartening to see all this stuff from the previous generation getting spiffed up for a second go around on this gen. At this rate we might as well consider our PlayStation 4’s and Xbox One’s to be last-gen 2.0. If developers need to turn such a quick profit to fund development of new games, why not invest in some worthy indie projects that could benefit from a few grand thrown their way? How awesome could Melancholy Republic be if Square Enix invested a few thousand dollars? Square Enix wouldn’t have to actually spend time or resources in development, they would just have to pony up some cash for advertising.
So bottom line: please stop taking the easy way out. Let’s have less remasters, re-releases, and rehashes. Except for one contradiction to this plea listed below…
1. Square Enix – Do something to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Chrono Trigger!!!
C’mon guys. If we’re going to remaster anything then lets remaster the best game ever made
Anyone who knows me or has been following me on this site knows that Chrono Trigger is my favorite game of all time. It’s hard to believe that 2015 will mark twenty years since this masterpiece was released for the Super Nintendo in the US. Since then, Chrono Trigger has been ported to a number of different platforms, however two decades is a special occasion and it needs to be honored. I realize the possibilities of Square Enix announcing a sequel are nearly impossible, but how about (And here comes the contradiction to number 2 on the list.) a re-mastered version of it. Could you imagine the brilliance of Chrono Trigger re-imagined with the same kind of sprite work we are seeing in games like Guilty Gear XRD or BlazBlue? Or how about partnering up with Nintendo for Chrono-themed guest appearances in Mario Kart 8, or Super Smash Bros? Nintendo could even make a bundle with Chrono Trigger Amiibos! The point is that Chrono Trigger was an important game, not just for me, but a number of people as well. So lets give it the honor it deserves.
And there you have it: ten things that I’d like to see happen at this year’s E3. The fun begins on June 14th when Bethesda hosts their press event on Sunday, June 14th. The official kick-off for E3 2015 begins on June 16th and runs through the 18th.
So what about you? Anything that is on your wishlist for this year’s extravaganza? Pour your hearts out for us in the comments section below, and be sure to keep yourselves tuned in for our coverage of E3 2015!
Written by The Watchman
He’s also an actor, a reporter, a pro wrestling connoisseur, and some say he’s a cat whisperer.
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