Joystiq Predicts: Microsoft's E3 2012 conference
With E3 2012 only a few short days away, we decided to take a moment to tell you what we think might happen during the three major press conferences at the show. In years past, we've created Bingo Cards to create some sort of false interactive experience. (And no one ever won!)
But we're friends ... I mean we hang out all the time. So, let's just riff. Here's some things we expect, and a few things we don't.
Microsoft's Pre-E3 2012 Press Briefing will take place on Monday, June 4 at 12:30PM EDT. Joystiq will be there in full force, bringing you every piece of news as it happens.
For all E3 2012 coverage, make sure to bookmark our new E3 Landing Page.
We're Sure: The best stuff won't be out until 2013, and there'll be a clear, bloody trend of gruesome grimdarkness in games.
We're Thinking: We'll see a glimpse of next-gen systems, pitched as elite counterparts alongside current systems.
We're Dreaming: Concrete, reassuring info on Beyond Good & Evil 2.
We're Sure: Microsoft announces a timed exclusive on Call of Duty DLC, again.
We're Thinking: (Your favorite children's entertainment property) meets Kinect in a minigame collection called (title of property) for Kinect!
We're Dreaming: True Fantasy Live Online is back!
We're Sure: Microsoft will tease its next generation of consoles by mentioning the future, but won't actually show anything. (But I'm about ready to see it, folks!)
We're Thinking: Ubisoft Toronto reveals Splinter Cell 6. By the Power of Grayskull, they'd better.
We're Dreaming: New Microsoft employee Phil Harrison shows off a new duck-based tech demo ... but for the Xbox 360! Minds = Blown.
We're Sure: There will be lots of new media-centric Kinect talk, giving you more ways to not play games on your Xbox.
We're Thinking: Microsoft is just itching to really blow the lid off of Halo 4's REVOLUTIONARY MULTIPLAYER FEATURES.
We're Dreaming: Flying in the face of the good ol' Zune and Windows Phone, Microsoft will announce a dedicated handheld gaming device.
We're Sure: Halo 4. And a lot of it.
We're Thinking: The next Gears of War gets demoed. It's a prequel.
We're Dreaming: Fable 4 announced, with special appearance by former Microsoft employee Peter Molyneux and a holographic Milo.
We're Sure: New 360/Kinect bundles, likely for holiday.
We're Thinking: Bungie project teased for 2013, which we already know is a thing but will be trotted out once again to remind everyone.
We're Dreaming: Respawn's Jason West and Vince Zampella show up to announce Respawn's next project, exclusively for Xbox 360.
We're Sure: Expansion of video streaming content and partners over the next year for Xbox Live.
We're Thinking: We see a revamped Halo Waypoint for Halo 4, with richer stat tracking and functionality than what we've seen Bungie do with Halo in the past.
We're Dreaming: Microsoft actually talks about its new console at all.
We're Sure: Halo 4 is due out in November and we still need to see some gameplay footage backdropped by epic, dubby beats. DJ Master Chief (featuring Cortana) will be all up in that E3 heezy.
We're Thinking: If I don't see at least one child pretend to pet an invisible animal, I'll be sorely disappointed.
We're Dreaming: Half-Life 3. (Someone has to not feature it, right?)
We're Sure: Basically what Alexander said: More Halo 4. But even more than he thinks.
We're Thinking: Kinect gets some new features that actually seem exciting.
We're Dreaming: A new entry in the Viva Pinata series.
We're Sure: We'll also hear more about Halo 4, Steel Battalion and Twisted Pixel's next project, and Call of Duty Elite's benefits on the Xbox will be played way up.
We're Thinking: Microsoft's E3 presser will be the first time we hear anything official regarding Destiny, the (provisionally) Xbox-exclusive project from Bungie and Activision, though we'll likely not see more than a sizzle reel.
We're Dreaming: I'd be flabbergasted by an entirely new Dashboard; we like this one but Microsoft does tend to change it around when we get used to it.
We're Sure: More subscription-based services added to Xbox Live (like Spotify).
We're Thinking: Crackdown 3 announced. Please?
We're Dreaming: Anything at all from Rare. I remember when they used to make games I wanted to play.