E3 2016 is just around the corner. In just a few short days the massive LA convention center will be converted into what is arguably the world’s most important video game convention. Despite some notable cancellations, this year’s show is still shaping up to be another massive spectacle for the industry. And, for the first time ever, that industry includes high-end commercially available virtual reality headsets.
This is a hugely important year for VR at E3. Long awaited systems from HTC, Valve, and Oculus are finally on the market which means more game announcements than ever are likely incoming for both the Vive and the Rift. This is also Sony’s last big chance to prove to the world that it’s soon to be released Playstation VR headset is capable of dominating the market.
In addition to these major players, VR will likely be an ancillary topic for a significant contingent of developers, publishers, and other gaming entities. Consider this post your guide to all of the VR action at E3 2016. For your convenience we’ve broken our analysis up into both visual and audio formats.
Let’s start with your ears.
UploadVR GameCast: E3 2016 Predictions
Cast:
Joe Durbin – UploadVR staff writer and GameCast Host.
David Jagneaux – UploadVR Games Editor
Brendan Frye – Editor in Chief of CG Mag, E3 Veteran
In this episode Joe and David are joined by CG Mag Editor in Chief, Brendan Frye. Brendan brings nearly a decade of E3 experience to the table and together, the guys discuss exactly what VR fans can expect from this hugely important moment for the industry.
For those who can’t listen straight away, here is a brief summary of our analysis. For more detail (and a delightful conversation) be sure to check out the podcast itself as well.
Electronic Arts
EA is a wild card for VR at this E3. They are usually capable of experimenting in new markets but also tend to play it safe in the early days of a fresh innovation. Possible announcements could include: Mirror’s Edge VR, Need For Speed VR, or an update on Frostbite Labs.
We expect EA to devote approximately 10 minutes of its 90 minute show to VR related topics.
Bethesda
Bethesda is the least likely to announce any VR related news at this year’s E3. At most we expect the possibility of an Elder Scrolls HD remaster with possible VR integration.
We expect Bethesda to devote 0-5 minutes of its 90 minute presentation to Vr related topics.
Microsoft
Microsoft is heavily rumored to announce some sort of VR capabilities for its consoles during its E3 presentation. We expect its announcements to center around headset integration and future plans to release its own device.
We expect Microsoft to devote around 5 minutes of its 90 minute show to VR related topics (including HoloLens).
PC Gaming Show
The newest press conference at E3. We expect this to be a place for several smaller VR announcements from indy developers and, possibly, some major announcements from HTC and Oculus.
We expect the PC Gaming show to contain 45 minutes of VR related content.
Ubisoft
Ubisoft has already made a name for itself in VR through two announced games: Eagle Flight and Werewolves Within. At this year’s E3, we expect Ubisoft to unveil additional VR titles for either mobile or high-performance VR headsets.
We expect Ubisoft to devote 10 minutes of its 90 minute presentation to VR related topics.
Sony
Sony will likely be the heaviest VR hitter at E3 2016. This is the company’s last big chance to communicate with its base, and the wider world, as to why the PS VR is worthy of a purchase. We expect a good amount of VR game announcements from Sony and possibly a finalized release date for the system in October.
We expect Sony to devote 30 minutes of its 90 minute presentation to VR related topics.
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What do you think? Let us know in the comments if our VR predictions for E3 are crazy or on point. And, if you have any better ones, go ahead and write those down as well.
