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For video game fans and pundits alike, one of the fun things about the annual Electronic Entertainment Expo (aka E3) is guessing what's going to happen at E3 before E3 actually happens.
After all, E3?? which gets under way in Los Angeles next week ? is the biggest and possibly most important video game show?of the year and a place where companies like Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo and many others like to reveal and unveil their newest hardware and their most exciting new games and innovations.
(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBCUniversal.)
That means, every year right about this time, game journalists try to wring advance info from their sources and try to sleuth their way to some hidden nuggets of gaming gold. Some of what they find ?turns out to be true. Some it turns out to be little more than wishful thinking.
But this year, many gamers' biggest rumor-fueled?E3 hopes have been dashed with companies quashing some of the most interesting and exciting rumors making the rounds. Sony and Microsoft insist we won't get to see a new Xbox or PlayStation, Valve says no-go on the rumored Steam Box or a new Half-Life game, and Bungie says we won't get to see their project "Destiny."
Darnit! Still, there's plenty of juicy game gossip making the rounds and frankly, some of it is looking pretty solid ... not to mention pretty awesome. Here?s a look at some of the most intriguing E3 rumors.
A redesigned Nintendo 3DSand Wii U
Gaming blog Kotaku.com reported Thursday that the Amazon store in Japan has run out of Nintendo's 3-D displaying handheld game device. The 3DS?shortage has fueled some long-running?rumors that Nintendo may be about to introduce a new 3DS model ? and may just reveal it at E3.
Will the device have the two analog sticks that gamers so wish it had? Perhaps a battery that lasts longer? Will it have a bigger screen like the good ol' supersized Nintendo DSi XL? Well, for starters, we'll find out if it even exists?next Tuesday when Nintendo hosts its annual E3 press conference.
Meanwhile, Nintendo unveiled its forthcoming game console ? the Wii U ? for the first time at last year's E3. And there's no doubt the game giant will be showing off the machine in a big way at this year's E3. And if the rumor mill is correct, it seems the Wii U will come with something of a new look.
Recently leaked photos indicate the console's tablet-like controller has been redesigned to include two proper analog sticks rather than two control sliders, as well as some other small changes. The leaked pics seem pretty legit and the changes definitely make good sense.
Certainly one thing we expect to see at this E3 is the Wii U in its final form. But two things Nintendo has said we should not expect to find out at this year's E3 ? the Wii U's price tag and its release date (though, yes, it is still expected to arrive sometime at the end of the year).
Sony heads to the cloud and into e-books
One of two big Sony rumors making the rounds at the moment is that the gaming and electronics giant is about to jump into cloud gaming in a big way. According to MCV, sources have revealed that Sony will soon fully acquire one of the two big cloud gaming companies???OnLive or Gaikai. (Though it's looking more and more like it'll be Gaikai.)
OnLive and Gaikai tout their ability to deliver streaming, high-quality games without the need for dedicated hardware. So what would this mean for Sony's PlayStation 4 and the company's overall game strategy? It would mean, well, some very big changes, that's for sure. Big budget console games might no longer be confined to game consoles, just?for starters.
It had previously been rumored that Sony would reveal a cloud-gaming partnership at its E3 press conference. So it seems this even bigger acquisition news could make an even bigger splash next Monday. Certainly it would put Sony in a new and very intriguing position in the game business.
Meanwhile, a second, somewhat less sexy rumor, also brought to us by MCV, is that Sony will be getting into the e-book business with the unveiling of something called Storyteller. Storyteller will see books and interactive documents ? largely aimed at children???brought to the PlayStation 3 and possibly the Vita through the PlayStation Network Store. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me ... but maybe things will be clearer after Monday's press conference.
A new game from Quantic Dream ? Speaking of Sony, rumors are coming fast and furious claiming that the developers behind the haunting, ground-breaking PS3 title "Heavy Rain" will reveal their new game at Sony's press conference.
After Quantic Dream showed off their new motion-capture technology with the heart-wrenching short "Kara" earlier this year, it doesn?t seem far-fetched they'd follow up with news about a new game. Computer and Video Games claims "a trusted senior development source" has told them the Paris studio will reveal one of the two projects it is working on at E3. Meanwhile, over at Kotaku, they've rounded up a fair bit of evidence to back up the rumor.
And here's hoping that whatever this new game is, it's as gripping as "Kara" was.
Xbox Music Center ??Some sleuthing by Kotaku?and The Verge has turned up some interesting details suggesting that Microsoft will be?unveiling a new music service during its E3 press conference Monday. The so-called Xbox Music Center ? hinted at in LinkedIn listings and Microsoft?job openings ? would be a replacement for the ill-fated Zune music.
The Verge describes it as being "Spotify-like," and will integrate seamlessly with Facebook, to allow friends to build group playlists. It is also expected to have a "scan and match" function, similar to iTunes Match, which will acknowledge a user?s pre-existing music collection.
An Xbox-based music service certainly makes sense considering Microsoft's ongoing push to make?the Xbox not just a game machine but a household?hub for all forms of?entertainment.
The debut of 'Grand Theft Auto V'
Ever since the first trailer for the new installment in the storied Grand Theft Auto franchise was revealed last year, gamers have been desperate to see and hear more. So it's not surprising that the rumor mill has churned up word that "GTA V" will make some kind of appearance at this year's E3.
But keep that excitement in check. According to CVG, its "trusted sources" say developer Rockstar Games "has no plans for E3." Of course, even if that is true, that doesn't necessarily mean the game's publisher ? Take-Two Interactive ? doesn't have any "GTA V" goodies in store for us. ?Our fingers crossed on that one.
Battlefield Premium ? ?Some pretty firm rumors suggest that EA is gearing up to reveal a Battlefield Premium service during its press conference Monday. Battlefield Premium, which was leaked in a blog post and fact sheet?earlier this week, will cost a one-time $50 fee and offer early access to "Battlefield 3" downloadable content as well as perks and "powerful new features" and seems to be EA's answer to rival Activision's Call of Duty Elite service.
Honestly, this bit o' news is shaping up to be less of a rumor and more of a fact. It seems EA has now told?Joystiq,??Looks like the excitement for Battlefield Premium cannot be contained.?For details, please visit Battlefield.com on June 4.?
Rumors ... or reality? Tune in to find out
Will these rumors turn into reality? Be sure to follow our In-Game team as it hits the Los Angeles convention center next week?to bring you all the breaking video game news.
Stay tuned here to In-Game to catch our coverage of the press conferences. But also be sure to check out our In-Game Facebook page as well as our Twitter feeds: @ToddKenreck and @WindaBenedetti.
In-Game editor?Todd Kenreck will also bring you ongoing snapshots from the E3 floor via his @ToddKenreck Instagram account. And don't miss the E3 experiences from video producer Matt Rivera who?will be posting via his Twitter and Instagram accounts here: @MattRivera.
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