E3 2018

[Nester the Lark]

Here's Nintendo's plans and schedule for this year's E3.

So, predictions? Surely Nintendo has more on deck for the Switch's "crucial second year" than just Smash and Labo.

[Leon]

Fire Emblem and Yoshi is for 2018, as well as Pokemon potentially. They expect to move 20 million units of hardware this fiscal year, so there should be some big movers in the pipe.

[nocturnal YL]

I'm still curious about their "20 million" statement.

How can they sell more than life-to-date in just a (non-first) year? How can they beat Mario Kart, Mario, Zelda, Splatoon and more, combined? They still have other potential big hitters like Pokemon and Smash, and maybe they'll release Animal Crossing this year, but I don't those can sell 20m more units in addition to those 18m already sold.

I think E3 will generally feel good, but it'll probably fail to appeal to my very specific wishes.

Anyway, some predictions. I don't think trying to predict Nintendo will end up well, but here goes:

• Pokemon won't have a 2018 release date. It's likely not ready yet, and Sun and Moon are still fresh in memory.
• Smash will have the same game system, but with different contents. Currently not interested until they announce more details.
• I heard that Fire Emblem will have a shift in art style and have characters with a more realistic proportion. I'll probably complain initially, much like Awakening.
• Other stuff: New kits for Nintendo Labo, Mario Golf (since Tennis is out), and some 3DS game nobody asks for.

[Evie ❤✿]

I wonder whether the following are going to be included in some way in the next Smash Bros. due to them being registered with the Smash Bros. logo at around the same time, or if Nintendo is just renewing some of their older trademarks.

www.nintendolife.com/news/2018/05/nintendo_applies_for_a_whole_bunch_of_trademarks_including_star_fox_f-zero_and_more

[Da Robot]

^ Weird bunch of trademarks, (Flipnote Studio?, Wii Series?) Happy to see Art Style get acknowledged, wouldn't be surprised if Skip was making a collection of all the games (including the ones now unobtainable from WiiWare) for the 3DS/Switch. Still safer to assume it's just the generic trademark renewal. I mean Eternal Darkness has had multiple renewals and yet nothing has appeared.

E3 should hopefully be good this year even just waiting for Smash, hopefully Retro finally unveils their newest project.

EDIT: Here's the worldwide times for E3 2018 from Cheesemeister.

[nocturnal YL]

I wonder if there's any reason for the press conference order to go this way. Sony have taken advantage of their late time slot to stab at other platform makers, so I want to see what would they do if they go before Microsoft.

Nintendo's presentation fits my time zone (any my unhealthy sleep schedule) quite well.

[Nester the Lark]

Well, I don't have much to say about Microsoft's conference, though obviously, I'm not the target audience.

Devil May Cry 5 wasn't unexpected, but I wasn't expecting it to be announced at Microsoft's conference.

The teaser for a new Battletoads was nice, but it would've been nicer if there had been actual gameplay or something.

They also showed a lot more JRPGs than I was expecting. Two, to be precise.

Overall, they showed tons of games, announced new games in a lot of big franchises, and I think they made their fan base pretty happy.

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EDIT: So, Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition, which was one of the two JRPGs at Microsoft's conference, is also coming to Switch, PS4 and PC.

[Nester the Lark]

Even tho I'm not really into Bathesda's games, I really enjoyed their conference. It made me realize how bored I got during Microsoft's conference.

I was also surprised how many little nods they gave to the Switch. Even though they didn't announce any "big" games for it, it got an occasional mention and showed up in some of their promo videos. Also, a couple of their free-to-play mobile games, The Elder Scrolls: Legends (a card battling game) and Fallout Shelter (a sim-style game), are getting Switch versions. Fallout Shelter is available right now. Elder Scrolls: Legends is coming this fall.

I also watched Devolver Digital's "conference" (or whatever it was). I didn't really care about it, but it was mercifully short.

[Nester the Lark]

Ubisoft conference highlights:

New trailer for Beyond Good & Evil 2, featuring Pey'j and Jade.



Trailer for the Donkey Kong DLC in Mario+Rabbids.



And finally, the surprise reveal, Star Fox content in the Switch version of Starlink.



I perked up the instant I heard the gibberish.

---

EDIT: In non-conference related news, here's a trailer for an extra level added to the Switch version of Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy.

[Da Robot]

^That Starlink, Starfox content was unexpected, it's interesting that the design resembles the Assault version of the Arwing.


A few hours left to go!

Prediction time
-Starfox from Retro
-Bayonetta 3
-Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion more details
-Ridley in Smash
-Wario Land for 3DS
-Pikmin 4
-Some sort of Animal Crossing game tease for Switch
-GCN VC on Switch

-Prime 4 will get a new story teaser trailer but no live gameplay footage on stage floor
-Nothing for Labo
-Some sort of reference to the infamous E3 2008?


EDIT: For anyone that needs it, links to Nintendo streaming the presentation.
www.youtube.com/user/Nintendo/

e3.nintendo.com/

[nocturnal YL]

2 hours to go. I'd just pass the time by playing games. I'm most certainly not calm enough to really play games, though…

I can't think of new predictions. I was actually thinking of making a bingo card just for fun, but there's no way I can make so many predictions.

Oh, right. Animal Crossing. Everyone's saying this, but come on. It's currently the biggest non-new IP that's not yet on Switch.

[Nester the Lark]

Sony's conference was... interesting. It started in a church tent where they showed gameplay(?) for The Last of Us 2, and then they went to an intermission with a boring interview segment while they moved the entire audience to another venue. Add in some technical issues, and it was a really awkward start to their conference. But after that, things picked up and it ended strongly.

As for Nintendo, I suppose I don't really have predictions as much as things I'm wondering.

- Will they introduce Shuntaro Furukawa?
- Will Smash Bros Switch just be a glorified port with at least 80% content recycled from previous games?
- Will Rayman be in it?
- Will there be anything Zelda-related, like Skyward Sword HD or a Sheik spinoff game?
- Is it too early to show gameplay of Metroid Prime 4 or Bayonetta 3?
- New F-Zero?
- Will they reveal the DLC for Xenoblade Chronicles 2? What about Monolith Soft's new game?

Now my expectations are getting too high. I'd better just relax and watch it.

EDIT: All right, maybe one prediction: they'll announce a version of Super Mario Maker for Switch.

[nocturnal YL]

Okay, so… Among Nintendo games, we have a Fire Emblem trailer, some Xenoblade 2 DLC (I think), Super Mario Party, and Smash.

…And that's it.

Smash looks excellent, but it's also the only news.

But really, I think Smash alone has won me over. And that's from someone who got rather tired of Smash.

[Nester the Lark]

Well, that was an interesting Smash Bros Direct.

Sarcasm aside, I guess I hoped for a little more variety, but then, most people were only really interested in Smash anyway. I don't really have much to say about it, yet.

The DLC for Xenoblade Chronicles 2 looked really good, tho, and makes me reconsider getting it.

Also, I look forward to seeing more about that Daemon X Machina game.

EDIT: Oh yeah, forgot about Fire Emblem: Three Houses. (Does the name imply there will be three versions?)

The groups of characters fighting made me wonder if a little Advance Wars is sneaking into Fire Emblem.

[Da Robot]

A 45 minute presentation taken up with 25 minutes of Smash. That wasn't what I was expecting, wanted more reveals.
The two Switch intergration in Super Mario Party was interesting, looks like that patent from a few months ago was for this. Fire Emblem TreeHouse Three Houses addition of more soldiers around the characters look cool.

Back to Smash though . . .
-RIDLEY
-Clones are now Echo fighters!
-Daisy is an Echo!
-Suakapon assist trophy!
-Takamaru assist trophy . . .
-New faster Final Smashes
-NO MORE LANDMASTAAAAA
-RIDLEY
-EVERY fighter returns
-New cosmetic alts
-Ganondorf looks like he has Ike style sword Smash attacks
-Saffron City is a returning stage!
-Inkling looks like an interesting fighter
-Callie & Marie assist trophy
-RIDLEY

EDIT:
More new assist trophies
-Badge arcade bunny with claw
-Krystal with staff and design from Star Fox Adventures
-And Kunckles!

Also more than one AT on the stage at a time!