The best six days of video games is back, Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles starts Tuesday but first, we get treated to publishers and game developers taking part in high budget stage productions clamoring to find a spot on consumers wishlists and tweets. What was once known as Media Monday is now an entire weekend full of press conferences.

Below you’ll find the schedule for each and links (or embedded here when possible) to watch the press conferences as they happen.

SATURDAY, June 9

Electronic Arts-

All the usual FIFA, Madden, and Battlefield suspects will be on display at EA Play but what remains to be seen is how far along Bioware’s (Mass Effect) Anthem has come in a year and what the company will follow up the successful EA Original A Way Out with.

11AM PT // 2PM ET // 7PM BST // 4AM AEST (6/10)

SUNDAY, June 10

Microsoft Xbox

1PM PT // 4PM ET // 9PM BST // 6AM AEST (6/11)

The company with the most to prove at E3 isn’t off to the best pre-show start with the announcement of its big exclusive Crackdown 3 being delayed to 2019. It’s a move that, while leaving a mark on their chin, is a necessary step when weighed against the possibility of releasing another exclusive game this year to lukewarm reviews. I may not talk about Xbox as much as I would like to but you can’t deny the value they have in the industry and a healthy Xbox is good for everyone. Taking more time to polish Crackdown hopefully pays off for Microsoft in the long run. The Crackdown delay isn’t a decision that was reached yesterday, Xbox knew going into E3 they would need to fill their conference without it. That gets me even more interested in seeing just how Phil Spencer and his team will steer the message of the Xbox One this year using games.

https://www.youtube.com/user/xbox/

Bethesda

6:30PM PT // 9:30PM ET // 2:30 AM BST (6/11) // 11:30 AM AEST (6/11)

Rage 2 and Fallout 76 have already got the gaming world buzzing in a polarizing way yet the company has promised it has not given away its biggest surprise which is likely a brand new IP. Over the years Bethesda has grown from a one game at a time studio to a powerhouse publisher capable of delivering multiple quality titles. They’ve carved out a successful Sunday night niche ever since they started doing press conferences before E3. Personally, I’m still upset I missed Blink 182 at their showcase a few years back.

Watch live video from Bethesda on www.twitch.tv

Devolver Digital-

8PM PT/11PM ET

Devolver has issued an apology in advance of their upcoming press conference.

Watch live video from DevolverDigital on www.twitch.tv

MONDAY, JUNE 11

Square Enix

10AM PT // 1PM ET // 6PM BST // 3AM AEST (6/12)

We know two things are certain for Square Enix at E3; Shadow of the Tomb Raider and Kingdom Hearts III. Both games were on display for E3 prejudging events and are the brands focus releases this calendar year. But the publisher has one more bullet in the chamber in the form of the hottest pop culture property going, Marvel. It would be a massive shock and a bad business move if Square Enix didn’t at least give an update on the Avengers project they’ve been using studio Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider) to develop. Even if the game won’t see release in 2018, the world of Marvel fandom is ripe for influence after Black Panther, the juggernaut that was Infinity War, and the upcoming Ant-Man and The Wasp movies.

Watch live video from Square Enix on www.twitch.tv

 

Limited Run Games-

12PM PT/3PM ET

Known for taking cult hit games that don’t get out of the digital storefronts and giving them highly sought after collectible physical releases, Limited Run Games will be hosting its own conference.

Watch live video from LimitedRunGames on www.twitch.tv

Ubisoft-

1PM PT // 4PM ET // 9PM BST // 6AM AEST (6/12)

It might be the most predictable conference of all the 3rd party publishers, mostly due to the fact its been atrocious over the past few years. Hopefully, this will be the year Ubisoft stops leaning on celebrity recognition and instead focuses on their stable of games. You can have five minutes to mention things like the latest Just Dance, but with heavy hitters such as The Division 2, Splinter Cell, and likely a new Watch Dogs; there’s tons of material to build a games-focused presentation. My out of left field thought is Ubisoft will announce another South Park game. With two titles based on Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s crude animated series under their belt, Ubisoft has the process down and can at least mention the name of a new South Park project.

PC Gaming Show

3PM PT // 6PM ET // 11PM BST // 8AM AEST (6/12)

The most advanced tech in gaming is always on display at the PC Gaming Show. It never gets the attention that its console counterparts get but this is where fans get to see emerging peripherals from Razer, Alienware, and more alongside dream games. Plus after Valve’s hands-off approach in curating the STEAM library, they’re going to need to talk about the future of PC’s biggest digital games platform.

Watch live video from PCGamer on www.twitch.tv

Watch online at YouTube Gaming

 

PlayStation

6PM PT // 9PM ET // 2AM BST (6/12) // 11AM AEST (6/12)

This generation’s undisputed champ of E3, Sony are going into this year more transparent than prior shows. The company has already made it clear the focus will be on its “big 4”; The Last of Us Part II, Death Stranding, Ghosts of Tsushima, and Marvel’s Spider-Man. They’ve even let go of announcing games during their pre-show coverage by counting down the days to E3 with the mini reveals which would normally go unnoticed. It’s a smart approach that ensures more spotlight on things like the new Tetris developed by the team that made the trippy VR experience Rez Infinite. As for the conference itself, just because we know what’s coming doesn’t mean we know how it’s coming. It’s time to see the parts of Marvel’s Spider-Man that will give players the Marvel experience. It’s time to answer some of the mystery surrounding the woman in the Paris Games Week Last of Us Part II trailer. After pretty much launching Infamous Second Son with the PlayStation 4, it’s time for Sucker Punch to show what their take on feudal Japan will play like in Ghosts of Tsushima. It’s probably not time to see a ton of Death Stranding but maybe Kojima will finally turn into one of his weird creations on stage.

Watch live video from PlayStation on www.twitch.tvTUESDAY, June 12

Nintendo

9AM PT // 12PM ET // 5PM BST // 2AM AEST (6/13)

The Nintendo Switch is a meteoric success for the company with about 20 million units sold in over a year. They’ve followed the right path in supporting the hardware this time around. Dripping new games based on its mascot characters such as Mario and Link while bringing over the titles fans who skipped the Wii U generation missed out on like Maro Kart Deluxe. But perhaps their best move is in realizing that when the biggest 3rd party companies won’t support your game system you look to the emerging independents. Nindies have given the Switch a steady pulse in the form of gaming variety. Having truly on the go experiences with games such as Overcooked and Death Squared give the system value to the consumer. This E3 might be headlined by Samus and Smash Bros, but its support 3rd parties could give Nintendo some of its most newsworthy bits.

https://e3.nintendo.com

The full schedule for E3 Colosseum June 12-14 can be found here.

All this week, we’ll be at E3 bringing you impressions from some of the most anticipated games and the stuff that should be on your radar.

Comments are closed.