Electronic Arts is doing things a bit differently this year in terms of E3. While they won’t actually have a show floor presence inside of E3, EA will still be visiting Los Angeles to deliver gaming news and demos alike through EA Play. EA Play will act as an independent event kicking off on Sunday, June 12 at 1:00PM PDT and will feature a live-streamed conference filled with all the gaming news goodies we look for this time of year. Don’t think everything stops Sunday however, as EA Play will be streaming new games and general news throughout the week.
Let’s take a look at what games we can expect EA to share with us this year.
Battlefield 1
Probably the most obvious game coming from EA this year is Battlefield 1. With a old take on an old franchise, EA is looking at Battlefield 1 to bring a revitalized sense to a series who’s hit some stumbles on its last few games. Battlefield 1 brings the player back into the heated conflict of World War 1. With a reworked melee combat system, a fresh new campaign, and the return of large destructible environments and weapon customization, Battlefield 1 is certainly promising a lot. But there is always more to see and EA has promised a brand new trailer to appear on the day of the EA Play.
EA has encountered many struggles with server issues in the past, so here’s hoping they can address the issues and assure their playerbase of a stable and secure Battlefield 1 release. The public response to Battlefield 1 has been incredibly positive so far, even becoming the most liked game trailer on YouTube, and EA definitely needs to keep the hype train on the tracks for a big release on October 21 of this year.
Titanfall 2
When Titanfall 2 was announced many stood on the fence, yet very hopeful. We weren’t given too much information, however it looks like the game will be receiving a big reveal at EA Play. What we do know is that there are once again scifi mechs and they have giant mech swords, which is super awesome. But gundam fever dream aside, Respawn Entertainment has much to answer for in relation to the original game’s pitfalls. A story mode, more customization options, and larger-scale environments are just some of the things we’d like to see come out of Titanfall 2. At the very least, we can expect general information and a trailer to come from EA’s official reveal and if we’re lucky enough, maybe some extended gameplay.
There is a lot riding on the success of the reveal and how well it’s received will definitely set the tempo of excitement for Titanfall 2 in the months to come. There isn’t any word on a release date yet, however that may be something we’ll see during the reveal.
Mass Effect: Andromeda
Mass Effect: Andromeda is quite possibly the most anticipated game at E3 this year. The setting takes place after the events of the first three games, but in the Andromeda galaxy. Don’t get confused though, as Andromeda is not considered the fourth installment in the series. Though set in the same universe, Andromeda will feature a new protagonist, which par for the course, will be playable as either a male or female character. The extent of what we’ve seen on Andromeda comes in the form of a beautiful cinematic, slick looking new armor (sporting the classic N7 logo of course), and a new, customisable Mako vehicle. We’ll certainly expect to see more about Andromeda at EA Play, very likely in the form of a trailer introducing the new galaxy and possibly some gameplay.
The previous trilogy ended on sour note for a lot of people, however despite this, the series is incredibly beloved generations over. You can be sure that when the Mass Effect logo appears on stream, everyone will be on the edge of their seats.
SPORTS!
No year would be complete without a slew of new sports games and 2016 is no different. As always, we can expect to see new information on the FIFA, Madden, and NHL franchises. It’s also incredibly likely they’ll bring up a famous sports player to talk about all the ways in which his movements were captured to create a “real” and “immersive” sports experience.
In all seriousness, the tech and design for these games tend to change year after year so it’ll be interesting to see what new developments EA can bring to their sports franchises this year.
New Bioware IP
A new Bioware IP has been in development for awhile now and according to a series of tweets from the Bioware boss himself, Alistair McNally, the game has a playable version. This means it’s pretty likely we’ll be seeing the game at EA Play this year. There hasn’t been much information regarding the new IP, but maybe we’ll be seeing the version McNally has been spending his time with. Bioware is known for very story driven, RPG experiences, but it isn’t exactly clear if this game will follow suit.
As crazy as it may sound, be sure to check the clothes of the Bioware team at the event as McNally supposedly revealed the new IP via his shirt at GDC last year. Not the most standard way to reveal a game, but hey, at least they keep things interesting.
Star Wars
With the huge resurgence of Star Wars popularity, EA has hit the ground running on creating games to follow the trend. You can definitely expect to hear about the future of the Battlefront series during EA Play and maybe the announcement of some new DLC for the current game. What’s really interesting though, is the mysterious new Star Wars game EA has been keeping under wraps. Both Visceral Games and EA’s Motive Studios have been attached to the game and are being directed by Jade Raymond, an industry vet. They even have the former Uncharted series’ head writer, Amy Hennig, penning the “new, authentic” project. There have been numerous hints that hidden project may not be hidden much longer and will be unveiled at EA Play this year. It’s hard to know what to expect, but with the teams attached, it’s probable we’ll see a very story and character driven game.
There is a lot of focus being put on the video game future of the Star Wars franchise under EA. Battlefront was hit or miss with many people, so there’s a lot EA needs to make up for. But with powerful teams behind it, you can expect the new Star Wars game to be something very special.
CHECK OUT MORE:
- Blizzard at E3 2016: What to Expect Them to Show
- Activision at E3 2016: What to Expect Them to Show
- Bethesda at E3 2016: What to Expect Them to Show
- Ubisoft at E3 2016: What to Expect Them to Show
- Square Enix at E3 2016: What to Expect Them to Show
Published: Jun 8, 2016 08:49 pm