E3 week is almost here, and with it will come an avalanche of new announcements. A few early leaks have sought to ruin the surprise, but as we've learned over the years not all of them can be trusted.
Although it seems that there aren't as many rumors appearing before E3 2015 as opposed to previous years, there are enough to warrant discussion. In the gallery below I'll go over several of the big-ticket items, and share whether or not they're likely to come true.
Real or Fake: 10 Big E3 2015 Rumors That Are Likely or Unlikely To Come True
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Likely: Dark Souls 3 Announcement With 2016 Release Year
Source: Multiple screenshots by The Know.
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rnMy Take: The screenshots look completely legitimate, at the very least confirming the existence of Dark Souls 3. Its presence at E3 2015 is likely since there is no confirmed upcoming game being made by From Software, and supposedly only half of its workforce worked on Bloodborne.
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rnWhy It's Exciting: From Software's RPGs have consistently been the best that the genre has to offer. Bloodborne recently released to incredible fanfare and demonstrated that the studio has ideas for how to tweak the mechanics of its Souls formula to make something fresh and exciting. -
Unlikely: Dishonored 2 Appears For First Time
Source: Insider information. rn rnMy Take: It was just over a year ago that Dishonored 2 was "leaked" by an anonymous source. I have full reason to believe that the game is in development, and perhaps not too far from release, but Bethesda already has a ton of other games to show during its press conference. There's also a report that states Arkane Studios needs more time to refine the game before it's ready to show it off. I suspect that it will be revealed later in the year at a time of Bethesda's choosing. For now, it'll focus on Fallout 4, BattleCry, and Doom. -
Likely: Fallout 4 Coming in 2015
Source: Retailer postings and insider information.
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rnMy Take: Fallout 4 was announced via a debut trailer before E3 2015, but no release date was shared. However, there are bits of information that lead me to believe that it will arrive this year. For one, pre-order codes expire October 31st. Second, virtually every online retailer has it marked for 2015. Lastly, a supposed ex-Bethesda employee stated that it's a 2015 title in a significant pre-announcement post.
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rnWhy It's Exciting: This new generation of gaming is missing large-scale titles. Dragon Age: Inquisition and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt have come to the rescue, but this world still needs a new title from Bethesda, the kind of open-world RPGs. Fallout 4 is just what is exactly what is needed. -
Likely: Gears of War 4 and Gears of War Remastered Announcements
Source: Developer and insider information.
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rnMy Take: The development studio in-charge of the next Gears of War game recently changed its name from Black Tusk Studio to The Coalition. Shortly thereafter, studio head Rob Fergusson stated that fans of the Gears of War franchise will see all the great work they have done during E3. It doesn't get any more clear than that. In addition, there was a significant leak that a Gears of War Remaster will be arriving later this year thanks to a test build going public.
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rnWhy It's Exciting: While the last Gears of War, Gears of War: Judgment, was by far the worst entry in the franchise, it belonged to a series that has achieved remarkable success over the years. We haven't seen a game from the franchise in two years, and now we have new hardware to be taken advantage of. -
Likely: Mirror\'s Edge: Catalyst Shown
Source: Developer.
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rnMy Take: During the writing of this feature Mirror's Edge: Catalyst was officially announced. It makes sense that it'll be shown at E3, just a week from now.
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rnWhy It's Exciting: Mirror's Edge was a very ambitious game when it came out in 2008. Also, it was a new IP from EA, a publisher that typically doesn't take big chances. The IP has a ton of potential, and this could be a huge hit. -
Likely: Super Mario Sunshine 2 to End Wii U\'s Life Cycle
Source: Fans.
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rnMy Take: There is no substance to the source of this rumor, but it makes sense. Nintendo milks Mario for all its worth, and the Wii U hasn't seen a major Mario game in more than 18 months. A 3D Mario game to finish off the Wii U's life-cycle is likely, and Super Mario Sunshine 2 seems like a safe bet now that the Super Mario Galaxy games have run their course.
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rnWhy It's Exciting: Super Mario Sunshine is revered among fans of Nintendo and platformers alike. It was an outstanding game that fans have requested a sequel of for more than a decade. -
Unlikely: Persona 5 Gameplay Demonstration and Release Date
Source: Fans.
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rnMy Take: Persona 5 is considered a Japan-focused franchise. It makes way more sense that Sony saves what it has to show of the game for Tokyo Game Show 2015 later this year. That doesn't mean it can't tease, once again, with some gameplay woven into its press conference. -
Unlikely: PS4 Price Drop
Source: Insider information.
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rnMy Take: Sony as a corporation is struggling financially, but the PlayStation brand is one of its few successes. At $399, the PS4 is selling a record amount of consoles, allowing Sony to reap profits in the process. Given that it's already competitive at this price point, and GDDR5 memory makes its cost to manufacture quite high, it makes more strategic sense for Sony to wait another year before making a big move. In the meantime, it can afford to bundle big titles such as The Last of Us Remastered with the console to increase the value of purchase. -
Unlikely: Silent Hills to Be Saved
Source: Insider information. rn rnMy Take: Key players from Silent Hills' team, including Guillermo Del Toro, have openly shared that the game is in-fact dead in the water. A Microsoft acquisition was proven false by the one and only Xbox head Phil Spencer, as if it didn't already sound like a bunch of nonsense. Silent Hill has never been big on sales numbers, so there's very little chance that this high-potential Horror game will ever be salvaged. -
Unlikely: The Last Guardian\'s Existence Proven
Source: Fans in denial.
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rnMy Take: The Last Guardian is dead. Let it be.
