E3 2012: Predictions

What surprises will this year's expo hold?
What will all the build-up the gaming press have given to this year's E3 Expo, it's hard to believe that the event itself is just around the corner. And yet here we are, with just a couple of days to go until it all kicks off. Here are a list of my predictions for the exciting week we have ahead of us...
MICROSOFT
HALO 4- It's no secret that Microsoft will want to utilise their flagship game of 2012, 343 Industries' first sci-fi foray in Halo 4, to their absolute advantage by showcasing a brand new demo of the game with its new planet, new enemies and new narrative off to the world. Expect surprises galore, plus some kind of Kinect integration a la Combat Evolved Anniversary.
KINECT- And speaking of Kinect, as ever don't be surprised to see the 360's nifty motion peripheral pop up on countless occassions throughout their conference. I'd predict we'll see Kinect Sports: Season Three, Dance Central 3, Harry Potter For Kinect, Ryse, Fable: The Journey, Forza Horizon and Marvel Avengers: Battle For Earth all shown off in the 90 minute showing, as well as perhaps integration into a few other core titles.
THIRD PARTY SUPPORT- Of course, Microsoft know they have the backing of an infinite number of third-party developers too. As such, as they promote 'Entertainment Evolved', expect titles including Call Of Duty: Black Ops II, Darksiders II, Transformers: Fall Of Cybertron, Lost Planet 3 and the new Star Wars game franchise to crop up in some form or another.
A NEW IP- If we're lucky some of the biggest head honchos in gaming will also have stumbled onto the realisation that Halo, Fable, Gears and Forza alone cannot carry the Xbox 360's weight, and as such hopefully there'll be a new franchise of some kind to speak of too. With any luck, it'll have the annual status that can get it to the right level of fame for a sequel to form part of next Winter's 720 launch line-up.
THE FUTURE- Although I doubt big time that we'll see any sign of the next Xbox at the conference, I have no doubt that the console will be teased in some form. On top of that, expect a few BIG surprises for 2013 releases above those I've mentioned so Microsoft can keep ahold of its 360 fanbase in the console's final months.
SONY
VITA- Sony's portable console has been met with mixed reception so far due to the lack of killer apps. If there's one thing that Sony's conference will attempt to do, it's fix that in any concievable way possible. Expect appearances from Assassin's Creed, Call Of Duty, FIFA and other potential big Vita ports/spin-off at their conference.
THE LAST OF US- Naughty Dog are back for another round of thriller action with The Last Of Us, so now we can probably expect a full gameplay reveal along with a release window (and/or specific date) and launch details for this highly anticipated adventure.
MOVE'S RESURRECTION- Sony will likely be eager to get their Move peripheral back off the ground too. Like The Amazing Spider-Man, I'd say we'll get loads of Move-integrated third-party titles shown off here just as Microsoft will do with Kinect and Nintendo with WiiU ports.
GOD OF WAR: ASCENSION- Not too long ago now, Sony revealed a new God Of War prequel was on its way in 2013. Expect to see loads more of that through gameplay and the first release details showcased at the conference.
HD COLLECTIONS- One of the PS3's core marketing strengths for cult fandom has been its ability to revive old franchises like Jak & Daxter and Devil May Cry. I would anticipate that Sony will play on this strength further here, revealing all new HD collections for fans to indulge in.
THE FUTURE- Again, Sony will be eager to ensure that fans have plenty of reasons to stick with their PS3 consoles for at least another year. I would imagine the PlayStation 4 will launch in early 2014, so don't expect much (if anything) in the way of reveals for it here other than perhaps the odd hint.
NINTENDO
WIIU- First and foremost, we should expect Nintendo's WiiU console to lead the charge in terms of their overall conference. That means pricing, dates, you name it, the details should start to trickle out right here, right now!
SUPER MARIO- And if there was ever a gaming icon vital in launching the WiiU, it is of course Mario himself. Expect the re-done version of New Super Mario Bros Mii to appear with some big surprises, possibly a new 3D Mario title and of course the 3DS' upcoming sequel New Super Mario Bros 2.
LAUNCH TITLES- In terms of what games you can expect to ship with the WiiU, don't be surprised to see a lot more games debuted here. Avengers: Battle For Earth, Assassin's Creed III, Darksiders II and Batman: Arkham City Game Of The Year Edition are all likely to feature in some way in order to show off how and why gamers should buy these ports again with new dual-screen functionality.
3DS' FUTURE- It will also be time for Nintendo to prove too that the 3DS still has life left in it, so perhaps new Zelda and Metroid titles will be unveiled along with a few more casual entries.