There is a certain level of heart-pounding excitement that begins to build within the chests of every gamer every year, as Father Time pushes the pages of the calendar: from May to June.

That palpable excitement, that insane level of giddy hype and impossible expectations can only mean one thing:

E3 is almost here!!

E3 2016 is just under two weeks away and the anticipation and rumors surrounding what will be shown by the big three console makers is at a fever pitch.

Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo will be entering this year’s event with very different objectives in mind.

Will new hardware be announced?

Will there be a focus on VR, or is it a fad that has faded before its left the ground?

Will Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda live up to expectations?

Last week, NerdBacon started our series on the hopes and expectations of the three major console manufacturers with a look at Nintendo, and what they hope to achieve as they enter E3 2016.

We then looked at Microsoft, and what wonders they might bring to the E3 2016 buffet.

Today, we conclude our series with a look at Sony, and how they might position the PlayStation 4 in the coming months.

Please keep in mind that this article is based solely on my opinion and speculation. I don’t have any inside info on what may or may not be presented at their respective conferences and I may be entirely off-base on my predictions, however if I somehow manage score at least a 90% on those predictions, I respectfully request that you honor my mental acumen by sending me a box of cookies.

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It’s been one full year since Sony rocked the world with the most shocking E3 press event in history.

Sure, there had been impressive E3 moments before; however, announcements of games like Final Fantasy VII: Remake and Shenmue 3 were announcements that we were never supposed to see.

Yet there they were – in one fell-swoop Sony delivered an amazing display of shock and awe to the gaming world. They also anchored that with a long-awaited re-reveal for the long delayed, Last Guardian, and also the debut of the fantastic-looking, Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Since that momentous show, Sony has remained in the driver’s seat of the 8th generation. Although the 2015 holiday season was again absent a major release from one of Sony’s own studio’s, (aside from a remaster of the Uncharted trilogy) that didn’t matter much to consumers, as they pushed PlayStation 4 sales over the 35 million mark.

Sony entered 2016 with two major exclusives in Street Fighter V and Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. The later of which, from all accounts, will be very tough to beat as a contender for the best game of 2016.

They also gave a solid release date for the PlayStation VR, which has the greatest potential to make Virtual Reality a household item. This is due to PlayStation’s titanic advantage in brand recognition versus competitors HTC and Oculus, as well as the immense cash they will likely spend on marketing the device. It also helps that both the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift require beefy PC’s to run, which the average consumer may not have. It’s also worth noting that Oculus has had a difficult time in getting their product in the hands of the early adopters that pre-ordered the system.

All of these factors combine to practically hand the virtual reality market to Sony on a silver platter.

There are however, two obstacles in the road to VR Sony’s dominance.

The first is whatever potential VR solution Microsoft is able to devise. In my Microsoft E3 2016 Game Plan article, I predicted an alliance between Microsoft and Oculus that would see the Rift VR platform brought to the Xbox One. If such an arrangement were made, and please let me stress that this is all speculation, then this would create a de facto standard for VR.

The second obstacle is the same one that is facing anyone looking to produce a VR device.

Will consumers buy into the possibly of VR, or is this just a passing fad?

VR requires a machine with a lot of horsepower – the cost of which, coupled with the cost of the headset itself, makes adopting the technology somewhat prohibitive.

It’s that need for extra processing horsepower that brings us to the next point that Sony is facing: iterative consoles.

By now we are all aware of the rumors surrounding Sony and Microsoft in regards to their plans to release more powerful versions of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

If successful, this move will fundamentally change the console business forever. The traditional 5-year life-cycle of a gaming console will fully be eliminated, replacing it with a 1 or 2 year upgrade model that’s more akin to the yearly updates offered by cellphone makers.

From my perspective, the introduction of a major shift in thinking, such as the one being proposed by both Sony and Microsoft through these upgraded consoles, is usually more beneficial for a company that does not have the lead in market-share. Sony has outsold Microsoft already by an estimated margin of roughly 2:1, (Exact numbers are difficult to pinpoint because Microsoft decided last year to stop reporting numbers of Xbox One units sold.) so it can be easier for the under-dog to succeed because more people already have purchased the original version of the leading product.

Simply put, people may not want to re-buy their PlayStation 4.

The challenge for Sony, assuming they decide to unveil this PS4 upgrade, will be to show the benefits of the added power the console will bring. They will also have to balance the excitement of a new hardware launch, with a reassurance to those not inclined to upgrade, that the standard PlayStation 4 will not be rendered obsolete.

But this is all speculation for another time. After all, there is a chance that neither of these companies will talk about their future console plans at E3 2016.

So the question going into E3 2016: can Sony somehow top the shock-value of last year’s event, or should they even attempt to do so?

One could surmise that the wisdom of trying to top last year’s conference is questionable – you can only continue to try to top yourself for only so long. However, once that Rubicon has been crossed, it’s almost impossible to go back.

Sony undoubtedly understands that Microsoft was watching, and that they will come to the E3 2016 party armed to the teeth with an array of high-profile announcements to try and grab some shock-value headlines of their own.

Predictions

Sony has been coyly dropping hints for the past several months regarding the return of their de facto mascot for their original PlayStation: Crash Bandicoot.

The return of Crash Bandicoot to the Sony family will take place at E3 2016, and I also stand by my January prediction that Crash is being handled by Mark Cerny, (Who last worked on Knack) out of Sony’s Japan Studio.

It’s also a safe bet that we will see the next God of War game, although the biggest question mark will be whether this will be announced as the flagship title for any PlayStation “Neo” announcement.

Supposed screen shots in the next God of War title were released in April, and suggested that the series will now take aim at Norse mythology. A surprise 2016 release date announcement would have a big impact on holiday sales.

Last Guardian will make another appearance this year, and Sony will announce a firm release date for the long-awaited title. With No Man’s Sky now slated for September, and Gran Turismo Sport penciled for November, the natural conclusion would be to expect Last Guardian’s release date sometime in October.

We will also probably see a new trailer and release window for Final Fantasy VII: Remake. Square Enix would make many gamers smile with footage showing the beloved, Aeris.

Rumors have also been circulating about a new Spider-Man game in development exclusively for PlayStation 4.

With Spidey back in the Marvel movie camp, making an appearance in Captain America: Civil War, and his own movie hitting theaters next year, E3 2016 like a fantastic time to reveal a video game tie-in.

The question is: who is working on it?

The answer is one that will keep you up at night. Out of all the studios that are rumored to be behind the Spider-Man PlayStation 4 game, I think the most likely to be true is the developer of Ratchet and Clank, Insomniac. (Keeps you up at night because you have insomnia – get it?)

Kingdom Hearts III will not be shown at E3 2016.

 

Square Enix will announce a revival of Chrono Trigger. (Okay, probably not, BUT I HAVE TO BELIEVE!!)

My last prediction is another one that I made earlier in the year in an article outlining my overall predictions for 2016. Sony will close their show with a teaser for the Last of Us 2.

Open weeping will commence.

That’s it for my Sony E3 2016 predictions.

Remember, NerdBacon will be streaming Sony’s E3 2016 press event live, with complete pre-game and post-game coverage starting at 8:30pm EST at www.twitch.tv/nerdbacon

What games and announcements are you hoping to see from Sony at E3 2016? Let us know in the comments section below.