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Before we move on to the next big show here at Comics Beat, I wanted to talk a little about the E3 2015 that was and the shape of two industries post show.

E3 2015 is done. Now the hard part of waiting for everything we saw to be in our actual hands begins. No wait, Arkham Knight comes out Tuesday. I happen to agree with what popular gaming site Kotaku said about this year’s show. Sure in the moment, you can’t help but feel anything except excitement for the future. Then shortly after the show when I walked down Figueroa and saw the giant Batman banner. It suddenly dawned on me, I’m actually glad it’s over cause I get to play that next week. We knew Halo and Fallout would be coming this year, but every surprise we saw seemed to be for a much later date. In a world of bacon wrapped pizzas, you don’t know if you have that kind of time.

On Monday, I gave the overall E3 victory to Xbox. Once Tuesday rolled around and we saw longer versions of what Sony showed during their press event; the victory was still the same but the margin by which Microsoft came out victorious was smaller. “We won’t charge you to play the games you already own”, backwards compatibly was the announcement of the show and such a consumer friendly move. It’s a jab directly at Sony that states Microsoft’s intent. It might not be the top feature you look for in a console, but it’s certainly one worth putting in bold on the box. While it remains to roll out, if Xbox can pull off free backwards compatibility it gains them back so much good will they lost early on. For all I love about PlayStation including the Vita and PS Plus, its entire ecosystem is like the newer Terminator movies they just don’t speak to each other very well and that leaves an opening for Xbox.

What happens post show, well Sony has a chance that Microsoft won’t. Because of the punches that PlayStation took this time around, they’ll have another huge PlayStation Experience event like they did in Las Vegas. It’ll be the opportunity for them to regroup and sell fans on Morpheus, perhaps also backtrack on the PS Now. The event’s crowd will undoubtedly be biased in favor of Sony, so much so that even if PlayStation literally admitted charging their customers to stream old games they already own was a mistake, it would still be met with thunderous applause that drowns out media criticism. It’ll also be the point where Sony can either cancel Morpheus or drop a focused presentation that ends with major price news. With multiple VR headsets scheduled to come out in 2016, Sony has to do something to ensure the early adopters will be on their side. Let’s face it, this unproven technology doesn’t leave financial room for gamers to have multiple headsets. Just like Highlander, “there can only be one”… well in our homes anyway.

That’s the thought of the overall show. Now I want to talk about what we’re all about here… comics! Mostly how they relate to the gaming industry after E3. The volume and direction of how comic books traverse the world of gaming speaks to the state of both mediums. One thing that particularly stuck out to me was how many games are being licensed by comics publishers as opposed to video games licensing comics. Such a gap leaves opportunity for comics publishers to make better inroads with gaming audiences.

Look at all the books, either recently in stores or coming soon, that are based on video games. Halo: Escalation, Tomb Raider, Plants Vs Zombies, Mirror’s Edge: Exordium, Skylanders, Metal Gear and Persona 4 are just some that come to mind. Most of those titles are the result of deals where Marvel or any comics publisher approach studios with hopes of producing a book or two based on the most popular games. And why wouldn’t they, gaming has the largest captive young audience of any medium. It would almost be foolish not to.

There’s also a flip side to that coin. Lately, most video game publishers aren’t in a hurry to license comics. Major exceptions are becoming more rare these days. Batman: Arkham Asylum was the first true quality Batman comic game. It came at a critical time when WB needed to capitalize on comics. We got Watchmen a few years after getting the taste of Superman Returns out of our mouths, but WB was on it’s way to producing a bad Green Lantern movie. With some of their major properties coming to an end in film, WB needed comics to be consistently viable in other places. Their game’s division was a perfect catalyst for something big and they had the right studio in Rocksteady. The rest is Arkham history.

Can you remember a big comic book based game that didn’t come from the in-house parent company? Probably the best, most recent example would be Telltale Games The Walking Dead. Telltale is a studio with a rich licensed game library like Sam & Max and Back to the Future to name a few, but they weren’t on the map of mainstream media. That attention didn’t come till they crafted one of the best Walking Dead stories ever with Lee and Clementine. At this year’s E3 they announced a new project based in the comic book world of Walking Dead which features fan favorite character Michonne. Telltale themselves are a great developer and made fantastic story driven games before Kirkman, but I don’t believe they’d be where they are today without Walking Dead.

Games carry a similar curse to film. Just because a studio taps a property doesn’t necessarily mean we’ll ever get to play that game. Some time ago there was talk of Aspen Comics’ Fathom being a game but that never happened and even though 2K’s partnership with Top Cow gave us back-to-back games based on The Darkness; the second ended on a cliffhanger that left us wanting a third we’ll never see.

When you look at things objectively, the video game industry certainly doesn’t need comics. It’s emerged as the dominant form of entertainment and rightfully so. Comics just can’t match that level of volume sales and distribution, but there is room to grow through gaming. It just needs the flow to change. Marvel and DC didn’t accomplish this on the level it intended to with film. Moviegoers who don’t read comics are older and less likely to go from the theater to the comic shop. The immersive nature of gaming is a better primer for this in its younger audience. Sure the Arkham and Injustice books do well because their known properties, but there’s a significant percentage of their buyers that never picked up a comic book until they saw those titles and were easily accessible through digital platform.

Yes, it’s easier said than done but comic creators need to focus less on getting that movie deal and more on who would make a kick-ass game out of my comic. You could argue that only the major books from the big two have a chance at crossing into games, but then how you you explain The Wolf Among Us based on Fables or The Darkness. Both of those games are stellar examples of what could be accomplished with properties that aren’t part of the mainstream.

I know that neither industry is as simple as I just made it seem, and sure there’s tons of legal meetings people must have behind close doors before something can even get off the ground. We just aren’t as in the dark as we think. One of the benefits of the social media age is having access to the people who make your favorite games. Part of why more comics aren’t games is because we don’t tweet out things such as “hey I loved this game, and this comic would be awesome in that style” enough. Most of Image Comics line up would be awesome in gaming. I love what Dark Horse Comics did with The Last of Us, but I think a Hellboy game based on the comics and made by Ninja Theory would be a winner.

In order to achieve the growth in comics readership we’d all love to see; gamers have to be exposed to Superman (better than before), Saga, and even Archie. Bringing games over to comics isn’t a bad start, but the flows can’t be as lopsided as in recent years. Why is Batman: Arkham Knight the only, based on a comic book, blockbuster game coming out this year. The goal should be at least two or three a year. Comic industry, instead of saying hey let us make a comic based on Mortal Kombat, it’s time to say have you thought about making a game based on our Teen Titans book!

If you’ve read through this then thanks and you definitely deserve a prize. So let’s giveaway a bunch of E3 stuff first person that follows @Comicsbeat on instagram and tags us in a shot of their favorite comic book game wins this and a few other pieces from E3 and it includes a shirt given away by the folks at Batman: Arkham Knight.

If you aren’t on instagram, then follow and tweet the same thing at me.

For every mega million dollar production in gaming there are hundreds of small independent games passionately crafted by coders, artists, and story tellers who’ve traded the safety of corporation for the wings of creative freedom. The memorable experiences in gaming aren’t always coming out of Microsoft or Sony, in fact if you wan’t to see the best parts of gaming you’d be hard pressed to find a bigger gathering than Indiecade.

Founded by a coalition of producers in 2005, Indiecade brings a slice of its Fall festival to the E3 show floor every year. Gamers could spend the entire day playing tons of great games you’ve probably never heard of and not even realize they missed any triple A games. In the short time we had at their booth, several games stood out but here are some of the ones that became embedded on our mind grapes.

SMS Racing

by Turbo Button

If there was ever a commercial for what not to do behind the wheel in real life, the developers at Turbo Button just came up with it. SMS Racing is part endurance mode and part racing game. The gauntlet you traverse only begins at city streets you’ll attempt to navigate while trying to beat competitors to the finish line. Your real objective in the game is to keep your friends who refuse to leave you alone on the road. When you begin driving random text messages appear and you must respond before the 10 second timer runs down. On an Xbox controller, you control the car with the left thumb stick while texting using corresponding letters to the X,A,Y,B buttons. When you fail, and you absolutely will, your friends will feel ignored. Once you lose three, it’s game over.

Sounds simple enough right? The challenge ramps up due to using the game in VR. Your field of view mimics that of you behind the wheel not what you’d see on a TV. If you were playing the game on a huge television, it wouldn’t be that complicated; but when you’re immersed in the VR screen your eyes are as distracted directionally as they would be in real life.

Anyone whose ever said I can drive and text at the same time needs to play this game. Best part is, here they won’t kill anyone. In the words of a famous small town pizza lawyer “it’s all perfectly legal.” SMS Racing is as fun as the messages you’ll receive are cheesy and OMG they are, LOL. The game is still in development and will release for VR Platforms in late 2015.

Find out more at the SMS Racing’s website here.

Tripad

by Alexander Krasij

Tripad isn’t so much a new game as it is a new device to play games on. Constructed out of three Novation LaunchPad Mini devices arranged in a special configuration, controlled via MIDI commands. The game we played is a version of a soccer drill, called Gladiatorial, where the object is to keep the ball in your area till all the lights in your section glow. If you’re playing with three people boasting sharp reflexes the game could go on for hours. I don’t have them, so the volunteer I played against won like it was nothing. The device responds flawlessly while having to process three different sets of commands at once.  In the future, Tripad could be the next thing we use at parties or to pass the time waiting in line at conventions.

There’s a potential for other creators to design different kinds of party games on a device like this, but the tech would need to be something that could be manufactured for less money in order to have a shot at landing in homes. Until then we’ll dream about the Simon, Pong, and Battleship style games that could be on this.

The Lost Valley VR

by Paper Crane Games

Did you hate Jurassic World? You might like this. Did you love Jurassic World? You still might like this. Founded by ex-Neversoft developers, Paper Crane Games are creating quality VR experiences. One of their latest, The Lost Valley VR shows off how detailed VR can be while also letting gamer’s eyes play photographer. When you strap on the Oculus Rift and take this journey, you’re put inside a boat going down a river where different creatures from the paleozoic era reside.

You’ll be equipped with a camera controlled by a button. As a photographer for scientists, it’s up to you to get the best composed and angled photos for research as you pass all the different forms of life. At the end of your trip your photos will be scored on usability, composition, etc. Even though everything is on a predictable rail going down stream, it’s hard not to be mesmerized by the beauty and detail of this world thereby missing the perfect shot.

Currently, The Lost Valley VR is available on the developers website as an experience for others with Oculus dev kits. A finished version will be available once VR starts to launch next year.

Find out more about The Lost Valley VR and Paper Crane Games on their website.

Butt Sniffin Pugs

by SpaceBeagles

Our favorite experience at the Indiecade booth had us step into the adorable world of puglife. Game developer SpaceBeagles made a game simply called Butt Sniffin Pugs. As a pug you’ll pee, poop, and bark at objects and animals in the small patch of land called “Central Bark”. What makes the game irresistible is the controller.

Yes! Yes! Yes! It’s a giant tennis ball and stuffed dog butt. The two buttons on top correspond to two abilities you’ll be able to use at a time such as peeing and pooping. If you want to bite something or bark at a duck in the pond you’ll need to get close to the other dog and tap the stuff dogged keister to sniff the other pugs butt. Just like in real life… I think, I don’t know I don’t have Animal Planet anymore.

As a pug in this park we got to pee on an old lady’s picnic, bite a bird, and catch a frisbee. Every action has a reaction and they’re all as captivating as watching puppies or cats on the Internet. There’s so much to unlock, you can even take a selfie or your pug in the game and upload it! I’m officially giving Butt Sniffin Pugs the Comics Beat “Certified Mint” E3 award. Even though it’s a thing I just made up, it’s no less prestigious. Congrats to every one at SpaceBeagles!

The team is targeting PS4 and PC platforms for a late 2015 release but there’s no word on how this unique hardware will be produced. But look at it in action!

Keep up with Butt Sniffin Pugs on SpaceBeagles website.

If you consider yourself a gamer, you owe it to the art you so love to check out the annual Indiecade festival in Culver City, CA this Fall. Even more independent games will be on display in a gathering of the community that is gaming.

It wasn’t that long ago.

Kid’s parties, high school sleepovers, adults getting drunk because it was Saturday; all these were once strung through by rocking with your friends in games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero. And why not. The fun of pretending to rock out with your friends to your favorite head banging tunes. Feeling that brief moment where you could let it all out and only a living room full of your friends would be the wiser. Then for a time, it all went dormant. If you look in your closet, you might find relics of the good times. Plastic guitars and usb microphones might be nestled in your garage, buried in boxes marked “Xmas ornaments”. But there’s hope for them… Rock Band 4 is coming.

In 2015, the music gaming genre is ready for its comeback tour. Fresh out of celebrity rehab and ready to take the stage again, Rock Band 4 is more an evolution than a sequel. We were invited to check out the game first hand on Harmonix’s outdoor stage at E3 and speak with PR Lead, Nick Chester about the game’s upcoming features.

The first thing we noticed is the direction of the visuals Harmonix decided on for the game. Rather than follow the competition by completely changing their art style; the developer upgraded the trademark style of Rock Band by having it go full 1080p 60FPS. What that means for players is a much smoother gameplay with little to no screen lag. Indeed, when you suck at this game; this time it’s on us.

A new Rock Band for a new age means the shredding has to be turned up to 11. This time around guitarists will help the band really stand out in the new “Freestyle Guitar Solo“. During a song’s guitar solo, players will be able to compose their own face melting riffs using any combination of the buttons they can come up with. The better it sounds the more points the band scores overall. Rock Band is also helping out the vocalists who like to sing but sound like a cartoon chicken being rung by the neck. Not only does the USB microphone have a better more actual microphone feel, but the vocal range it can convey is much broader than before. The game will also help singers by letting you set your song to be a mix of your own vocal with one from the actual track. Harmonix managed to tweak this very well, to the point where you can distinguish yourself from the song while not completely butchering it. Rock Band 4 will also have a new story mode so players can bring their bands back together and conquer the world.

If you still have your old instruments intact, dust them off because Rock Band 4 will support all previously released hardware. Though if you want to buy the new gear, it’s got a few upgrades of its own from Mad Catz. The guitar now has a gyroscope for better reading of your movements. Jumping off things never worked better (we do not endorse jumping off things).

Rock Band 4 will utilize the sharing features of the newer systems, but those plans aren’t ready to be fully revealed quite yet. Though the developer is looking forward to seeing what the players can come up with once the game is released.

Now let’s talk about what really matters man… the music. Since the game’s last release in 2010, the music industry has added a few bands and Harmonix knows you kids want your Imagine Dragons and what not.  So far confirmed for the game is

• Avenged Sevenfold – “Hail to the King”

• Benjamin Booker – “Violent Shiver” *

• Elvis Presley – “Suspicious Minds” *

• Fleetwood Mac – “You Make Loving Fun”

• Jack White – “Lazaretto”

• The Killers – “Somebody Told Me”

• Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars – “Uptown Funk” *

• Queens of the Stone Age – “My God Is The Sun” *

• Scandal – “The Warrior” *

• Spin Doctors – “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong”

• The Who – “The Seeker”

All that DLC you previously purchased isn’t going to waste either. Rock Band 4 will support all your previous purchases. There are a few notes to take on this though. For one, if your last Rock Band game was on Xbox 360 you’re better off getting the Xbox One version. Previous DLC won’t transfer cross platform. As Harmonix put it, playing purchases from one platform to the other is like “putting an Xbox disc in a PlayStation” it just doesn’t work that way. The good news is you will not need to purchase any additional license to transfer your previous DLC purchases. As the previous songs are added to the DLC list you’ll simply be able to re-download them for play on the new game.

In our social, lip sync battle, world it feels like this is the right time for a return to music gaming. These games were social before social became something we did on our phones hundreds of miles away from other people. Rock Band is going to bring people back into living rooms while also letting them feel what its like for recording artist who collaborate in booths on different sides of the world, and that is what’s really cool.

One personal note. Harmonix, I need more Rancid. Please have the Blink 182/ Matt Skiba combination record something for you. While you’re at it how about The Descendents and some Minor Threat? Okay, now this is just a list of demands, sorry. What songs does everyone out there want in the game?

Rock Band 4 releases on the PS4 and Xbox One on October 6, 2015. You can pre-order the game or bundle at all game retailers for 30 additional DLC tracks. Find out more on the game’s website here.

Over the last few years, it feels as though Disney’s business model was listening to a five year old smash together her or his action figures while making up stories with raucous sound effects and accidentally spitting kook-aid every where. To consumers and fans alike, it worked! Disney not only owns the intellectual property of several great in house and Pixar characters, but they’ve roped in all characters Marvel Comics has ever published and the universe that George Lucas created.

They aren’t missing any opportunities to capitalize. Their newest wallet cracker from Disney Interactive, for the first time, brings the Star Wars universe to Disney Infinity 3.0. The folks over at Disney Interactive gave us a guided tour of their lavish E3 booth and a sliver of hands on time with the upcoming Twilight of the Republic playset.

From the moment you jump into the Disney version of the Star Wars universe it feels very familiar to the previous entries. The game’s platform elements have some neat things going on. As Darth Maul, I found myself rail grinding through a playful version of the lava factory Anakin battled Obi-Wan in. Once I force jumped my way onto a nearby platform the real difference in the game kicked in. Avalanche Software, the games lead developer, brought in studio Ninja Theory to construct Infinity 3.0’s light saber combat. You might know the studio’s work from fantastic action combat games like the newest Devil May Cry (DMC) and Heavenly Sword. The difference shows!

Force characters have powered attacks like push and leap while light saber wielding attacks feel fluid and meaty. Both Jedi and Sith characters also have specific traits. For example running with Darth Vader automatically blocks incoming attacks. The combat is an evolution from the button mashing we’re accustom to from Disney Interactive games. It manages to feel slightly complex yet simple enough for kids to be proficient with. We also got to take on General Grevious in a harsh boss battle, four light sabers and all. It took both Darth Maul and Darth Vader to bring him down as these battles are tough but not overcooked steak tough.

Disney Infinity 3.0 will be one of the most ambitious launches in the franchise’s history. Once the Infinity 3.0 set launches with Twilight of the Republic characters other sets based on different Star Wars periods will be made available. Each play set is story-driven and provides players a multi- level, true-to-property experience.

Additional TOTR characters:

 

Rebels TOTR:

 

 

Rise Against The Empire:

 

Bobba Fett will be exclusive to PlayStation through the holidays and will even see a Fett themed starter pack.

The Star Wars™ Saga Starter Pack for PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems will be the only place that fans will be able to play as Boba Fett in Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition through the holidays, and will also allow fans to get the Star Wars™ Rise Against the Empire Play Set nearly a month before it hits store shelves. The limited edition exclusive Sony offering includes:
Star Wars Saga Starter Pack for PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 (suggested retail price: $114.99):
(1) Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition video game software
(1) Star Wars™ Twilight of the Republic Play Set piece, (1) Ahsoka Tano figure, (1) Anakin Skywalker figure
(1) Star Wars Rise Against the Empire Play Set piece, (1) Luke Skywalker figure, (1) Princess Leia figure
(1) Boba Fett figure
(1) Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition base
(1) Web Code card (unlocks content for PC/mobile)

Even Pixar’s newest animated film is getting in on 3.0

Inside Out Play Set:

 

Other sets are in the works that continue the Marvel inclusion from Infinity 2.0 including Hulkbuster Iron Man. Toy Box mode returns to Infinity 3.0 with a few new features including a new interface which makes it easier for players to choose from a variety of family-friendly gameplay options – from platform, racing and farming simulation games – and activities to inspire players to create their own worlds in the Toy Box. Players can either venture into a Play Set, or partake in short campaigns before creating their own Toy Box world. Creating and sharing their one-of-a-kind levels and mini-games with family and friends has never been easier with improved editing tools and linking system. Players can also summon Townspeople Sidekicks to accomplish feats, attack enemies or help them build in the Toy Box.

In additon, two new Toy Box expansion games will be included where players customize everything using unlocked toys from across all of Disney Infinity 1&2. Toy Box Speedway will be where characters can race across nine tracks to determine who’s the fastest. The other new game is Takeover, where you can enlist the help of friends in order to defend your Toy Box across six-levels from different Disney properties.

Disney fanatics won’t have to wait long as Infinity 3.0 will hit stores Fall 2015 on all Playstation, Xbox, and Nintendo consoles, including PC and a mobile version. We’re sure to see even more including near finished versions of play sets at this year’s D23 Expo.

Find out more about the game on the Disney Infinity website.

Since pioneering the “toys to life” genre in gaming, the Skylanders franchise has generated over $3 Billion and sold over 250 million action figures. It’s become a yearly franchise for the game’s publisher, Activision, and this year at E3 the franchised announced the next step in the game. This year it’s about giving fans of two different gaming worlds moments they can both enjoy this Fall in Skylanders Superchargers.

We were invited to a behind closed doors demo at the Activision booth featuring gameplay walkthrough with developer Vicarious Visions and a close look at how the Nintendo Skylanders characters work.

In Skylanders Superchargers, Kaos has unleashed The Darkness to take control of Skylands. Fortunately, a special team of Skylanders known as the SuperChargers has been assembled to pilot an incredible fleet of vehicles with the power to travel through the destruction – over land, sea, and air.

Our demo took us through the main part of the game as we saw how the new vehicles work with the game. Everything you love about the previous games is here. Children and their family’s will see the puzzle solving, platform, and quirkiness these characters are known for. The new vehicle toys can be activated at any time but they really come into play accessing and exploring new areas of the Skylands. For example one area will only let you explore it if you have a water vehicle while another can only be traversed with an plane.

The demo wasn’t so much about the game’s story, but what this new element of gameplay would add. Each vehicle, when put on the portal for the first time, would show a unique animation that introduces it as the magic happens. Every one of these new types of toys also has the ability to be “supercharged” when paired with its corresponding Skylander. When Spitfire gets put on the portal with the new Hotstreak car, the game visually shows the hot rod beef up with new features and attributes including increased attack power for tougher bosses.

What will really set Skylanders Superchargers apart for Nintendo fans are two big additions to the game. Bowser and Donkey Kong are coming to Skylanders through special new figures. As someone’s kids say, don’t get it twisted. These aren’t just Amiibos with cross functionality. They’re Skylanders first. Donkey Kong and Bowser each have unique attributes in Skylanders Superchargers and each will have their own vehicles inspired by games like Donkey Kong Country including supercharged abilities. When playing the game with Donkey Kong, players get to launch unique attacks such as throwing barrels or leaving a conga drum mine for enemies.  Turning over the Donkey Kong figure players can switch it from Skylander mode to Amiibo for use in supported Nintendo games such as Smash Bros.

Vicarious Visions have listened to players and consumers alike in making this new Skylanders game. If you don’t want to add every new Skylander toy to your  hundred figure plus collection, you don’t have to. Every toy from every game will work on Skylanders Superchargers in some capacity. If you previously invested in Trap Team, even those special toys have a function in Superchargers. The new Superchargers portal has a slot for Trap figures. Though you will not be capturing your enemies in the same way as Trap Team; the toys will unlock different power ups in the game for the character on the portal.

Every Skylander can jump into any vehicle and the team has cashed in on any small element they could tweak in the game. For instance when you pair a bulky Skylander in a smaller vehicle it looks adorably awkward on screen as the team intended. Even Nintendo characters can ride in anyone’s vehicle.

A new starter pack with portal and two characters will be available at launch, but any portal will work with the game. You can buy a digital version of the game by itself and use previously purchased portals. Though only the Trap Team portal will be able to use trap characters. Only the Nintendo characters will be available in a two pack of toy and car but that price hasn’t been announced.

It’s remarkable what this franchise has accomplished since it spawned from Spyro the Dragon. Activision and the developers that work on Skylanders haven’t settled and they don’t take the new competition in the market lightly. While the Nintendo characters are exclusive to the Nintendo versions of the game; it does raise the question of possible crossovers with characters from those other platforms in future games. We can’t wait. Year after year the franchise has managed to deliver something that feels new and Superchargers is going to continue that tradition when the game releases on September 20, 2015.

Find out more about Skylanders on the game’s official website here.

When you’re first dropped into the world of Mad Max’s E3 demo, Avalanche Studios don’t make any apologies for leaving you in a harsh and barren world that’s every bit as hostile as the one in the original films felt.

As Max, you’ve got only one objective in this game, survive. In order to do this you’ll need to build the ultimate apocalypse perseverance vehicle, the Magnum Opus.  When you begin the game you’ll be rebuilding your version of the iconic car piece-by-piece as you defeat enemies, salvage scrap, and destroy marauder vehicles.

During our invited hands on session, we were given the option of testing the game’s on foot combat missions or what we really all came to see, vehicular mayhem. As the demo began a rusted halfway constructed vehicle begs to tear up the waterless surface of the the desolate planet. The only thing it needs is an engine. In this game there’s no vendors or shop to buy parts from. You will fight for everything! Five seconds into the demo I was fighting a gang of three marauders in brutal hand-to-hand combat that had me finish off one of these thugs by blowing a hole through one of them — barrel to chest–.

Once I picked up the engine they guarded and somehow magically lifted it into the car single handedly; my mechanic and I were off. For the demo our single mission objective was to acquire a better V8 engine for the car by destroying a boss vehicle in convoy, but before you can fight it you’ll have to catch up with it. Fortunately, your vehicle is equipped with boost and special weapons for combat.

After catching up to the convoy the real mayhem commences. If you took the vehicular combat of a Twisted Metal and poured it into the open world of GTA, you’d only begin to describe what went down in this battle. Once you begin the attack, the shield cars will pull out all the stops in order to keep you from your objective. The enemy AI in vehicle combat is relentless. Even when the cars managed to knock me off they continued a brutal tactical assault. Max isn’t defenseless, his car has different ways of taking down vehicles and even combining attacks yields different satisfying effects. He can hop in the back of the car and use a sniper rifle to shoot at the enemy vehicle or the driver. If controlling the car and aiming a gun prove to challenging there’s always good old fashion smashing. In addition to building a vehicle, you’ll be able to customize it with heavy armor, spiked grills, tires, and custom paint jobs to name a few things. Maybe he’ll get an iPod connection, who knows the possibilities feel vast.

The most satisfying part of vehicle combat was the ability to target specific parts of enemy cars with a harpoon. You can rip off a door or take out a tire with it. If you’ve got the targeting chops, you can even yank another driver out of their own car. Getting the hang of all this requires a bit of a learning curve so we took down the lead car by smashing it into a mountain.

Once that was over and we had five minutes in the open world, it was time to take in the beauty of this post-apocalyptic land. There’s no cities, no gorgeous landmarks; it’s drab, vast, and you’ll see familiar unfriendly compounds. In short it’s Mad Max!

Don’t expect this game to have connections to the recent Mad Max: Fury Road film. This game has been in production on its own path, one that resonates everything we love about the original movies. There could be room for Fury Road content later on but for now the group is focused on perfecting their own story that’s Avalanche Studios love letter to the original classics.

Mad Max the game releases on PS4, Xbox One, and PC this September. You can find more on the game’s official website here.

Greetings and welcome to what officially is day one of Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3. The difference being today Journalists, buyers, and friends of friends in the industry are joined by thousands of sweaty gamers looking to score their newest free fashion statement inside the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Before the doors of the convention center opened at noon, Nintendo got there moment in the media spotlight. The company has moved from a lavish live stage presentation to a more subtle digital press conference for everyone. Admittedly, I have yet to watch it as there’s no Wi-Fi in the convention center. I’ll post it here so we can all bask in what I’m told is not their finest hour, but there are puppets so the universe evens out again.

Once the show floor opened, day one was spent in the west hall of LACC taking in hands on demos and brief conversations with most of Warner Bros Interactive’s soon to be released games: Mad Max, Arkham Knight, Lego Marvel’s Avengers. (Lego Dimensions will be later this week) We’ll go in-depth about each game on Comics Beat soon. As a note, WB is not sparing expense when it comes to marketing Arkham Knight and Mad Max. Not that it really needs it, I mean look…

Comics Beat was also graciously invited by Harmonix to check out the thunderous return of music party gaming with Rockband 4 and we’ll talk about everything coming to the game later on.

For now let’s talk about how this show is a comparison and contrast to those little San Diego Comic Cons we all love so much. For starters, E3 is a trade show. Among the horde of rabid gamers, you’ll spot a ton of suits negotiating purchasing deals and talking about what it feels like to swim in pools filled with gold coins instead of water. In a way there’s more riding on a show like this financially than any other appearance these publishers make. Every company who invests in space on the E3 floor has to make a big splash. It’s because of this that “theatricality” best sums up the E3 floor.

If you look on Instagram.com/comicsbeat you’ll see a few shots of the outside of the building where most of the major game releases have draped their stadium sized banners over the convention center. Each of the lobbies in the two exhibit halls have also been converted into demo space and extravagant displays. Xbox used the lobby space to build a more than modest sized stage to broadcast from the show daily while Mad Max put up a replica vehicle in front of them. Even in one of the off corners of the lobby the Dark Souls game thought it prime real estate for a huge statue that erupted with fake blood.

Then you actually go inside…

From the moment you walk into either of the exhibit halls (Yes there are two!) you’ll notice a distinct lack of fluorescent lighting. It’s replaced by dim ceiling lighting that makes way for an entire exhibit hall that’s adopted the — look at me — lighting scheme of a Rammstein concert. Most of the booths on the floor are massive, it would take two DC Comics booths from SDCC to occupy a space the size of an Activision at E3. Each publisher’s booth is a small miracle of design and engineering as a they have to cram one sometimes two 20-30 person capacity theaters in their space along with hands-on kiosks for regular attendee game demos, not to mention an area for employees, VIPs, and media.

The floor at E3 is more of an assault on the senses than any Comic Con.

Even if you can manage to get into E3, just because you’re at a trade show doesn’t mean you won’t have to deal with overflowing lines to play the games or even coffee. Shows like these that even have a modicum of a general audience often have a tiered system of attendees. Major media outlets, CEOs or buyers for major retail chains, other publishers, and celebrities are the only people that almost instantly get to go hands on with the games most people there would sell their children for. If independent media outlets are relentless enough, they might be able to book sessions where they can pop in on a demo. The majority of the people there are waiting. Today, I heard stories of some people waiting up to 3hrs in line just to play Star Wars Battlefront.

We’re back at it again in just a few short hours. Remember these are just some editorial thoughts on the show’s design and layout itself. Check back for in-depth coverage of hands on game demos and interviews.

As we go back in tomorrow, we’ll go hands on with more games and talk about women emerging in the gaming industry.

Midday Tuesday, the Los Angeles Convention Center will open its exhibit hall doors and over 125,000 gamers, press, and VIPs will spend three days talking about and playing video games. Monday was the traditional press conference filled day before the show where each major publisher gets an hour or so in the media spotlight (except Nintendo which happens Tuesday morning). Over the last few years it’s become the unofficial start of E3 and today the latest chapter of console wars was waged.

These lavish presentations full of bright lights, fog machines, and the occasional video game trailer have become a competition between Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s PlayStation. Sure a case could be made for Bethesda after their take no prisoners flurry of Doom and Fallout 4 on Sunday night, but for now we’ll only examine two of the big three (Nintendo, Xbox, PlayStation).

Every year this day has the feel of a heavyweight prize fight in Vegas but with less scripted stuff, and for the most part it’s worth paying to see. This year could be summarized as the year of distinction. Rather than trade jabs or brag about how many units they’ve moved, both Sony and Microsoft stuck to what puts butts in their seats… games. In doing so each showed a shifted focus on different aspects of the market.

When Xbox opened their presentation this morning they did so by having a female lead from 343 Industries take the stage. For those who don’t know 343 Industries are the current developer of Halo games and the unquestionable massive blockbuster in the making Halo 5: Guardians. Huge step for female leaders in the gaming industry. Now as to where Xbox has focused their energy and resource, well it’s easy to see; they’re after the Summer popcorn flick audience.

Halo 5, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Gears 4, Forza 6; all these exclusive experiences coming to the Xbox One and all are created on the premise of generating revenue in excess of 3 times what it cost to produce. You know what? They’ve got a legitimate shot of doing so. Look at Gears 4:

It’s over the top action, it’s entertaining violence, it’s a sequel, it’s Hollywood. The same could be said for the other big titles shown by Xbox.

Sure ID@Xbox exists to keep the footprint of independent creation at Microsoft, but nothing has emerged exclusively out of that camp as a contender for a game of the year award. There are some promising titles coming soon from it, particularly the Cuphead game, but it’s far from a “game changer”.

Xbox’s current strategy is focused on opening wallets with adrenaline rushes to the eyes, and along the way they managed to be first to give console gamers the thing they’ve been clamoring for, Backwards Compatibility! Monday they dropped information on the first true version of this feature we all believe is so simple you’d think it should have been there all along. It’s not a service you’ll have to pay for, nope, Xbox simply wants you to put in an old 360 game and play it on your new Xbox One. There’s still a lot of details to work out including; if the day comes where every game is backwards compatible but has online multiplayer servers that were shut down, what then. But this is a step in the right direction for Xbox and will certainly help them get the audience who haven’t made the transition from Xbox 360 to Xbox One for fear of losing their library.

Remember when we all wanted to burn Xbox at the stake and everyone groaned at DRM protected games and a console that always had to be connected to the Internet. Then when it came in $100 more than its competition everyone all but wrote off Microsoft. They’ve come a long way since those days. Now consider that Phil Spencer was the first corporate face in this new era of consoles to come out, and by focusing on games, say this is why you bought an Xbox One. While Xbox hasn’t fully recovered from their mistakes which led to an almost insurmountable uphill PR battle; they have managed get back up before the count of 10. Xbox is actually giving gamers what we want, deal with it!

Now don’t get things mixed up. PlayStation is my jam! The warm feels you have about that old 8-bit Nintendo where you had to blow in the cartridges, throw salt over your shoulder, and sacrifice a chicken in order to make it work (not sure about those last two); that’s how I feel about the original PS one. I’ve stuck with Sony through all their missteps and those E3 press events where you keep yelling at the screen begging them to stop showing a demo of a book. This year Sony put up one hell of a show, especially when going in it appeared they might not have much to talk about.

What they did demonstrate on Monday is how radically different their focus is from that of the competition. PlayStation, more than Microsoft, has an uncanny affirmation to the art of video games. Sure, we saw one presentation for their triple-A exclusive planet destroyer of a blockbuster, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. Mind blown!

When it arrives, Uncharted 4 will be a contender for game of the year. The only other triple-A title to make an exclusive appearance for PlayStation was Guerrilla Games finally revealing the project they’ve been working on in secret. This world looks epic to say the least and the setting is definitely unique, take a look at Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Both these games are said to be coming in 2016, leaving Sony without a 2015 exclusive blockbuster game. Star Wars Battlefront is available on Xbox One, and if No Man’s Sky were to come out this year it’s still “console debut” on PlayStation. This means it may see a release at the competition.

Where Sony is really leading the charge is in indie games. Their resume in these stylish artistic experiences is unparalleled; Unfinished Swan and Journey just to name a few. While Sony have yet to put out true killer apps that remind us why we bought the PS4, they’ve managed to add real value using games considered too experimental by big publishers. PS4 gets Everyone’s Gone to Rapture, Devolver, and Killstrain; all nice additions to the PlayStation library.

Sony isn’t stopping there. Just look at what Little Big Planet architect Media Molecule is bringing to the table at some point.

Dreams is a game that taps into the artistic zeitgeist of the gaming community. I can’t wait to see what twisted beautiful creations players come up with using the game.

While 2015 is a holding year for Sony they reminded everyone that even though the big games of the year won’t be exclusive to Sony, some of their bonus content will be. For comic fans there’s no bigger game this year than Batman: Arkham Knight. Part of their presentation was showing off the exclusive Scarecrow Nightmare Missions for the game.  It was a level of insanity not yet seen in the Arkham franchise, a level of experimentation perfect for PlayStation. You fired a gun in first person view! You fired a gun in a Batman game!

Yes, we finally saw The Last Guardian again. It’s been 7 years and whole console cycle but the game is still in the works. Though for as long a wait as fans have endured, it just didn’t feel like a PS4 game… at least visually it didn’t. It’s still early with much left to be revealed about the game and it will certainly be a part of the PlayStation Experience this year.

Perhaps Sony’s biggest pop came from another long awaited return.

PlayStation and Final Fantasy have always gone hand-in-hand. It’s one of the many reasons for Sony’s loyal fan base over the years. We saw this game announced some time ago with cheap place holder graphics but seeing how next-level this title looks in its CG trailer; you couldn’t help but be filled with glee.

Sony’s media presentation managed to not bore me when the talk shifted to PlayStation Vue‘s a la carte TV service. It’s a feature that, while not on my wish list, has an appeal for anyone who hates paying 50 bucks a month for cable TV.

Massive kudos to PlayStation for not totally forgetting the Vita. Sony’s handheld is a great piece of hardware that’s never received its due. Many of the games shown during the press conference have Vita ports on the way or remote play functionality.

Also personal note, Sony gets extra points for giving me an excuse to tweet @beckycloonan during their baller a** pre-show. Any time that happens it’s a win for everyone. Now go read Gotham Academy #7.

So while it was far from a bad outing for PlayStation, it did reinforce the fact that the company’s best year is not 2015. In a culture that demands instant gratification, teasing what you’ll be playing in 2016/2017 doesn’t win you the battle.

Ultimately, these companies are on two different paths to lead the industry. Xbox is here to blow sh** up and take your money now. Meanwhile, PlayStation has become the artistic torch bearer of gaming; they’re inventing new types of experiences using the technology at hand… just not for us to use right now.

Who won E3 2015 media day? Well by what we saw from both camps today, it’s apparent Xbox took the win. It’s really the first year they can make that claim. Microsoft showed big games for this year, new ideas, and gave the crowd something we wanted from both systems, first. I’m a PlayStation guy through and through so it’s with a heavy heart I had to give Xbox the W. However, judging by the path Sony laid out for gamers today; I expect E3 2016 to be the biggest year PlayStation has in recent memory. Hopefully by then our cyborg bodies built by robot overlords will be ready.

Xbox kicked off Monday with high octane announcements and the epic news of backwards compatibility for Xbox One from the Xbox 360. Now it’s EA’s turn in the spotlight as they take over the Shrine Auditorium in LA.

Expect new info on Mass Effect, Star Wars Battlefront, and Plants Vs Zombies 2. Last week Dark Horse Comics announced a new limited series set in the world of Mirror’s Edge; today we should see new footage from the game. Everything starts in about 15min, so if you’re hinding in your cubicle check back as the conference starts and we’ll update this post with news as it comes out.

Mass Effect Andromeda will be released Holiday 2016.

First up the return of Need For Speed. The video package shows off some intense cops and robbers car chases. This new game is intended to be the definitive experience built on all of the franchises previous entries. In runs on the same Frostbite tech that powers the Battlefield and Star Wars games.

Here we go:

Bethesda kicked off E3 with a sizzle reel introducing the audience to their various studios and creators. Global VP of Marketing for Bethesda, Pete Hines took the stage at a jammed packed Dolby Theatre. The Oscars stepped aside for the blood, guts, and explosions of all Bethesda’s offerings.

Kicking things off was id Software’s Doom.  Hines called  the original one of the most important titles in video games history. id’s Marty Statton took the stage and talked about Doom’s combat with the “demons, big F’n guns, and run fast”. Actual Doom gameplay was shown. The level in the Mars base started out regularly enough, with a gorgeous scene and some killer gun play. Then, holy fu***ing shit, you rip off a demon’s leg like it was part of a rotisserie chicken. Everything about the game screams true next level experience. Something as simple as picking up a new weapon has a unique feel that can only be compared to being put in the shoes of some movie action hero bad ass. The crowd would not stop going crazy for this, every 15 seconds a roar of oooooooo’s floods the theatre. At the end of the gameplay demo, the company did what none have ever done before; purposely show you what happens when you get killed. A rocket demon killed whoever was playing the game off screen and it didn’t just fade to black. The game’s hero gets his arms ripped off and beaten to death with them.

A slice of the game’s multiplayer was shown and it has freaking everything the single player does. How could they possibly provide more for fans? Open up creating new game modes to everyone in Doom Snapmap. Players will get to create new maps and game modes with a slew of easy to use tool sets, including the ability to alter the game’s logic. Everything created can be shared on the game’s social platforms. It equates to a robust replay value for the game.

This game is relentless and it will be available Spring 2016 on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.

Hines came back on stage to talk about Bethesda.net, a hub for all of its games and the online creation features they may have.

Battlecry The Warrior Republic was up next. The game is a third-person action multiplayer game. Sign up at Battlecrythegame.com to be part of the game’s upcoming beta.

When the lights came up Harvey Smith of Arkane Studios  was on staged to show Dishonored 2.

A trailer for the game showed off a steampunk influenced militant controlled world or Karnaka. Our female assassin, Emily Caldwin, will have time altering abilities and a few other tricks. No release window was given, but the game was confirmed for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In the meantime, a definitive edition of the original Dishonored will be available this Fall with all DLC and upgraded visuals.

Zenmax studios wasn’t on hand at the show as they’re in their studio supporting the recent release of the console version of Elder Scrolls. Only a video with a peek at some upcoming content for the game was shown. Elder Scrolls Tamriell Unlimited content is coming sooner rather than later. A new mobile card based game set in the Elder Scrolls universe is also coming. Elder Scrolls  Legends will be free to play available on PC and iPad, no word on Android version or a release date.

Hines teased the crowd by ending early, the crowd quickly reminded him that Fallout still had to have its time. Only one demo of Fallout 4 will be shown at E3 and it’s only at the show. Game Director, Todd Howard came out to a thunderous ovation from the crowd. Howard talked about E3’s roots in CES, years ago gaming was but a small tent next to porn at the Vegas show. Apparently Fallout 4 had been in the works since 2009. The footage of the game started with a montage on minuscule panels and buttons the artist toil over, then moved into the lavish post apocalyptic world we’ll see in the game.

The game starts in the world before Fallout, a beautiful Saturday morning with the looming threat of nuclear war. They began at the very beginning with character creation, it helps the player feel like a digital artist. No sliders or panels it’s all shaping and warping features. You can choose to play as a male or female character and a baby will be generated based on the couple you create.

In order to not spoil the game’s story a fast forward to 200 years later when your character is the sole survivor of vault 111 and emerges into the world. This game gives players the most control over decisions and architecture than any before it. Nothing from dialogue to paths feel locked in. Now the game comes with bullet time to shoot mole rats, and I assume later bigger things. The playable part of the demo ended and a montage of downtown Boston was on screen. If you live in Boston, it’s extremely likely you’ll be able to spot places you know that aren’t touristy.

Even the Pit Boy future smart watch has been upgraded to be entertaining and enjoyable. A scale replica will be available in the game’s collectors edition. It isn’t just for looking at, an app will be loaded on the replica that works similar to the game for every platform the game is available on. The app will be available stand alone though Android and iOS.

Something else for phones, Fallout Shelter. Players create their own vault and act as overseer. It’s sort of like Sims and Xcom. You’ll have to build a society and keep its citizens functioning as you gather resources. You’ll have to keep the human race alive by what else… makin babies. The game will be free to play, no paywall timers, no internet connection required. Fallout Shelter might be the ultimate time waster (in the best way possible) and is available on the App store tonight for iOS.

Previously I said visuals weren’t how this game would separate itself. No, visually this game is superior to its predecessors, vastly. The level of animation in this game is insane, every little thing you do feels like it has purpose. Fallout 4 will be released on PS4, Xbox One, and PC when Vault 111 opens on November 10, 2015. Yes it’s this year!

Bethesda might have just won E3.

We’re just a month away from the super comic-con bowl of video games, E3. Soon the entire Los Angeles Convention Center will be filled with creative giants, CEOs, journalists, “models” tempting you with cheap sunglasses or free T-shirts, and those fortunate enough to get into the show.

This special late Sunday night edition of WTGB comes sponsored by my DayQuil binge followed up with NyQuil chasers to even me out and an apology for not being able to write wrap ups for Marvel’s Secret Wars. With E3 and a few other shows fast approaching, there’s just no time to do it justice after that fantastic second issue came out last week. I will be posting digital codes of all the May tie-in and spine series issues at the bottom of Game Beat, starting with this one. Enjoy!

For now let’s turn the focus to all the things we want to see at E3 2015. Which means I can officially confirm Comics Beat will be on the show floor and the press events covering all the comics related games and more… but mostly to collect free bags, shirts, and magazines to level out my coffee table with.

From indies to first party exclusives, E3 2015 will be about games, games, and more games. Being in the middle of a new hardware cycle, the focus for this E3 will be soely on the games coming to the consoles and PC.

Batman: Arkham Knight is the first big release post E3, having a full on playable version at the show is a bit of a no brainer, though I wouldn’t expect any new announcements concerning its content. The boys at Rocksteady are already doing an excellent job of teasing the public, they’ve even released a new Arkham Insider video showing off the “dual play” system.

Ever since Lego announced their toy based game, Dimensions; it’s been radio silent on the Lego Marvel Avengers game coming this Fall. While it won’t be part of anyone’s presentations, the game should be playable on the show floor and word of a hard release date seems like a good bet. I’m curious to see if it will still have all the open world goodness of Lego Marvel Super Heroes.

With the recent word of Telltale Games not releasing Season 3 of their Walking Dead game in 2015, the developer has been vocal about announcing something big to come soon for Walking Dead fans. Telltale usually like to keep things intimate and off the exhibit floor at E3, it stands to reason they’ll be showing a brand new Walking Dead one-shot game that doesn’t tie directly into Clementine’s story behind closed doors once again. Perhaps some art, a teaser; but whatever they show will most likely be their September release.

Then there’s the Secret Wars event going on at Marvel. We know there’s going to be a toy line coming to Toys R Us in conjunction with it . Word has been quiet on how the Marvel’s current buffet of mobile titles or a new game would play off the Battleworld. Remember Marvel Super Heroes, the fighting game on PS1?

It was more or less the Infinity Gauntlet game. While we probably won’t get anything close to that for Secret Wars, we’re sure to hear about at least some kind of add-on content for one of these games tying into Secret Wars.

As for the big three…

Per usual, Microsoft will start the round of June 15 press events. Xbox head, Phil Spencer, brought a strong showing in 2014 that translated to boosted sales for the Xbox One. He’s certain to follow the same game centric formula as last year. On the non-gaming front, we don’t expect them to waste valuable time going over all the services, however a demonstration of the Xbox One’s long talked about DVR functionality might be in order. Could we also see a redesigned version of the Xbox One? While the 360 went through some variants in its lifetime, it never happened as quickly as this one would, should it be part of Microsoft’s announcements for E3.

Where Halo 5: Guardians places in the Xbox presentation will be very telling in terms of aces up Microsoft’s sleeve. The game’s hard release date of October 27 is just a few months away. We’ve seen a ton of art and pieces of the story thanks to its viral “Hunt the Truth” campaign. If Xbox’s presentation opens with Halo, weather it’s campaign gameplay or multiplayer, it would indicate Microsoft will end with the official announcement of the new Gears of War game for Xbox One, maybe even alongside footage from the original GOW remake coming to the new console. With, Quantum Break delayed to 2016 and original unproven IPs set to be announced; closing their press event with a new installment of a proven franchise makes the most sense.

Sony PlayStation will close E3 Media Monday at the LA Sports Arena. We’re sure to hear a lot of bragging about the millions of units PS4 has sold to date during their presentation. As for what they’ll show and announce during their time in the media’s eye… Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is a given. Even though it’s been moved to 2016 and an extended preview was previously shown during PlayStation Experience in Vegas; Naughty Dog’s Neil Druckmann will be onstage to tell us something we don’t know about the game that will make the wait feel that much longer.

If Druckmann is indeed on stage, what better time than having the eyes of the world watching to bring out Sam Rami and show the first clip of The Last of Us movie. Sure it’s a long shot, but E3 has a history of huge surprises. Could we also get the Uncharted trilogy remastered for PS4? So far the PlayStation 4 has been all about porting Sony’s previous system classics to the new one with The Last of Us Remastered and the next up God of War remaster. PlayStation has a ton of things they need to update consumers on such as their VR Project Morpheous, backwards compatibility, and the other big game of PS Experience No Man’s Sky. They could have an out of the blue announcement, but with so much they’ve previously confirmed yet not put in our hands they simply don’t need one.

There’s also the PlayStation Originals which brought us the polarizing Brian Michael Bendis adaptation of his creator owned book, Powers. Because of the season 2 announcement, it stands to reason the debut series was a success on some level for Sony. Why else would they be willing to invest further money in more episodes. If it exceeded their expectations expect solid viewer numbers to be part of their humble brag and some art or still from season 2 to be included. One of the few surprises Sony could have waiting in the wings might be an expansion of PS Originals content, maybe other adaptations of popular comics. Personally, I’m rooting for Matt Fraction’s Sex Criminals mainly due to my wanting to see Chip Zdarsky awkwardly appear onstage during another big presentation.

Nintendo is actually the gray area of the show. Their Tuesday June 16 digital press conference has already dropped news ahead of itself. According to Nintendo, we won’t be seeing the delayed Legend of Zelda for Wii U. They are however bringing the Nintendo World Championships to the show from the –long long long– ago film The Wizard. Would there really be much of a point to having Fred Savage and the Power Glove appear during a press event that no one will physically be in attendance for? Mario Maker will also be available that week for the general public to try at select retailers during E3.

The Wii U and DS are likely to have announcements about new Pokemon, Metroid, and Animal Crossing but those would probably be leaked a bit before the show. Nintendo also has the slim possibility of being the only console company showing off hardware with their rumored new “NX” system in development. Currently no details are known about the system. Nintendo wouldn’t want to deter any future Wii U sales by even talking about new hardware that isn’t coming out this year so the possibility that we’ll see it at the show is highly unlikely.

What do you want to see during E3 2015? Who do you think will win this year’s E3? What size shirts do you all use?

Also here’s codes for digital copies of Secret Wars 1-2, Magneto, and Mighty Avengers. (First come first served) We’ll also be giving away physical copies of all the May Secret Wars books at the end of the Month thanks to my LCS and if you’re in the LA or Long Beach, CA areas go buy your Secret Wars at Pulp Fiction. All this month they’re selling every new Secret Wars issue (and tie-ins) 50% off. 

Marvel.com/redeem

Magneto 18- FMC1M3NNXDX8

Mighty Avengers 18 – FMDUEP80DYIR

SECRET WARS 1- FMCJG76UTQDV

SECRET WARS 2- FMD7GMLM7F4B