E3plante! 2011

Third time’s a charm, right? Well, the first two went off without a hitch, so here’s hoping that E3 2011 does so, too!

Oh, in case you couldn’t tell, we’re heading back to E3 for the third year in a row!! We’ve scheduled even more than before, and I’m going to run down everything for you below! Think about this: more conferences, more photos, more games, more events, and some awesome surprises, too! And I’m going to give away some awesome E3 swag at the end of it all, and to enter, all you have to do is follow @eggplante on Twitter (but more of that after the show)!

For now (yep, that means we’re going to be adding more!), here’s what we’ve got booked:

Monday, June 6th

  • Microsoft Press Conference: expect some Gears of War action, tons of new Kinect titles, and Modern Warfare 3. And keep praying that something Halo comes out of the event, too. What would E3 be without Halo?
  • Ubisoft Press Conference: this is a new one for us at Eggplante, but I’m personally super excited about it. Can’t wait to hear more about Splinter Cell, especially considering it is being developed in Toronto. I’m all Assassin’s Creed-ed out by now, but if last year’s Kinect integration is any clue, Ubisoft will have something else up its sleeve in the controller-free gaming space this year as well. And, of course, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier.
  • Sony Press Conference: This is also going to be a big show. Last year, we saw Playstation Move and 3D, and while I think there will still be a large focus on those two things, I’m thinking we’re also going to see an official name for their Next Generation Portable, as well as price points and a release date. This is going to be a winner. Just please, oh please, don’t let it be as boring as last year!

Tuesday, June 7th

  • Nintendo Press Conference: alright, so last year, Nintendo unveiled titles featuring pretty much every single Nintendo character ever, and then released them all, too! However, there are some pretty big ones we’ve yet to really see a ton of. Expect a massive announcement about Zelda: Skyward Sword, Ocarina of Time 3D, and probably a new Mario game. But what platform will the first and latter be on? Well, Nintendo has already come right out and said that they’ll be unveiling a new console at E3 2011, so Mario and perhaps even Zelda will go right to that console, if they don’t do a split release like Twilight Princess on the Wii and GameCube.
  • Kinect: We’ve got an awesome tour of the Kinect experience with the various Kinect titles that will be on display. I wish I had more information to give you, but they just haven’t released anything yet! I think this is the year that Kinect will begin to come into its own in the marketplace.
  • Microsoft Booth Tour: We actually end off the Kinect tour with the rest of Microsoft’s offering, and it’ll be great to see the hardcore titles being demoed, not to mention the good ol’ Arcade content they’ve always got.
  • Parrot AR.Drone Announcement: One of the coolest things I’ve ever seen is the Parrot AR.Drone, an iPhone-controlled quadricopter. Just plain awesomeness. And they’re announcing new stuff this year, too!
  • Nintendo Booth Tour: we start the day with Ninty and we end it with Ninty. Can’t complain! Looking forward to getting some great hands-on time of the new titles: namely, Zelda and Zelda!

Wednesday, June 8th

  • Sony Booth Tour: This is another one I’m excited about. Okay, I’m just excited about everything, but the chance to play a new console months before release is always high on my list! Not to mention new Uncharted, Move games, and maybe, hopefully some mention of The Last Guardian!
  • Razer Booth Tour: I’m not usually into PC stuff, but Razer makes some pretty awesome stuff, so I thought, why the hell not? This should be pretty cool, actually!
  • Disney Booth Tour: This is another one that isn’t our typical scene, but let’s be honest, with a title like Epic Mickey last year, and the great stuff the Disney team puts out in movies, this one is also sure to be a pretty big winner this year!
  • Video Games Live: Okay, so this is all but confirmed. BUT – we’ve never done E3 without Video Games Live, and although we’re hot off the heels of our Toronto showing, I’m going to get in as much time with the LA show as possible, because Tommy personally assured me that I haven’t seen most of what is going to happen at E3 2011’s show! Can’t wait!

Can you believe that’s only two days of the show?! Sheesh! Now now, keep calm and carry on…

Thursday, June 9th

  • Okay, so I can’t actually tell you what is planned for this day. No more Booth Tours as of yet. But I’ll say this: woah. Not like kiddy game woah. Not cupcakes woah. But like, holy crap Charlie Sheen is a total freakin’ rockstar from Mars – ain’t got nothing on this kinda woah. No, seriously. This. Is. Huge.
  • Stay tuned.

I told you we’d be doing tons more this year! Check out that schedule! Jam-Packed! I really can’t wait, and to add a cherry on top of an already massive Sunday, we’re waiting on accreditation for the MTV Movie Awards which take place the Sunday we arrive in Los Angeles to cover the massive show that is E3! Here’s hoping we can bring you some awesome celebrity goodness along with your E3 coverage!