Summer season of Gaming 2023 Predictions Revisited

After Nintendo’s remake-packed Direct on June 21, and Sega’s Sonic Central on June 23, it looks as if the vast majority of the occasions we’ve tucked into our Summer season of Gaming season are actually full. After we coated greater than 528 video games over the course of 25 livestreams, and noticed 137.5 million YouTube views and 336 million minutes (that’s 639 years) of IGN protection watched in the course of the previous 4 weeks, it’s time to look again on these predictions from a couple of weeks in the past to see if my dumb concepts have been truly any good. 

I made 21 predictions in whole, and I acquired 12 of them proper. That’s not fairly nearly as good as I’d hoped, however contemplating how bizarre and unpredictable issues have been round sport releases over the previous few years, it’s truly not too unhealthy. Let’s undergo them one after the other.

I wasn’t precisely stretching on this one, so it doesn’t really matter. But it surely’s good to open with a win. The sport appears to be like phenomenal, and can absolutely be the juggernaut that each Microsoft and the Xbox fanbase really want it to be. The largest query after the present was: why is it 30fps on Xbox Sequence X and Sequence S and never 60fps, as individuals count on from really next-gen video games? In his IGN Efficiency preview after the occasion, Michael Thompson dove into the main points shared by Bethesda, the revealed PC minimal and advisable specs. He additionally appears to be like at how the Creation Engine 2 works, evaluating it to Bethesda’s earlier video games to gauge potential causes for why the staff may need chosen 30fps.

• Microsoft will lean exhausting into Forza Motorsport, and it’ll exit of its approach to present how a lot prettier and even-more unnecessarily attentive to element it’s than Gran Turismo. See the person carbon fibers, or one thing. Nevertheless lengthy the phase of their showcase is, individuals will complain that it’s too lengthy.

Equally predictable, however actually they saved the actually nerdy shit to a minimal, which was uncommonly reserved. What we did be taught was that a variety of work has been carried out to make the profession gameplay extra attention-grabbing with the potentially-groundbreaking new Builders Cup profession mode, which serves as the brand new single-player marketing campaign. The Forza staff calls it a “religious successor” to modes from Forza Motorsport 3 and 4, and guarantees extra of an RPG-style development system the place driving ability immediately impacts XP leveling. 

• I believe there’ll be a Gears 6 teaser with little to no gameplay proven. I do know this isn’t precisely that daring of a guess, however it’s time. It’s not a stretch to imagine there’s a Grasp Chief Assortment-style Gears bundle within the works too.

Nicely, that didn’t fairly work out. To be honest, I used to be hardly the one one predicting this. Ryan had this one on his checklist on Unlocked, too. What’s attention-grabbing is that the Xbox Showcase (truly, each of them) projected a renewed confidence from Microsoft, regardless of a major variety of beforehand introduced video games like State of Decay 3, or highly-likely titles like Gears 6 not being current.

A lot as we have seen in films and TV, sport studios are actually their very own again catalogs as sources of uncooked materials to reimagine from scratch, reasonably than proceed or just simply remake.

• All of the glitter-inspired fuss about Playground Video games’ Fable reboot will become true. I’m guessing it’s approach additional alongside than anybody thinks, and we could even get a launch date.

Nailed it. We didn’t get a launch date, however we did get a ravishing demonstration of how the story is being reimagined by Playground, plus an exquisite use of Richard Ayoade to exhibit the staff’s dedication to humor. In the event you have been anticipating one thing that constructed absolutely on the muse of Lionhead’s authentic, it looks as if this one is shifting a lot additional afield and reimaging the franchise. This can be a good instance of a pattern that appears to be rising fairly rapidly lately – a lot as we’ve seen in films and TV, sport studios are actually their very own again catalogs as sources of uncooked materials to reimagine from scratch, reasonably than proceed or just simply remake.

Facet notice: Within the ballot I ran final time, this was by far the most well-liked selection of video games listed that folks have been trying ahead to. It took 34% of the votes.

• This one’s most likely apparent after Phil Spencer made such some extent of claiming he’s performed it a bunch, however there’ll be a giant phase on Obsidian’s Pillars of Eternity-expanding first individual RPG Avowed.

Yup. They confirmed it twice, in reality. After the primary showcase the response undoubtedly appeared a bit blended as the general tone of the factor appeared to throw lots of people, plus there was widespread criticism of it trying lower than stunning. The studio has since revealed that though it was first introduced three years in the past, the sport is way from being completed and gained’t be launched till 2024. Obsidian boss Feargus Urquhart has additionally mentioned that whereas the studio’s preliminary pitch for Avowed was for it to be a much bigger, sprawling open-world fantasy role-playing sport like Bethesda’s Skyrim, it has ended up being a smaller scale sport, much like its earlier sci-fi role-playing sport The Outer Worlds. 

• We’re about due an extended and even weirder Dying Stranding 2 trailer.

I actually thought this was a certain factor, however nope. In step with the overall air of unpredictability round something Dying Standing associated, the one factor we noticed throughout this time period was Kojima speaking in regards to the Administrators Minimize of Dying Stranding operating on Mac as a part of Apple’s Worldwide Builders Convention on June 5.

• We’ll actually see extra from Ubisoft on Murderer’s Creed Mirage, however I believe we’ll be taught that it’s simply the sneaky stealth-focused amuse-bouche earlier than the actual predominant course: no matter it’s that Codename Crimson goes to be known as. I believe we’ll get the identify for the sport and a reveal displaying that it’s a huge RPG-style factor that’s even larger than Valhalla.

Sure to Mirage, however no to Codename Crimson. Sure – Mirage undoubtedly seems to be a smaller, extra compact, stealth-focused assassination sport reasonably than an enormous sprawling RPG like Valhalla. Unexpectedly, we additionally acquired a have a look at Jade – the Ubisoft and Degree Infinite team-up that appears prefer it has the potential to be a fully-fledged Murderer’s Creed sport for cell. We additionally acquired a trailer for the Murderer’s Creed VR sport, Nexus, however the trailer for it was fully and totally pretend pre-rendered nonsense and under no circumstances what a Meta Quest 3 will be capable of generate, not to mention a Quest 2.

• The one whiff of something that smells even vaguely like an acknowledgement of a brand new Splinter Cell shall be in something Ubisoft exhibits of XDefiant.

We did get to see extra XDefiant 6v6 enviornment gameplay, and the sport does characteristic Echelon brokers as certainly one of its factions – so I assume that is kinda, technically a sure? The sport is in open beta proper now, and shall be out later this yr.

• Ubisoft will present Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora in all its glory. The feedback on each platform will mainly be yawns and claims of not giving a shit, after which we’ll see that the trailer has carried out a gajillion views within the first 12 hours.

Sure, and it’s Far Cry: Pandora, mainly. It didn’t do the loopy views I assumed it’d although, the trailer solely did round 80k views on our YouTube channel, which is fairly weak, after which the longer gameplay overview managed about 120k. Earlier bulletins across the sport have carried out significantly higher than that, however that was primarily earlier than the second film got here out.

• In the event you’re hoping there’ll be something on Past Good & Evil 2, you’re simply stressing your self out. We’re all going to should let it go.

Yeah. C’mon. It’s by no means taking place.

• Ubisoft’s megaton shall be its Star Wars reveal. There are all kinds of rumors going round about this one, however my favourite is that it’s a Mandalorian sport. Not primarily based on the present, however on The Purge that’s usually referenced. Numerous flavors of wishful pondering have it as an Murderer’s Creed-alike with house flight and fight in-between planets.

Sure to Star Wars, no to the Mandalorian half. That also counts as a win although, proper? Technically Star Wars Outlaws is extra of a Watch Canines-alike than an Murderer’s Creed-alike, however given the 2 are fairly carefully associated anyway, I believe that also counts. For me personally, together with Starfield, that is the announcement from Summer season of Gaming I’m most enthusiastic about. I do know lots of people have criticized latest Ubisoft video games (Valhalla specifically) for being too massive and too sprawling with simply an excessive amount of stuff in them – however I actually hope that Outlaws is precisely like that. Valhalla turned a consolation sport for me, and the nearly-200 hours I spent in it was in the end because of exploring each nook and cranny and accumulating each doodad I might probably discover, so the thought of one thing comparable in a well-known Star Wars setting sounds great.

• We already know the gameplay reveal of Mortal Kombat 1 shall be at Summer season Sport Fest due to Geoff Keighley’s frequent reminders, so we are able to safely file this one underneath “expectations.”

Yup. You all appeared to adore it, too. After we posted the trailer it noticed over 1,000,000 views in a short time and acquired a few of the most constructive suggestions of something we noticed over the course of your entire occasion. That is one other instance of the pattern we’re seeing the place franchises are being revisited and reimagined to a point. Whereas Mortal Kombat 1 doesn’t appear to be rethinking the core gameplay of the 30 year-old franchise an excessive amount of, the truth that the story is being fully rebooted is indicative of the pattern we’re seeing the place publishers are clinging to outdated manufacturers and making an attempt to make them recent once more.

• Warner Bros. Video games used Summer season Sport Fest to point out Gotham Knights final yr, so it’s attainable it could use this yr’s occasion to point out one thing redemptive for Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. The sport isn’t due till subsequent February, however its final displaying undoubtedly soured lots of people to it, so there’s a chance for restoration.

Not even the tiniest whiff of it. It appears unlikely we’ll see something of this till perhaps the Sport Awards in December. If I’m sincere, I’d guess it could get delayed even additional and we could not see it til this time subsequent yr. And even later.

• I believe we’ll see a brand new Sonic sport at Summer season Sport Fest. I’ve no proof to again this up, I’m simply guessing. This may occasionally find yourself being little greater than a trailer for the Frontiers DLC that includes playable Tails, Amy, and Knuckles, however I actually suppose there’ll be one thing greater than that.

Sonic Superstars appeared incredible, and the flexibility for 4 individuals to play by means of the story collectively as Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy Rose undoubtedly differentiates it from the handfuls of different Sonic video games we’ve seen over time.

• Sega will present a brand new Hyenas trailer as a result of everybody has forgotten that the sport exists.

Possibly all of us simply imagined Hyenas, and it was by no means truly actual?

• We’re nicely overdue for a brand new replace on the various Silent Hills, notably Silent Hill 2. Time for a brand new trailer, absolutely?

Nothing. Not a sausage. Kinda stunned about this one, because it appears nicely overdue, plus Konami appears to be waking up once more with all of the Metallic Gear Stable stuff.

There’s been an assumption that Phantom Blade Zero is a PlayStation 5 unique – nevertheless, it is not.

• Phantom Blade Zero will certainly pop up once more. After wowing everybody on the PlayStation Showcase, first-time studio S-Sport’s tough-to-describe steampunk kung fu maybe-soulslike motion RPG was an early shock that we’ll hopefully see far more of.

I actually thought this may present up in all places, as a result of it appeared wonderful. Curiously, as a result of the sport was proven as a part of the PlayStation Showcase on Might 24, there’s been an assumption that Phantom Blade Zero is a PlayStation 5 unique – nevertheless, it isn’t. In keeping with a developer Q&A posted on the sport’s official Discord server, the staff states that “for now we have no exclusivity on any platform.” To be clear, solely PS5 and PC variations have been introduced up to now.

• Lies of P emerged at Gamescom final August underneath comparable circumstances – a trailer throughout a showcase that wowed everybody with its gritty visuals and soulslike gameplay. Round8 debuted at Opening Night time Stay at Gamescom – which is hosted and curated by Keighley – so it looks as if a reasonably protected guess we’ll see a follow-up at Summer season Sport Fest. On the very least we’ll get an precise launch date.

Yup, and it appeared dreamy in all its puffy-shirted Timothée Chalamet-looking gothic glory, plus we acquired each a launch date and a demo.

• There hasn’t been a Warhammer 40k sport announcement within the final 5 minutes, so there’ll most likely be a kind of.

They confirmed House Marine 2, which wasn’t precisely an announcement as a result of they first confirmed it on the Sport Awards in December, so to the letter of this prediction, I used to be incorrect. However nonetheless – the sport appeared fairly superior, and the trailer revealed confirmed that the sport has a co-op mode. In the event you’re eager to get a brand new, vaguely Gears of Warfare-ish repair earlier than the top of this yr – it appears to have that coated.

• Capcom will most likely proceed down its path of regurgitating itself with the announcement of one other remake. The divisive Code Veronica, maybe? (Yeah, yeah, I do know they mentioned final October that they weren’t doing it proper now, however do you actually imagine them?)

Nope, nope, nope. They solely confirmed stuff we already knew about, after which their “deep dive” on Dragon’s Dogma 2 was barely puddle-deep. A giant disappointment all spherical.

• We’ll get our first glimpse of Name of Responsibility Trendy Warfare 3. I’m guessing at Summer season Sport Fest.

Nope. We acquired Warzone Season 3, however not Trendy Warfare 3. It was most likely a stretch given what we’re studying from the FTC trial occurring in the meanwhile.

General, it was an excellent, stable preview season with some actually cool-looking video games coming within the subsequent 12 months or so. It might not have been probably the most groundbreaking or shocking set of bulletins, however I believe the actual takeaway from all this may be damaged down into seven fundamental themes.

1. All of us nonetheless count on massive summer time showcases and previews, and even with out E3 or one thing large-scale to carry the whole lot collectively – June remains to be an essential month for us all to see what the way forward for sport releases appears to be like like. Regardless that E3 is cancelled for the subsequent couple of years (a minimum of) it appears clear we’ll proceed to see massive occasions yearly.
2. After three years of studios hedging and releasing video games throughout earlier and present era platforms, we’re lastly attending to see true next-gen experiences.
3. We’re undoubtedly seeing parallels with TV and flicks the place studios should not solely remaking well-known and beloved video games, however we’re additionally seeing issues being rebooted from the start and reimagined as one thing barely totally different.
4. The following 12 months is completely full of video games. We noticed 528 titles throughout Summer season of Gaming, and whereas lots of these have been indies, the amount of big-budget titles was significantly higher than we have seen lately.
5. Our time is extra treasured than ever. Video games are getting larger and requiring extra of a dedication, the selection on subscription companies is getting broader, DLC is getting larger (Phantom Liberty appears to be like enormous), and repair video games are extra of a time-suck than ever.
6. The {hardware} has actually settled down. You possibly can extra simply purchase a PS5 or an Xbox Sequence X, there are not any iterations on the horizon – and actually the one {hardware} bulletins all yr have been VR and AR associated.
7. This yr is shaping as much as be one of many largest years ever for releases. After the large successes of Tears of the Kingdom, Diablo IV, and Hogwarts – we’re a super-packed September and October with video games like Mortal Kombat 1, Starfield, Alan Wake 2, Spider-Man 2, and Tremendous Mario Bros. Marvel.

John Davison is IGN’s writer and editorial lead, and has been writing about video games and leisure for greater than 30 years. Observe him on Twitter.