CNETAnalysis: The three E’s of E3 stand for the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Hosted by the Entertainment Software Association, or ESA, it’s an annual sneak peek at what’s in store for the videogames industry for next year. But enough dry details, this E3 2013 promises to be the most revelatory in years. Why? Because of the coming console war. Sony’s PlayStation 4 is about to square off against the Xbox 720 , or whatever Microsoft names it, for living room supremacy. But those aren’t the only horses in the race. Nintendo’s Wii U is already on the track, and E3 will surely bring previews of game’s starring everyone’s favorite Nintendo characters. And then let’s not forget PC gaming and it’s de facto dark horse, the Steam Box by Valve. What thrills, spills and chills will await us E3 2013? None can be too certain, but we have some predictions for what you’ll see on stage and around the showfloor. So read our list, mull it over, have your say in the comments and check back June 11-13 for TechRadar’s E3 coverage from the Los Angeles Convention Center. 1. The next Xbox will take the stage The successor to the Xbox 360 ; we know it’s coming, and all signs point to an appearance at E3 this year. After all, Xbox Live empresario Major Nelson posted an ominous “And it’s on…” followed by a countdown to E3 2013 . Since Microsoft has been mum, we’ve been referring to the console as the Xbox 720, but we’re confident it’ll have another name. After all, going from 360 to 720 makes it sound like a snowboarder landing a gnarly boardslide, or a dog who has to turn around three times before he can lie down. So will Microsoft straight up show the thing at its presentation? Or will they pull a Sony and unveil the “concept” without actually putting the system on stage? We’d bet on the former, as it would be a chan! ce for Microsoft to one-up the presentation of its Japanese rival. It’s all up in the air as far the Xbox 720′s hardware, Blu-Ray capabilities and stance on used games. We’re wondering two things: will we see it at E3, and will we get to go hands-on with the Xbox 720, or whatever it’s called? 2. Nintendo needs to step up its games Nintendo’s new console is not next gen, but it’s not bad either. We gave it a 3
