Dedicated to the man-child in us all…over one man-child in particular

With E3 wrapping up in just a few more hours, I thought it would be a good time to talk about what wasn’t revealed at E3 this year.  Sure there were conferences galore, we got to see the Wii U make a big splash, we got to see some killer portable games, incredible looking Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games, but it was what wasn’t discussed that has me the most excited.

So what am I talking about exactly, well only this.

That’s in-game Star Wars 1313 action for you.  That’s what you’ll be playing when the game is finally released sometime in 2013 or 2014.  That said this isn’t going to be an article about 1313 itself, but rather about where the title is heading.  When LucasArts was asked what platforms the game would be arriving on they answered, “We haven’t determined that just yet.”  Currently the game is being made on ‘top tier’ PC hardware.  Now let me ask you a question, when was the last time you heard of a huge game like this, only being made for the PC, that was published by a company whose name doesn’t begin with the letter B?  Yeah, I can’t think that far back either.

That means, and based on all the different developer commentary I’ve been listening to, that this is an unofficial next-gen console game.  We know it was developed on the Unreal Engine 3.0, and requires insane specs to run.  What those specs are exactly aren’t being revealed at this time.  So ladies and gentlemen I think what you see above is your very first look at a potential launch title for the PlayStation 4 and next Xbox.  That’s exciting, and also gives us a clear idea of what PC games can look like today with extremely high specs.

LucasArts wasn’t the only one who showed off software that felt next-gen.  When Ubisoft debuted Watch Dogs everyone started speculating that it was going to be an early next-gen release.  The studio’s press site later confirmed it is currently targeting the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC.  Let me remind you how awesome it looks.

Do you really see that as a PS3 and Xbox 360 release, I mean honestly?  The demonstration above was captured running on a ‘cutting edge’ PC, and it sure looks it.  With no official Ubisoft representative saying this is only coming out for the current gen, I know where else this is going to show up.  Both Watch Dogs and Star Wars 1313 both look a little too good for the hardware we currently own.  I might be wrong, as I usually am, but seriously I think this is your very first glimpse into the future consoles.

The next indicator comes from the companies themselves.  Both Microsoft and Sony have been talking to the press rather extensively about their future plans, or rather the lack thereof.  Both companies assert the fact that their current consoles are doing very well and they feel no pressure to jump the gun and release their next-gen hardware anytime soon.  Truth be told both companies invested millions in R&D, marketing and manufacturing of their respective consoles.  Why would they be in a hurry to ditch them and move on?  The answer is, they aren’t in any hurry, which is why both platforms have a nice stream of software on the horizon for both 2012 and 2013.  At the same time, it’s evident that both are moving on to greener pastures.  This year’s E3 felt like a transition year throughout.

It’s clear to me that publishers aren’t waiting around; they’re interested in creating the next big thing.  Whether or not Watch Dogs or Star Wars 1313 are indeed based on future home consoles, both these studios want to push new boundaries in audiovisual interactive entertainment.  They’ve whetted our appetites, and what we’ve seen here at this year’s E3 is only the beginning.  Come this time next year I’m positive the wait for the traditional next-gen will be over.  It’s at that point when the silence will end, and the deafening will begin as publishers from all over the world drum up hype for the next-generation.