7 things Sony must do to win E3

The biggest event of the gaming year is nearly upon us and, amidst all the anticipation, announcements and earth-shattering surprises, we'll (hopefully) see the three console platform holders go head to head.

It's a chance for each to shift the tides of expectation and turn eyes to their own box in a massive push for attention. That's why Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo will all be vying to be the lasting thought in gamer's minds when E3 closes its doors for another year.

But what would it take for Sony to be considered the dominant force in L.A in your eyes? Here's what the PlayStation publisher has to do to be our champions of E3:

PSN APOLOGY: KEEP IT SHORT
We've all been hurt by the massive PlayStation Network hacks. You remember, the ones that resulted in the personal details of millions being stolen. Or maybe you remember the SOE hacks where pretty much the same thing happened. Again.

Yes Sony messed up and we expect acknowledgement of this at E3 but let's not dwell on it. We've heard the apologies, we've been given compensation and, to be honest, most of us are reasonable enough to lay the largest blame with the hackers.

The best thing Sony could do regarding the PSN hacks is to draw a line under the issue and use the rest of its time on stage to showcase what we all came to see; some mother-loving games. That's worth more than any amount of grovelling.

UPGRADE THE PSN
However, considering the PlayStation Network was torn to shreds, and it was never the most popular online gaming space compared to its rivals anyway, it's time for Sony to roll out some major upgrades.

Obviously these should primarily revolve around security and we want to know in real terms what we can expect to see from PSN in the future to provide a better, more secure and efficient service.

But to make sure all those hesitant Henry's jump straight back on the PlayStation Network horse, Sony's going to need a carrot with which to give them a little prod. We suggest cross-game chat, it's the one thing the PlayStation faithful has been waiting for ever since those smug little Xbox folk next door started flaunting it in their back garden.

SAVE PLAYSTATION MOVE
The PlayStation Move hasn't exactly waded to the forefront of gaming, we can't even be sure that it's cut out the slice of the casual market that Sony was hoping for. Sony never did go with the hard sell like Microsoft did with the Kinect, the PS3 publisher chose instead to dub the Move a slow-burner.

Even if it is a Wii-mote with a little extra tech stuffed inside, we really like the little wand and still think it has some great potential.

That's why we think Sony needs to relight the wick. Shove the Move back into people's consciences with some great software built especially for the device, something with gameplay that's deep enough to scare away grandma.

NGP: PRICE IT, DATE IT
As far as announcements are concerned, the NGP was a big success. We were expecting the PSP2 and instead we got something closer to a handheld PS3. With twin analogue sticks no less.

We've already seen the likes of Uncharted and Killzone 3 on the device, we know it's capable of pumping out some really triple A experiences as well as some inventive looking smaller games that make use of its touch-sensitive capabilities.

What we need (pretty desperately now) is a decent price and a release date that isn't too far away. We're not expecting any new hardware from Sony for a long time but the NGP has had enough of an impact already to really steal the show if we get the right software and the right numbers.

LET THE EXCLUSIVES FLOW
Uncharted 3 and The Last Guardian are just two of the PlayStation exclusives we want to see more of, but it has to be a lot more - we won't settle for that burning mansion level again Naughty Dog. This is the biggest event in the gaming calendar so there shouldn't be any holding back.

More on Twisted Metal and a new God of War title wouldn't go amiss either. We'll also accept HD Collections as currency in exchange for excitement. Either way, the quality of its exclusives is arguably the PlayStation's biggest selling point and Sony really needs to play to its strengths.

So let's see plenty of what we already know is on the way, the continuation of some key franchises and a few exclusive surprises would be the ultimate triple threat to competitors.

GIVE US AGENT
There is one Sony exclusive (at least for now) that everyone's anticipating a little bit more than the rest, if only to have some of the mystery surrounding it shed. We hadn't heard anything about Rockstar's Agent for yonks until it was mentioned fleetingly in a Take-Two earnings call this week.

Okay so it was just confirmation that the game (whatever it may be) is still in production, but that was enough to set us off again. It doesn't take much when there's a brand new Rockstar IP involved.

Now would be the perfect time to showcase the first glimpse of the game and put that PlayStation exclusive stamp firmly on the cover. With Rockstar's name still ringing in people's ears (along with Team Bondi of course) following the success of L.A Noire, Sony really can capitalise at E3.

AVOID THE GIMMICKS
Remember when Kevin Butler crashed the party last year? Yeah, that was funny wasn't it? No more though.

Last year's Sony conference was entertaining, but when it was over we felt a bit empty. We realised that Butler had basically been filler, a time killer. He didn't announce anything, he didn't make any promises for the future, he just did a shallow skit and left us with nothing but a smirk.

This year we want nothing but announcements, reveals and unveilings. Basically we want games, hardware and little else. Don't try and con us with your humour Sony. Fool us once, shame on us, fool us twice...

via cvg

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