Around this time of year, gaming is at its hottest with the buzz surrounding E3, plus the news and announcements that are made prior to the show. Not only are there official news announcements, but leaks and rumors tend to fly around like debris in a tornado.
Insiders have gradually been squeezing out information about upcoming games in the days prior, and even with E3 2016 only a few days away, info continues to drip out. Shinobi602, who is a well-known and credible insider that has revealed reliable information about games in the past, had a pretty big tidbit for Xbox gamers looking forward to Microsoft's E3 presser.
"Yeah I'd say they expect it there. Some hardware, I'll say to expect hardware [during Microsoft's E3 2016 press conference] for sure," Shinobi said during the HamRadio podcast.
There have been differing rumors regarding the type of console Microsoft will be bringing to E3 2016. The prevailing thought is that there will be the unveiling of the new Xbox One slim, and then next year would be the actual new iteration for Xbox.
Last year at E3 2015, gamers were given a brief glimpse into what augmented reality (AR) will be like in the form of HoloLens. It's an incredibly intriguing and amazing technology, but from what Shinobi said of AR's near-term software potential, fans shouldn't expect must anytime soon. "I think they have a long way to go before [there is] any substantial software, probably," Shinobi said.
Remasters haven't been something that companies like Ubisoft and EA have focused their time and dollars on. Each publisher has decided to focus on creating new experiences, but Mass Effect fans have been hoping against hope for a remaster of the extremely popular Mass Effect trilogy.
"EA's not really interested in remasters. They're not remastering the Mass Effect games, which that hurt me pretty bad," Shinobi said. For those who aren't aware, in his Twitter profile is the descriptor "Mass Effect junkie," so that comment adds up just about right.
Lastly, Rare is currently in the process of creating a brand-new experience known as Sea of Thieves, a game that many expect to debut this year. The studio has been in front of new IP as of late, and from what Shinobi had to say, that is being done quite deliberately.
"You know Rare is kind of like their new IP factory right now. [There is] Sea of Thieves and then they got another thing going on that's completely new. Literally all of Microsoft's other first-party are working on already established franchises," Shinobi said.