One of the most important events on the video gaming calendar is just around the corner: Gamescom 2013. What are we expecting from the upcoming event?
Gamescom opens to the public on August 22, with a press day on August 21. However, both Sony and EA will be broadcasting pre-gamescom press conferences on August 20. Microsoft will also be hosting a showcase event on the same date, although it doesn’t appear that this event will be live streamed.
Sony and PlayStation 4
Press conference: 1 pm eastern/6 pm BST, August 20.
Sony kicks off gamescom with a press briefing that will be streamed live on their website.
This briefing will outline “release plans” for the PlayStation 4, with a release date expected to be somewhere in early November. Additional PlayStation 4 games are also likely to be revealed.
It’s not all about next-gen consoles, however, as Sony will spend some time discussing their plans for the Vita and the PlayStation 3.
Microsoft and Xbox One
Showcase event: August 20 (time unknown)
Call of Duty: Ghosts event: Noon eastern/5 pm BST
Microsoft will open their gamescom with a short briefing on the Xbox One, where a new Xbox One exclusive will be announced. Whilst not available to stream through the website, highlights of the event will be uploaded at a later date.
Microsoft will host the world première of Call of Duty: Ghosts multiplayer footage at an event the following day, which will be available to watch live.
EA
Press conference: 10 am eastern/3 pm BST, August 20
EA will be looking to capitalise on their recent reputation boost (or at least, temporary drop in hatred directed at them) brought about by the launch of the Humble Origin Bundle.
Their website promises a decent line-up of games including Battlefield 4, Need for Speed Rivals, and Plants vs. Zombies Garden Warfare. The event will be available to watch here.
The real headline, for us, at least, is the unveiling of The Sims 4. We recently saw some leaked screenshots from the game, but an official trailer would give us much more of a sense of what the next generation of Simming will bring.
Playable titles
If you’re attending gamescom in person, you’ll be able to get your hands on a ridiculous number of games, from Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag to Watch Dogs, Battlefield 4 to The Sims 4, and many, many more.
Most of the publishers are trying to keep a couple of secrets hidden from the public until the event begins, but IGN have put together a great list of what’s been confirmed so far. Note that these games will be appearing in some way, but are not necessarily all playable.
We’d love to hear your impressions of the games you get to play at gamescom: either post your reviews in the comments section of any related posts, or submit a News By You post.
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