The annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is the top venue for companies to announce new video games, but the event's big news this year is how mobile devices and virtual reality will reshape those digital fantasies.
The conference, also known as E3, will showcase 270 exhibitors and more than 1,600 products between Tuesday and Thursday, but the convention's greatest draw, virtual reality, is a market that isn't mainstream yet. Many virtual reality devices will not be released for nearly a year, making it hard to determine whether they will be affordable and engaging enough to be a popular option, explains Brian Blau, who analyzes the video game industry for technology research firm Gartner.
"It's hard to tell right now since there is not a market yet – all we have to go on is hype," he says.
Traditional consoles may get an extra life when virtual reality devices hit the market and stave off competition from less-expensive cloud-based devices, including Valve's online Steam platform.
The Oculus Rift virtual reality headset, built by Facebook-owned Oculus, is scheduled to launch on Xbox One at the start of 2016 but a price for the visor has not been released yet. The HTC Vive headset which uses software designed by Valve will also go on sale by the end of the year. Game makers Ubisoft also revealed it is developing several VR games and plans to announce details later this year, and Sony is developing its own headset called Project Morpheus for PlayStation 4, scheduled for release in 2016.
The virtual reality devices are likely to have a life beyond gaming: sthe headsets could be used to watch online movies or take virtual tours of far off places. Microsoft is also planning to bring virtual reality to its new Windows 10 software through partnerships with both Oculus and Valve, though details have not yet been released. On Monday, Mojang showcased a version of its "Minecraft" simulator that is playable with Microsoft's HoloLens headset.
Games designed for Wi-Fi accessible phones and tablets are another trend changing the entertainment industry, aimed at casual players who only have a moment or two to play a quick puzzle or battle a friend in "Clash of Clans."
Mobile games are predicted to generate more revenue than traditional consoles in 2015, according to market research firm Newzoo, which projects the growing sector will make $30 billion worldwide this year, compared with $26 billion estimated for console games. Driving the trend: Anyone with a device running Apple's iOS or Google's Android have instant access to app stores, making it easier for mobile users to get games, Blau explains.
"There are more people playing mobile games than any on other platform," he says. "Developers of PC-only games are going to think more about mobile game development."
Bethesda Software, for instance, showcased "Fallout 4," the latest in its role-playing game series about a post-apocalyptic America, but also released a simpler city-building game for tablets and phones called "Fallout Shelter," that allows faster game-play. Electronic Arts announced "Star Wars Battlefront," due in November ahead of the new movie "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," but it also announced a trading card game for mobile devices called "Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes," that takes less time to play.
Nintendo bowed to player demand for more smartphone games in March by announcing a deal to become the second-largest shareholder in mobile video game company DeNA. The company is not revealing new details during the convention about plans for that deal or about its new console system, dubbed the NX. The past few years have seen Nintendo fail to jump out of third place in the gaming industry behind Sony and Microsoft, largely due to the lackluster performance of its Wii U console, so adopting new trends like mobile gaming could be their chance to advance to the next level.
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