Before Nintendo and after Microsoft, Sony holds its conference on June 4 - "day zero" of E3 - and is expected to ignore the next-gen market and go directly against Microsoft. The company is almost the exact opposite to Microsoft, focusing on first-party titles.
The Last of Us
Naughty Dog's done with Uncharted, and is now moving into the zombie survival horror genre. While that may sound uninspiring, the studio isn't creating another Resident Evil. From what the public and press has seen so far, the developers are looking to create an emotional bond between the game's protagonists - Joel and Ellie. Though from different generations, the two are working to survive.
The game also looks to push the PlayStation 3's technology, as Naughty Dog did with Uncharted. It would be surprising if footage wasn't shown ahead of the late 2012/early 2013 release date.
Sony All-Stars Battle Royal
Sony's rival to the Super Smash Bros. series was rumored before announcement, apparently called Title Fight, and brings Sony's first-party characters together across a variety of stages. Some stages combine in-game, from titles such as Buzz! and LittleBigPlanet which ask questions to users while fighting. The developers also said each character's game will get stage representation.
Characters have abilities that become more powerful through a three-level meter. For example, Sly Cooper of the self-titled series can becoming invisible. Characters will also use an authentic fighting style, such as Parrapa the Rappa using a variant of karate learned in the games.
God of War: Ascension
The prequel God of War title was revealed through multiplayer, not the campaign. It came as a surprise to many, but the developers assured fans the series' traditions in storytelling will remain.
Regarding multiplayer, players compete in a deathmatch format and can interact with the environment. An example is a cyclops who hovers over the map, and players can attack its eye.
The Last Guardian
After being revealed at E3 2009, The Last Guardian again went quiet. Team Ico is apparently still developing the game, according to Sony, which brings a boy and a huge, cat-like creature - called Trico - together. Fan anticipation has been high since the reveal, but news of delays and cancellation are worrying. Hopefully Sony will reassure fans on June 4.
PlayStation 'Orbis'
"Orbis" is the codename for the next-gen PlayStation console, if rumors are true. Sony hasn't teased an announcement for the console, but there could be a small teaser during the conference.
The console is rumored to offer AMD architecture, moving away from the problematic Cell, while industry analysts such as Michael Pachter predicted the console will launch ahead of Microsoft's around Q4 2012/Q1 2013.
When, Where, How
Sony's conference takes places Monday, June 4 at 6PM PDT and will last between a hour or two. It takes place at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, and Sony's E3 hub can be found here.
